I found this video very helpful because during the interview the two planners gave information about the actual cost range of a wedding in Toronto and also gave advice on how to budget by listing your priorities and cutting out items that may not be as necessary as you thought, such as luxury limo hire or wedding cakes (most guests won't remember the favour of a wedding cake). Couples can expect to spend around 50% to 55% of their budget on the venue. Depending on the couple's personal preferences, bands, floral decorations and centrepieces can also be high ticket items.

Her story showed the essence of a wedding, no matter the size. And as a married person, I can really relate to her - a memorable wedding doesn't have to be an overwhelming big event. Instead, it can be a small, simple but warm celebration where couples share their precious moment with intimate friends and family. Jess shared details about the planning, execution and day of the ceremony. In the end, she paid $0 for the planning service as she took on the role herself. This allowed her to find her favourite independent photographer and florist to work with. She listed her costs in terms of essentials and money that she was able to cut. I really like her idea of having a minimalist ceremony in a studio and a family dinner in another lovely restaurant.

The video content was well structured and easy to follow, with the cost of each part of the wedding listed and compared to the average cost in the area. If you dream of a simple, beautiful wedding and want to save money, this video will definitely help you a lot! I love the way the blogger started planning her wedding by finding out the actual average cost of each part, so she could have a better idea when making the budget. There are some brilliant ideas to borrow from, such as having the ceremony in a family's backyard to save on venue and limo hire; using artificial flowers instead of real ones; DIY stationery from canvas.com, to name but a few.

The creator also lists the components within each category, such as headpiece, hair, jewellery, bridal gown, groom's attire and ring, which are included in the couple wear category. At the end of the video, a pie chart shows that the venue (including catering) takes up half of the total budget, followed by wedding planning (22%) and multimedia (18%). Couple's attire and miscellaneous both cost 10% of the wedding budget.

Getting married and having a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It is not easy. MoneySense has many articles about the topic. Unlike some wedding vendors who try to "sell" you romantic illusions, this online magazine will help you analyse your personal financial situation, discuss with your significant other and tight your budget for a truly perfect wedding. Many of their little tips could help you spend money wisely on your wedding, such as how to downsize the wedding, keep an eye on the little things and skip unnecessary services.

Planning wedding can be stressful and confusing for many engaged couples. I was impressed by the Community section on this website, as it creates an excellent platform for people to ask questions, exchange ideas and communicate with others for wedding DIY. The community allows you to search for couples who held their wedding around the same time or in the same region as yours, helping you efficiently manage your budget.

I recommend this website because it provides a detailed spreadsheet for couples to estimate the cost of each component of their personalised wedding. There is a range of prices that you can use as a reference before entering a budget number for a particular item. You will also find examples of real wedding budgets in different regions of Canada, with details such as the number of guests invited, the location of the venue, the procession of the ceremony, etc. With all this information at your fingertips, you should feel more than confident as you begin to plan your big day!

One of the uniqueness of this site is the Wedding Data & Insights section. With an annual survey report of the wedding industry, we can see how wedding trends, traditions and couples' preferences are changing, as well as the impact of the economy on people getting married. According to the 2023 Global Wedding Report, the most popular month for Canadian weddings is August, with 20% of weddings taking place in that month. The top 5 vendor categories that Canadian couples hire are photography, hair and makeup, officiant, dress and florist. And over 50% of Canadian couples say their wedding budget has been significantly affected by the current economy.

The Czech Republic, Poland and Greece are three of the cheapest European countries at less than $5500, while a wedding in Canada can cost 4 times as much. So why not consider a micro wedding and honeymoon combination in these budget friendly, beautiful European countries?

The wedding ceremony is so meaningful and important that people tend to overlook its negative impact on the environment. Start your research and find ways to reduce the waste of resources at your wedding, it could save you a lot of money too!

Me: This assignment has given me the opportunity to research wedding costs and what has surprised me most is the shift towards simple and affordable weddings, as well as the development of free online tools for couples to customise every detail themselves.

Q2: Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.

Me: When I got married a few years ago, my wife and I decided to skip the traditional wedding ceremony and invite our closest families to a restaurant for dinner as our celebration. If I had done this assignment before, I would have been able to plan a micro-ceremony myself :D

Q3: If you could pass on your knowledge to a family member or friends, what do you think is the most important thing to pass on?

Me: A perfect wedding doesn't have to cost a fortune, as long as you decide on the essentials that are most important to you and stick to your budget.