Wedding Budgets: Where To Splurge And Where To Save

We’re huge supporters of DIY endeavours, but some things are better left to the experts. Put your money into the things you need most to host a great party then cut costs by adding some charming handmade accents into your celebration. Consider this your guide to wedding budgeting:

Splurge On Food This is one element you don’t want to tackle on your own (even if you're a professional chef), and it’s definitely not an area to scrimp on. Aside from the actual ceremony itself, your guests will judge the success of the event on how good the food is. The best way to keep a guest happy—especially during a long ceremony and reception—is definitely through his or her stomach.

Splurge On Photography A friend or a family member with a digital camera is nice, but a professional photographer is usually your best bet to ensure that your day is captured flawlessly from beginning to end. Thoroughly review all potential photographers' portfolios and spend some extra cash on a pro whose style and personality matches your own.

Splurge On Hair And Makeup Chances are you’ll want to look as beautiful as you possibly can on your big day. This is when you don’t want to rely on a friend—unless you really trust them—to do your hair and makeup. The professionals know what they’re doing and can work their magic to ensure you look glowy and pretty throughout the whole day.

Save On Invitations Sometimes it isn’t necessary to get the whole stationery package (i.e. thank-you cards, RSVP cards, etc). You may want to consider ordering invites and getting your own thank you cards or using a website for save-the-dates. Companies such as Minted and Michaels also have some great, affordable templates for creating your own customized wedding stationery.

Save On Cake It’s not necessary to have a grand seven-tiered wedding cake, even if you are feeding a crowd of 250. You can still get a beautiful cake, but keep the design sweet and simple to lower the cost. Or, opt for slab cakes and have a dummy cake for appearance sake.

Save On Favours Not everyone at your wedding must receive a wedding favour—you can keep the budget down by allotting one favour per family/couple. Also, you can double up and serve mini-cakes as your confection and bonbonnière.