Ok, so you want your wedding to be special…yet you want a great deal…Easy.
Here are some tips for saving money when you plan your Ottawa wedding.
Lets start with the obvious.
Photography If you find a photographer at half price….some part of the deal will generally be half as good. One trick is to hire a great photographer for less time. No matter whether a photographer says they do not charge extra for time…its a myth. Time is built into every quote. Isn`t a great photographer for 6hrs better than a mediocre one who offers to stay and party til midnight. While we are on the topic…90% of all wedding album photos brides choose are not selected from coverage at the reception.
Limos Check out the cost of renting a really swank luxury car. Even with gas, its a quarter of a limo rental and just as ritzy.Get one of the groomsmen or even that Uncle with the great sunglasses to be your “chauffeur”. You`ll save hundreds, plus you won`t fall into that worrisome game of paying for that exhorbitant “overtime” if you are a little late.
Dress You can find a Justina McCaffrey on Craigslist or Kijijij for less than half the price….heck, you can even sell it back on these forums and de facto have had a designer dress for FREE. If that’s too radical…check out Sinders…a bit out of town, but worth the drive.
Rings My jeweller friends will hate me for telling you this…but you can actually buy diamonds online and have a custom ring made for way less than the major retailers. Check out a little shop called Marigold on Dalhousie…they`ll make the band up for you. A custom ring at a third off…can’t be beat.
Reception First off, check the Quebec venues…prices are 10 to 20 percent cheaper. Second…plan your wedding for off season…and get tough with the sales staff. They can make you a better deal in February. Reconsider that open bar…or buy everyone a first drink… hey, there`s a recession on! Check out reception halls that let you bring in and serve your own alcohol…you will save a small fortune. Double check the “gratuities” clause in the contract…some add a nice little mandatory 15%,but some add 25%, yikes…..on your biggest cost, it can be a killer surprise.
One more tip…check out the boatlines for a fun floating location at a reasonable price per person.
Video Most people view their videos for the first few months…their wedding albums for decades…If you do price a video, avoid all those special effects and titles…Simple clean photojournalistic video will be a lot less costly and twenty years from now will still look classic.
Flowers Got a creative friend…then hit Michaels and make your own unique bouquets….
Decor….while you`re already at Michaels…think about decor too…Where do you think the decor
people shop…lol.
Honeymoon…there are a lot of last minute deals, but thats probably too scary for most.
Travelzoo will send you emails weekly with deals you can book months ahead and save big time.
