27°c A few clouds
15°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Couples can end up wedded to debt
Budget brides keep costs down
Bruce Stotesbury / Victoria Times Colonist Wedding dresses can cost thousands of dollars. Brides on budgets could consider simpler dresses or renting a gown. (POSTMEDIA TIMES COLONIST)
TORONTO -- Many young couples dream of throwing a huge traditional wedding, surrounded by throngs of family members and friends, followed by a reception the guests will always remember.
But it's essential for young people to get married on the right foot financially, particularly those who are weighed down by large student debts and starting off a new career.
To ensure your dreams don't get the best of your finances, think about how you can create a memorable occasion while putting expenses under the microscope. Costs add up quickly, and before you know it, your wedding could run a tab of $20,000 or more.
My fiancée, Aimee, and I are in our mid-20s and are to be wed in August.
We could easily have spent plenty on a venue and thousands more on flowers, a photographer and a band. Invitations and postage can cost hundreds of dollars, while charges for catering can send a budget soaring.
That's before even considering the dress, hair and makeup, rings, cake, transportation, officiate and all the other extras.
Websites such as weddingwire.com or theknot.com can help break down potential costs and help you search for reputable venues and vendors.
We've opted to have the wedding away from home on Prince Edward Island since we feel no one else needs to witness to the ceremony.
Instead, we are throwing a pre-wedding party to include friends and family in the celebration -- who offered not only their help in planning, but also to bring cake, fruit and vegetable platters and other items.
Friends and family helping with food preparation is a great way to save money and adds a family touch.
Everything -- our reception, the marriage ceremony, flights, and accommodations for an eight-day trip, which also turns into our honeymoon -- came up to less than $4,500.
The dress, shoes and accessories were bought for less than $250 and can be worn again, as opposed to hanging in a closet for years.
Renting a dress is also an option for a bride on a budget, costing a few hundred dollars rather than thousands.
Kyle and Robynn Amyotte, newlyweds in their early 20s from northern Ontario, spent two years planning and saving for their wedding.
"We planned it that way in order for us to come up with an estimated budget and have the time to save more than enough for the wedding," Robynn said.
The Amyottes said their wedding cost approximately $13,000, with family contributing about $3,000. In addition to savings, money came from a stag-and-doe fundraising party.
"We made $2,700 from gifts and door prizes, plus people bought pies to hit us with. It was a huge success and tons of fun -- minus being pied in the face over 30 times," Kyle said.
A do-it-yourself approach can help alleviate some of the costs.
The Amyottes produced and delivered their own invitations and made small personal decorations, bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres.
You could also opt for a homemade cake and appetizers, as well as simpler finger foods, or skip the dinner altogether and invite guests for a night of dancing. Closing the bar during dinner or opting for a cash bar can also cut costs significantly.
Destination weddings allow the bride and groom to save money because the wedding and honeymoon can be rolled into one. When held at an all-inclusive resort, there are few outside costs -- even dinner and drinks are included in the initial price.
It also helps keep the guest list small, because friends and family pay their own costs for the vacation.
If you are having a wedding at home, try limiting your guest list, choosing a date off peak season or on a less popular day than Saturday.
An extravagant wedding won't necessarily make it any more romantic or memorable, but it could cost you a lifetime of debt if you're not careful.
Marriage commissioner Brenda Bulger, who performs civil marriages, said the most romantic wedding she's overseen was also the least expensive.
"The couple was on vacation, camping on P.E.I., and decided to get married while they were here," she said.
They presented rings they had given each other earlier in the relationship as their wedding bands and wore the clothes already on their backs.
-- The Canadian Press
More Personal Finance
- Back to Top
- Return to Personal Finance
More Personal Finance
(1 of 7 articles for this week)
Parents unsure how to teach children about money
06/18/2013 9:00 AM 0(Special) - Parents generally seem to be in a quandary about how to teach their children about money and investing, ...
Poll
Most Popular Personal Finance
- Parents unsure how to teach children about money
- Some Canadians still slow to learn rules of tax-free savings accounts
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Bridging the gap
- Arizona bound: Canadians snapping up homes, but they need to be careful
- The $2-million question
- Canadian real estate industry says 2013 sales off to better start than expected
- If parents die in debt, children don't necessarily inherit the bills: experts
- The cautious grandma
- Overbuilt, overpriced condo market a risk to households, economy, says BoC
- If parents die in debt, children don't necessarily inherit the bills: experts
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Some Canadians still slow to learn rules of tax-free savings accounts
- Overbuilt, overpriced condo market a risk to households, economy, says BoC
- The cautious grandma
- The $2-million question
- With OAS, 'bird in the hand' is often best
- Bridging the gap
- Parents unsure how to teach children about money
- Financial education improving: not there yet
- Canadians ask Bank of Canada about maple syrup smell on new bank notes
- Bridging the gap
- Canadian non-mortgage debt shows biggest quarterly decline since 2004
- Pension plan and problem-free?
- Housing slowdown to worsen, cost 150,000 jobs, says mortgage group
- The $2-million question
- Women not satisfied with financial services
- To buy or to keep renting? Costs go beyond just the mortgage payments
- Scotiabank sees risk of single-digit cut in real estate prices by mid-decade
- Snowbirds: It's that time of year again
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- What recovery? For young Canadians, labour market as bad as during the recession
- The $2-million question
- Snowbirds: It's that time of year again
- With OAS, 'bird in the hand' is often best
- Bridging the gap
- Pension plan and problem-free?
- Warren Buffett -- Winnipeg-style
- Canadians ask Bank of Canada about maple syrup smell on new bank notes
- Can signing a roommate agreement protect your finances if things go sour?
- New lease in life
- Canadian non-mortgage debt shows biggest quarterly decline since 2004
- Women not satisfied with financial services
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Have Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?
Login SubscribeHave Your Say
Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?
SubscribeThe Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.