When you start to plan your wedding, it is easy to get caught up in the fun of shopping, and designing your overall theme, but wedding planning needs to start with your budget.  When you first start planning your wedding, it is important to speak to your family to see what they are willing to contribute to the overall budget. 

There are costs that are traditionally paid for by the bride’s family, the groom’s family, and by the bride and groom themselves.  The bride’s family traditionally pays for the engagement party, newspaper notices, music, photography, invitations, ceremony site, flowers for decorations and bridesmaids, and reception expenses (except for the alcohol), to name the main ones.

The groom and his family pays for the groom’s attire, marriage license, accommodations for out of town guests, alcohol for the reception, bride’s bouquet, corsages, boutonnieres, and officiant’s fee to name the main costs. 

The bride pays for thank you notes, guest book, gifts for her attendants, and beauty appointments for her attendants and herself.  The groom pays for gifts for his attendants, contributes to costs paid for by his family, as well paying for the honeymoon.

The average cost of a wedding in Canada in 2007 was $18,500, but ranged anywhere from $10,000 to over $30,000.  The largest cost for a wedding is the reception/catering (42%), followed by the rings (20%), photography (8%), apparel (7%), video (5%), flowers (5%), music (3%), ceremony (3%), cake (3%), invitations (2%), limo (1%) and miscellaneous (4%). 

It is important to get a great wedding planning checklist and stick to the timeline.  I have witnessed weddings being postponed due to the wedding dress and bridemaid dresses not arriving in time.  Everything takes longer than you think when planning your wedding.  Sticking to your budget is the most important thing when going through your wedding planning.  There are many ways to cut costs. 

Since the reception costs take the greatest part of your budget, it is easy to try to cut your costs there.  It is true, there are some great ways to save money on reception costs, but you might consider eliminating some other costs like the videography, or the limousine.  A family member, or even a number of family members could take video at the wedding and reception, or a family friend might have a beautiful car that can be the wedding car. 

Whatever your plans, define your budget, and be clear on your timeline and follow it.  Get input from your family on what they are interested in paying for, and plan your budget accordingly.  Just because there are traditional costs, doesn’t mean they will actually pay for all those costs.  Be gracious for all offers of assistance to your wedding budget.