Our Budget
Since I am a starving student and Alex is in Ireland and saving for the immigration here, our wedding will be on a tight budget! The budget is set at $6,500, but with the course we're on now, it looks like we'll be able to keep it under $5,000! I thought I'd post our budget and how we're spending so that other brides on a budget can get some helpful tips and tricks, and so that brides in Canada can see that it can be done!
Budget
Item: Budgeted: Actually Spent:
Hall Rental $850.00 $810
Officiant $550.00 $502.85
Marriage Licence $150.00 $135.00
Dress and Accessories $900.00 $ N/A
Ties and Vests for Men $100.00 $ N/A
Flowers and Decor $500.00 $279.83
Rings $140.00 $80.45
Food $1,100.00 $ N/A
Alcohol $750.00 $180.00
Non Alcoholic Drinks $200.00 $ N/A
Rental Items $250.00 $127.37
Invitations $210.00 $62.00
Photography $600.00 $ N/A
Contingency Fund $200.00 $ N/A
Total: $6,500.00 $2,182.50
Hall Rental $850.00 $810
Officiant $550.00 $502.85
Marriage Licence $150.00 $135.00
Dress and Accessories $900.00 $ N/A
Ties and Vests for Men $100.00 $ N/A
Flowers and Decor $500.00 $279.83
Rings $140.00 $80.45
Food $1,100.00 $ N/A
Alcohol $750.00 $180.00
Non Alcoholic Drinks $200.00 $ N/A
Rental Items $250.00 $127.37
Invitations $210.00 $62.00
Photography $600.00 $ N/A
Contingency Fund $200.00 $ N/A
Total: $6,500.00 $2,182.50
Notes
Hall Rental Fees: Our rental fee includes a bartender for 8 hours (5pm-1am), all of our tables and chairs, cups for drinks, and full use of the facility for the whole day. Included in the budgeted amount is a special occasions permit that I have yet to purchase from the LCBO, but they are $25 so we will still be under budget after we purchase that!
Officiant: The fee includes the rehearsal and the ceremony. We were able to fully customize the ceremony using their nifty online ceremony creator- it was really cool! We really associate with our officiant because he too was married young and is the nicest guy ever!
Flowers and Decor: We decided to save money, we're doing flowerless centrepieces. (See DIY section for pictures of them!) I bought our linens from linentablecloth.com when they had a 25% off sale and free shipping, which cost me $204. That was $15 dollars cheaper than any rental place, and we can resell them after the wedding. For flowers, we are going to go to our local farmers market. In the summer I purchase flowers almost weekly from the same vendor and she is fantastic! She will make us all our bouquets/boutonnieres/corsages.
Officiant: The fee includes the rehearsal and the ceremony. We were able to fully customize the ceremony using their nifty online ceremony creator- it was really cool! We really associate with our officiant because he too was married young and is the nicest guy ever!
Flowers and Decor: We decided to save money, we're doing flowerless centrepieces. (See DIY section for pictures of them!) I bought our linens from linentablecloth.com when they had a 25% off sale and free shipping, which cost me $204. That was $15 dollars cheaper than any rental place, and we can resell them after the wedding. For flowers, we are going to go to our local farmers market. In the summer I purchase flowers almost weekly from the same vendor and she is fantastic! She will make us all our bouquets/boutonnieres/corsages.
Rings: Alex likes to think he's Prince William/Charles, and doesn't want to actually wear a wedding ring after the ceremony, so I bought him a brushed tungsten ring off of ebay for $10.45 free shipping. He loves it, and its actually pretty great quality- YAY for ebay! My ring I found on Kijiji- A man who owned a jewellery store but recently retired was selling off all his merchandise for the price he would have gotten if he had melted it down for gold. I got a 4mm 10k gold band for $70!
Food: My mom has graciously offered to pay for the food. I was originally planning on buying things from costco and doing it myself, but my mom didn't want me to have that hassle in my life and took it over so I wouldn't have to worry about the budget!
Alcohol: Under our permit, we must buy all of our spirits and beer from the LCBO, we are making our own wine though! I bought a groupon for 50% off, and will be making two batches, one red, one white- it works out to be 60 bottles of wine for $160!
Rental Items: The venue doesn't have plates or cutlery so I had to place them on hold at a rental place. We priced them out to buy, similar to linens, but its still half price to rent, so we're renting!
Invitations: I'm making them myself: see DIY section for more info and pictures!
Photography: A volunteer at the place I'm looking to buy my dress (The Bride's Project- I have an appointment on the 29th of January- can't wait!) Is a photographer and was willing to take $100 off of her fee because we are buying the dress through the organization! I'm also happy because the money spent on my dress will go to cancer charities :)