While weddings can be costly, having a budget can help you plan the wedding you want without breaking the bank. However, this still is going to require some work. Before you start looking at venues and other aspects of the wedding, you should have a budget set.
When you’re setting a budget, though, you don’t just want to have a total amount you’re willing to spend. It’s also important to set how much money you’re willing to spend on each aspect of the wedding. This may limit your options, but it can help you determine which options are realistically worth exploring to make your wedding an unforgettable experience before entering into married life.
Typical Costs Associated with a Wedding Venue
While not all places you can use as a wedding venue have a cost, most traditional wedding venues do. However, the type of wedding venue you choose will dictate the costs. Here’s the typical cost for different wedding venues:
- Ballrooms – $5,000 – $15,000
- Beachfront Venues – $3,000 – $12,000
- Community Centres – $500 – $3,000
- Rural Venues – $3,000 – $10,000
- Destination Weddings – $15,000 – $50,000
When it comes to a venue, it’s more common for the more expensive venues to include catering costs. Some will also include photography, a wedding video, decorations, and even a wedding planner. If this is the case, then you should expect to spend a larger chunk of your budget in one place. However, you will also need to consider vendor tips.
However, when you go with a smaller budget for a venue, you may incur your own catering costs, which could be anywhere from $50 to $150 per head. In this case, the guest count for your overall wedding budget makes a larger difference. You’ll also have to include the costs of drinks if you choose to include a cocktail hour.
Average Small Costs Associated with a Wedding
When it comes to your wedding, most couples consider the wedding venue and the reception venue when creating their initial budget based on their income. However, when it comes to the actual cost of the wedding fund, the small details can add up quite quickly. Let’s take a look at some of these costs and what the cost is for the average wedding.
Invitations
The type of invitation you choose and how many guests you’re inviting will make a big difference. Wedding vendors don’t usually include this service, so it’s important to consider it as part of the wedding planning process.
When it comes to wedding stationery, the average wedding budget allows for 5% of your total cost. The average wedding cost for stationery is between $300 and $600. For those with a smaller budget, you can DIY them for a lot less, or you can opt for digital invitations and even engagement announcements.
Transportation
When planning a wedding and looking to create a wedding budget, one of the overlooked wedding day costs is transportation services. Many budgets don’t even account for transportation costs. This is because many couples opt for them and their wedding party to get their own transportation. That said, those who do opt for transportation are looking at spending between $500 and $2,000. If not, you may have to consider parking costs.
Decor Rentals
Event rentals are a common cost with no inclusive venues and are a normal use of wedding money. These costs should be included in the venue portion of the wedding fund since they include things like tables, chairs, table cloths and even centrepieces. Depending on what you rent, this cost can be anywhere from $700 to $6,000.
Wedding Rings
Wedding rings are one of the most important wedding priorities. While some may get their rings from family members, others have to purchase the rings. The average amount spent on wedding rings in Canada is between $1,500 and $2,000.
Marriage License
While the cost of a marriage license in Canada is only around $100, it is something that can’t be forgotten. This is what makes the marriage legal, and it needs to be applied for before you get married so it’s ready for the day of.
Officient
While some wedding venues and packages will include an officiant, you do need to include this in the cost of off-site vendors if they don’t. Depending on the officiant, the cost of this can range from $300 to $1,000.
Wedding Planner
One optional wedding cost is a wedding planner. While some wedding packages include a wedding planner, others don’t. If they don’t and you want one, you’ll have to pay a separate cost, which can range anywhere from $1,500 to $12,000 or even more.
Wedding Budget Breakdown
When it comes to creating a wedding budget, the best way to start is to create a budget breakdown. You can do this by listing the different categories that would be included in weddings. Some examples of these categories include:
| Category | Details |
| Venue and Food | This includes the venue where the wedding ceremony and reception will take place. It also includes catering, which may be included with the reception venue or contracted separately. |
| Photography | Many weddings have a professional photographer and even a videographer. The cost will depend on who you choose and whether you have one or both. |
| Wedding Attire/Beauty | This includes the wedding dress and makeup, the groom’s suit, and anything else that might be included. |
| Decor | This includes renting tables and chairs, centerpieces, flowers, and any other decorations that might be needed. |
| Cake | The wedding cake can be expensive, depending on the type of cake you get. |
| Stationary | This includes any save-the-dates or wedding invitations that you send out. |
| Favours and Gifts | Many weddings have favours for the guests and even thank-you gifts for the vendors |
| Other Costs | Other costs that you may incur are transportation for the wedding party, a wedding planner if you choose to get one, the cost of an officiant and even the wedding bands. |
Creating a Wedding Budget Checklist
Once you’ve established which categories you’re going to use for your wedding, it’s time to create a checklist. This can help keep you on track with your budget as well. A helpful way to do this is to include how much you’re intending to spend on each category, as well as how much of your budget each will use. Here’s a breakdown of how much each category should be of your total wedding cost.
- Venue and Food – 40%
- Photography – 10%
- Wedding Attire and Beauty – 5%
- Decor – 16%
- Cake – 3%
- Stationary – 5%
- Favours and Gifts – 2%
- Other Costs – 14%
- Emergency Fund – 5%
For example, if the total budget for your wedding is $10,000, then this is what the breakdown would look like. This is one of many sample wedding budgets.
- Venue and Food – $4,000
- Photography – $1,000
- Wedding Attire and Beauty – $500
- Decor – $1,600
- Cake – $300
- Stationary – $500
- Favours and Gifts – $200
- Other Costs – $1,400
- Emergency Fund – $500
Wedding Budget Template
The simplest way to keep track of your expenses is to use a wedding budget template. Here’s an example:
While these line items could change based on your wedding, this is the general way a wedding budget should be structured. As long as you’re tracking the actual cost and if you’ve gone over or under your budget, you’ll be able to keep on budget and determine where you can reduce or increase costs.
How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget of $1,000
While this same budget strategy does work for a wedding on a $1,000 budget, this is a small budget. This means looking at alternative avenues can make a big difference in keeping your wedding budget low.
Venue
One of the key things you can do to keep your wedding expenses low is to use free or low-cost options for a venue. This includes things like backyards, public parks, public beaches, and community centers. You can even reduce the cost of the venue by renting it in the off-season or on a weekday.
Guest List, Attire and Decorations
Another key way to reduce the cost of your wedding is to keep your guest list small. The fewer people who attend, the lower the cost of food will be, as well as the cost of favours and thank you gifts.
When it comes to wedding attire, you can drastically reduce costs by renting your outfits or even purchasing something pre-owned and making alterations. You can also save on costs by doing your own hair, makeup, and beauty treatments or having a friend do them for you. As for decorations, you can DIY a good majority of them. You can also choose to use in-season flowers, which will reduce the cost of any floral bouquets and centrepieces. You can also do this for the welcome bags.
Food and Drink
There are a few ways to reduce costs for food during the reception. The first is to do a potluck. Everyone can bring a dish, and then the cost is low for everyone. You can also choose to use a venue that allows you to bring your own drinks, so the cost is significantly reduced. Another option is to do a brunch or even a dessert reception. The costs of these are much lower.
Photographer
If you want a photographer, you can have a friend or family member do it, or you can hire a photographer for a short period of time. Either of these will reduce your cost options. When it comes to music, instead of using music vendors, the most affordable option and a great way to cut costs is to create a playlist or plan some activities to occupy the guests, like a photo booth.
What is a Good Budget for a Wedding?
Determining what a good wedding budget is can be extremely difficult because many factors will impact this decision. Your location, size of the guest list and your choice of decor will make a difference. With that in mind, though, any budget can realistically work for a wedding. Once you’ve determined the budget, you can determine the logistics for the wedding.
Is $5,000 Enough for a Wedding?
Whether or not $5,000 is enough for a wedding is based on the type of wedding that you’re looking for. Here’s a look at a general wedding budget breakdown for $5,000.
- Venue and Food – $2,000
- Photography – $500
- Wedding Attire and Beauty – $250
- Decor – $800
- Cake – $150
- Stationary – $250
- Favours and Gifts – $100
- Other Costs – $700
- Emergency Fund – $250
Just like with the $1,000 budget, a wedding on a budget of $5,000 is entirely doable. That said, a wedding on this budget would just require some DIY and research. Depending on how you decide which type of wedding you’d like, you can choose to move the costs around. For example, if you’re able to get a venue for no cost, then that part of the budget can be moved to another category.
What is the 30-5 Minute Rule for Weddings?
The 30-5 minute rule isn’t a budget for money but for time. That said, this could affect your budget, though, because you should be allotting this time to prevent any unexpected costs. With this rule, you should add 30 minutes to any estimated time for any major wedding events or transitions.
The major wedding events are photos, getting ready, and even family photos. This prevents rushing through the moments and allows for accommodating any emergencies or inconveniences.
The 5-minute rule allows for a little more time on the key moments without having to change the schedule. Allotting time for this into your wedding time can help avoid any extra costs and keep the wedding schedule.
The Average Budget for a Wedding in Canada
While you can realistically make any budget work in Canada, depending on the type of wedding that you choose, there is an average cost. On average, the amount spent on a wedding is $30,000. While this is a large budget, it’s enough to cover most people’s dream wedding. However, costs can easily rise to $50,000 and even $100,000.
There are many reasons why a wedding costs this much, but a lot of it has to do with how many guests you invite and what venue you choose. Destination weddings are often the most expensive, especially if you pay for the guests’ flights and accommodations. Local weddings are the most cost-effective.
Best Ways to Save Money for a Wedding
When it comes to saving money for a wedding, the first step is to start with a total wedding budget so you can start creating a typical wedding budget breakdown and determine how much you need to save. Once you have the total amount figured out, you can determine how much you’re able to put away every month and how long it will take you to reach your budget.
When it comes to saving, having an account set up to receive automatic payments is the most effective way to save, not just for a wedding but in general. Plus, often when you book things for a wedding, only the deposit is due right away, so you have some extra time to save the rest of the money.
Even with that, though, the per-head cost, vendor meals, and hidden costs can add up quickly. This is why you want to save as much as you can. This makes a high-interest savings account a good option for you to save your money. You can even use a budget tracker to track how much you’re saving and if you’re sticking to your saving goals.
Type of Account to Save Money for a Wedding
When it comes to saving money for a wedding, the type of account that you use to save money can make a big difference. Ideally, a high-interest savings account is an excellent option because you can put money in and take money out whenever you like. That said, you can also choose to use a traditional savings account or even a joint savings account.
The idea behind having a separate account to allocate funds for your wedding budget is that it takes out the temptation of spending the money before you’re ready to use it. You can even choose to lock away the funds and set up automatic transfers so you don’t end up forgetting to transfer the funds.
Another option is to put the funds into a short-term GIC, also known as a Guaranteed Income Certificate. These are locked-in investment accounts that have a guaranteed return with minimal risk. However, GICs are also locked accounts, so if you take out the funds early, you can be penalized. If you leave the funds for the full term, you will earn some money. You can continue to save in another account while the funds in the GIC grow.
Positives and Negatives of Using a Public Venue
While using a public venue can cost virtually nothing, it’s still vital that you contact the municipality to verify that you’re able to use the space. When it comes to publicly owned venues, you’ll find that you may also need to book the space or even pay a fee for a permit. This permit is essentially for liability purposes on behalf of the municipality.
When booking these public spaces, it’s also important to consider that this will likely just be the ceremony area, and you will have to find a separate space to hold the reception. You also need to consider the weather. Since these public places are usually outdoors, if the weather isn’t great, you may need to come up with a backup plan.
You’ll also need to do most of the venue’s preparations yourself, so make sure you have the time to prepare. You’ll also have to adhere to any restrictions that the public space may have in place. It’s also public, so you have to remember that it likely won’t be quiet and there will be people coming and going throughout the day.
Final Thoughts
When creating your wedding budget, it’s important to remember that you can make any budget work; you just have to fit your wedding style to it. Plenty of people are able to get married for just $5,000 or even $1,000. However, the average wedding in Canada costs around $30,000.
No matter what your budget is, the most important part of creating a wedding budget is knowing your limits. A simple tracking sheet can help you keep track of what you intend to spend and what you actually spend. It can keep you on track and let you know what you need to cut costs, as well as how much under budget you are.
