Let’s face it: a wedding can be expensive.
Between venues, flowers, food, entertainment, and outfits, the cost of a wedding can be significant. Data from wedding website the Knot’s 2023 Global Wedding Report found that the average cost of an 89-person wedding in Canada was USD $19,000. Other data puts the estimated cost of a wedding anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000.
“Before you start spending, it’s wise to create a wedding budget with your partner so you both know the parameters of your spending,” said Zeina Ismail, AVP and Product Group Owner, Shopping and Buying, TD Everyday Banking.
“Getting on the same page financially is key to successful planning and can help reduce tensions along the way.”
Ismail said your wedding budget should be realistic and reflect your personal circumstances. Once you have a clear number in mind, you can start saving and working intentionally towards your financial goal. (For tips on how to set and reach realistic financial goals, you can check out this TD Stories article.)
But even when you have a figure down on paper, it can become easy to overspend – especially when vendor quotes come in higher than expected or if you fall in love with an out-of-your-budget dress. That’s why finding creative ways to cut wedding costs can be helpful when trying to stick to budget or trim down on expenses.
Here are 15 tips on how to save money when planning your wedding.
Consider less popular days and off-season dates
Typically, warmer-weather months are most popular for weddings and are therefore more expensive. According to recent data from the Knot, October is the most popular month to get hitched in 2025, and the most popular day any month is Saturday.
Data from the Knot shows that generally speaking, weddings in December and January are cheaper than other months, and weddings held on Thursdays often cost less, too. So if you’re looking to score a bit of a deal at a venue, consider a winter or weekday wedding.
Keep the venue the same for your ceremony and reception, or have them close by
If possible, consider hosting your wedding ceremony and reception in the same location, or two locations within walking distance from each other. This could not only help reduce transportation costs for your guests and wedding party, but it is also often easier to coordinate with vendors in one location versus two.
Limit your wedding guest list
It can be hard to trim your wedding guest list, but the more people you invite, the more you are likely to spend. Venues and/or caterers often charge per head, meaning the fewer guests you have, the cheaper your wedding food and drink costs will likely be. (Bonus: a smaller guest list can make a wedding feel more intimate, too.)
Don’t overorder wedding invitations
If you’re physically mailing out your wedding invitations, you’ll need to budget for printing costs, envelopes, and stamps. Many couples, however, order stationery for every invited wedding guest, not every household. You can likely save money on your invites by only printing the amount you need by accounting for couples and families.
And, consider sticking to standard paper sizes that fit into standard-size envelopes as larger-format invites or oddly shaped designs can cost more to mail out.
Create a wedding website and collect RSVPs online
Wedding websites are an efficient – and often free – way to share details about your big day. Include your wedding website URL on your invites and ask guests to RSVP online. By collecting RSVPs online, you won’t need to pay for physical RSVP cards or their return postage.
Shop secondhand
It can be tempting to buy everything new for your wedding, but don’t overlook reusing things you and/or loved ones already have. Does your friend have some extra candle holders from her wedding last year? Or maybe your sister has a collection of bud vases? Ask your network to see what you can borrow. Don’t forget to search local social media buy-and-sell groups for some deals, too.
Repurpose flowers
If you’re ordering flowers as decor for your ceremony, reuse them during your reception. Say, for example, you get married under a flower arch: you can have that arch moved to the reception area after the ceremony for a nice photo backdrop. Or, if you have floral arrangements lining the aisle of your church, consider also using them as decor on your welcome table.
Embrace DIY
If you’re crafty and have the time, lean into making things yourself or ask a friend to help out. Make your own centrepieces, design your wedding invites on a free design website or, if you have nice handwriting, write your own name-place cards.
Skip the champagne offerings
Offering guests a glass of bubbly when they enter cocktail hour, or serving everyone a glass for wedding toasts, can add dollars to your beverage bill. Instead, allow guests to select their own drink at the bar during the wedding and cheers with their beverage of choice.
Forgo wedding favours
Sending guests home with a wedding favour is a nice gesture, but it’s often not a necessity. By forgoing wedding favours, you can often save hundreds of dollars as couples typically allocate anywhere from $2 to $5 per person in their wedding budget for favours.
Use candles for centrepieces
Decor can add up – especially when it comes to table centrepieces. If you hire a florist to create flower centrepieces, prepare to spend anywhere from USD $50 to $600 per table, according to data from wedding website Joy. Candle centrepieces, on the other hand, can be cheaper and can be stored for months ahead of your big day.
Get a small wedding cake
Wedding cakes make for great photo opportunities, but big cakes can be pricey. If you want to still have the tradition of cutting into a wedding cake, consider ordering a small, decorative cake for you and your spouse to cut, and then serve a larger, more affordable sheet cake for your guests.
You could also skip a wedding cake altogether: In 2024, just 51% of couples surveyed in Canada had a cake cutting ceremony, according to research from the Knot. Depending on your venue and caterer, dessert might already be included in your menu.
Opt for a DJ over a live band
How much a live band costs typically depends on where you live, the size of the band, and how well known they are. But hiring a wedding DJ is generally a cheaper bet. According to the Knot, the average U.S. couple spent around USD $1,700 in 2024 on a DJ, whereas the average cost for a live band was just shy of USD $5,000.
Lean into a venue’s decor
When selecting a wedding venue, think about what elements of the space will stand out on your big day. Say, for example, you get married at a lush botanical garden or in a stunning place of worship: those spaces will have design elements that will pop on their own without you bringing in additional decorations. By choosing a venue that has its own unique aesthetic, you can reduce the amount of decor you might need to buy or rent for your wedding.
Limit the extras and upgrades
Couples sometimes bring in entertainment extras, such as photobooths, champagne towers, or firework displays, but ask yourself: are those necessities? Or nice to haves? If you can instead focus on booking a great DJ or incorporate a fun wedding tradition into your reception, you might be OK to skip the extra (and pricey) experiences.
Likewise, there are often opportunities to upgrade everything from table linens to top-shelf alcohol during the wedding planning process. But before you agree to spend more on upgrades, it’s important to revisit your budget and ask yourself if a different material napkin or brand of liquor will make or break your guests’ experiences. If the answer is no, you might decide to do without.