Stretching That Wedding Budget

So you got engaged and started planning your dream wedding and BAM! You’re smacked in the face with the reality of just how expensive everything is. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is, do NOT start married life in debt because you couldn’t actually afford your dream wedding!
Currently more and more couples are paying for their own weddings and even if you do have financial support from loved ones, remember that you can still stretch that budget to get the most out of your special day. I promise that you can bring your dream wedding to life and stay trendy without breaking the bank! Here are a few helpful tips:

Create a budget that you can stick to! Sit down and really think about what is important to you and your fiance. Write out a list of the things you refuse to skimp on and the things that have a bit more wiggle room in your budget. Set a strict budget for EVERYTHING and do your research! 
When we got married Ryan and I decided that there were two things that were 100% worth the money and we would create space in other areas of the budget in order to afford them. One of these things was a photographer who we loved and felt a connection with. Photos keep memories alive forever and we were not willing to cut corners on this part of our wedding. The other thing was food. We love food and wanted to make sure that all of our guests were well fed with yummy food. Everything else in our budget was adjusted in order to accommodate these two things. Figure out what's important to you and go from there. Do not stray from your budget.  

While it might be trendy to get married at exclusive locations, within Alberta, consider checking out less popular wedding venues that fall within your pre planned budget. It can be tempting to focus solely on city venues, mountain venues, or rustic barn venues, but keep your mind open to other venues and you might be surprised what you can find! Have you ever considered looking at rural Alberta community halls? Check them out and you might be excited by what you find! Some of them give off lovely rustic vibes and some are very plain inside awaiting your decor! Almost all of these rural community halls have both indoor and outdoor space, include tables and chairs, and have a designated kitchen space. Most importantly, I guarantee that these rural community halls are a fraction of the price to the more exclusive wedding venues. When you pay less for the venue itself and the venue already includes things like tables and chairs, you have more wiggle room in your budget for decor to spice up the venue and bring your dream wedding into reality!

Do you have your heart set on a more exclusive wedding venue? Then this next tip is for you! 
Consider getting married during the off season. The off season in Alberta is actually quite large given the Alberta climate and if you’re willing to find a venue that can support an indoor ceremony as well as an indoor reception, this might be a great cost saving option. Many Alberta wedding venues offer significant discounts for couples choosing to get married during the off season. The off season generally runs from November to May giving you the chance to have a beautiful winter or spring wedding for a fraction of the cost you would pay to have your wedding in the ever popular summer and fall months. Take it from someone who has been married for a while… it doesn’t actually matter what month you get married in, what matters is who you're getting married to. Plus a tropical honeymoon or anniversary getaway is much more enticing in the winter anyways! 

My last tip for stretching your wedding budget is to make a plan and go secondhand! If you spend time planning out your wedding decorations and leave yourself enough time between engagement and wedding, you will have no problem finding things secondhand or even making some of the decor yourself. The world is full of so many secondhand resources. Make sure you check them out! There are a ton of Facebook groups that are solely focused on buying and selling wedding decor as well as local Buy & Sell groups. Thrift Stores and secondhand stores are another great option. If you love to craft, don’t be afraid to make your own decor or wedding favours. Everyone loves handmade and Pinterest and YouTube are amazing resources for DIY-ing. 

All that to say, don’t go into debt trying to achieve your dream wedding. It honestly isn’t worth it. If you make a solid budget, look into less expensive wedding venues, consider getting married in the off season, and make a plan and go secondhand, I promise your wedding will be everything you could ever dream of without breaking the bank!