Wedding Ideas That Save You Money

General Bargains & Savings

Check out our list of amazing Wedding Vendors in the London, Ontario area for significant savings and VIP treatment!
Do not stock up on bulk bargain items like candles and ribbon before you’ve decided on the look of your wedding. You may decide to go another direction and not use your items. Although if you find yourself with a lot of extra’s you either did use, or you have after your wedding, a new website has been setup just for this: www.ruffledblog.com
Keep your guest list as small as possible. Although it’s not always possible to trim your guest list. The less people there are invited to your wedding, the less money it will be for everything.
Have a lot of guests coming from out of town? Setup a website with all of the details regarding the ceremony: location, parking, map, things to do in the area, etc.
If you can wait for sales on Boxing day or Black Friday, you may be able to save a lot on decorations for your reception.
Try to stay on schedule the day of your wedding as to not be charged overtime fees by any of your vendors!
Looking for first dance music? Make sure you check out www.youtube.com or www.spotify.com before buying the songs on iTunes.
Can’t decide between having a band or a DJ provide music for your wedding? A DJ will often save you at least 50%. If you’re in the London, Ontario area, be sure to check out our Preferred DJ’s for even bigger savings!

Creative Wedding Invitations VIP Wedding Saver

Choose a black ink for your stationary as it costs more for colours.
Print your envelopes on your own printer with a calligraphic font to make it look handwritten.
For a smaller wedding, you could print your own wedding invitations or make them by hand. There are lots of websites available if you need help with the wording.
Send your save the date on a CD or DVD instead of a printed card. Some save the date cards cost $2 or $3, but you can pick up a spool of DVD’s for less than $1 per disc.
If you’re planning on sending out engagement announcement cards, double up and use it as a save the date card as well. You will save on paper and postage.
Skip the favours altogether and make a donation to your favourite charity instead. Make sure you put a little note on the table to indicate where the money has been donated to.
Add the names of your guests to their favours and use them instead of place-cards.

Wedding Hall

Choose a date for your wedding that during the “Off-Season”. Most wedding take place between May and October during the year and is when there is the most competition. By choose a date during the quieter months, you will be able to save money immediately at almost all your vendors. This is will also give you more options as far as available dates, so you will most likely be able to hire all of your first choices as far as vendors go.
The day of the week you schedule your wedding will also play an important factor in availability and prices of your vendors. Saturday is traditionally the most popular day to get married on. If you are able to choose a Friday or Sunday, be sure an ask your prospective vendors, what their rates are for each of those days.
Not having much luck finding a venue that fits your budget? Think outside the typical hall’s and country clubs. Civic Gardens, beaches and even backyards make great locations for your ceremony. If you’re thinking of a backyard wedding in the London, Ontario area, and require a tent, chairs or tables, make sure you check out Two Men and a Tent for a 20% discount with a VIP Wedding Saver card.
Evening’s are the most expensive time for a wedding reception. So a good alternative to this, price wise, is Sunday brunch.

Find out what the well known dates of annual sales are and make sure you’re on any email lists from Bridal Shops. You want to be one of the first to check out the sale so that you have the most selection to choose from.
Still not able to find a wedding dress that fits your budget? You can find some good discounts on second hand dresses. It may be a little more legwork to find the perfect dress but by checking Kijiji or Craigslist you can find some great dresses and great prices.
Save money by having a local seamstress make you a custom veil from the material of your choice.
You can save a lot of money by purchasing a dress made of cheaper material such as satin.
By leaving the city and checking out smaller towns in the area, you are more likely to find better prices. We have a couple Bridal Shops in smaller towns around London, who are giving great discounts .

Host a cocktail reception instead of a traditional sit down dinner. You will save a lot of money on the food and may be able to offer free cocktails instead. If you’re looking for something a little less formal, you could always opt for a potluck style reception.
Serve inexpensive meals such as chicken or pasta instead of shrimp and beef medallions.
Alcohol can be one of the biggest expenses of your wedding. If the price of the alcohol is not included in the price of the dinner, consider limiting the free drinks. While your guests wait for pictures to be taken, you could offer a cocktail hour free of charge.
Some establishments will allow you to bring in your own wine. Make sure you ask about a corking fee if you’re thinking of making your own wine. There are a couple of great wineries in the London area that are offering some great discounts on their wedding packages.

Instead of serving a large elaborate cake to your guests, purchase a small beautifully decorated cake that you put on display. This cake can also be used for the cake cutting but have a sheet cake in the kitchen which can be sliced up a served. Your guests will never notice!
If you are set on serving a cake to your guests, consider saving some money and not serving dessert with dinner. Most guests are tired of eating dessert by the time the cake is cut and served.
Choose a smaller version of your dream cake to be used for the cutting ceremony and serve your guests cupcakes.

Photographer Videographer

Most photographers have multiple wedding packages with varying prices levels. Opt for a less expensive package and shorten the amount of time the photographer is at your wedding. Cut the cake and have the first dance before your dinner to save a couple hours of time.
The same goes for your videographer. Make sure they aren’t there any longer then they really need to be. You can also purchase just the raw footage and do the editing yourself. This will cut down on both the cost and the time until you get to see your video. This way, if any of your guests shoot some video, you can edit it into the final video as well.
Purchase just a CD or DVD of the wedding photos and only print the one’s you want.
Skip the disposable cameras on the table. Most people find they end up with weird photo’s shot be people who are intoxicated.

Consider making your own centrepieces. Pinterest has some great DIY ideas for floral arrangements and centre pieces.
Cut costs by choosing seasonal and local flowers for your wedding.
Don’t feel you have to use too many flowers at the church. People will be spending a lot more time at your reception.
Use one kind of flower in your bouquets and arrangements.