Thrifty

How much? For what? by Vanessa Larkey

 The ring and a rose. Cliche, I know. You hopefully only get married once. Let me have this. 

 

The ring and a rose. Cliche, I know. You hopefully only get married once. Let me have this. 

“Yes!”

 Or in my case, “Sure! Let’s do this!”

Within weeks I was sucked into the expensive, exhausting, expensive, exasperating (did I mention expensive) wedding industry machine.

We’ve been engaged for three months and I’m already familiar with venues I had no idea existed 6 months ago; bar service fees (aka water, ice and pop); and the hidden costs of linen.

After receiving a $23,000 CATERING quote (that’s NOT including booze) we threw up our hands, exasperated. When did weddings become so expensive? Why don’t people talk about how expensive they are? Are we prepared to shell out that kinda dough for one night?

While I don’t have an answer for the first question, and have a few theories for the second, the third was a resounding “No”.  It was time to start planning OUR wedding OUR way – on a budget.

What do I want on our big day? A kickass party that my family and friends will look back on and say, “That was definitely worth the hangover!”

What do I want for every day after that? To grow and learn and laugh and every other cliché b.s. with the man I love. 

What do I want now? To share my journey as a bride on a budget. I’ll be frank about my finances, share the stories of other budget conscious brides, post pricing for Toronto venues, and offer tips to save on the big day.  Getting married shouldn’t break the bank –leave that to buying a house in Toronto. 

* Fave scene from one of my fave movies.