Make that a mortgage payment...

Want to save money on your wedding? Have it NOW! January and February are the cheapest months of the year to have an event such as a wedding. Venues offer low winter rates in order to attract customers, and what better way to brighten this drear, cold, depressing time of the year than with your love?

While florists and honeymoons are pricey this time of year, previous blog posts state how to overcome this. Give your guests something to look forward to after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and something to get them out of their winter blues... and something that will keep some extra cash in your pockets.

Other things to think of, right now spas and hair salons offer special package deals for extremely low prices in order to fulfill their off season as well - take advantage of this girls!

As previously mentioned, the Vintage Inns in Niagara on the Lake have winter wedding promotions starting at $99/person, along with The Manor in King City starting at $79/person, and the Muskoka Country Inn in Bracebridge starting at $25/person. No matter what your location, a great deal is never too far.

Cut the cake.

Did you know that most wedding cakes cost upwards of $1000 for 150 guests? Depending on who makes it of course, however no matter the cost 80% of the cake gets thrown away. How do you avoid this? Easy.

Bake your own cake! Take a cake baking class together for a fun way to spend time together or go to Micheals and buy a book, some cake pans and fondant and you're good to go!

Not into baking? Buy a small cake for cutting ($40) and have a dessert table for the rest. That way guests only take what they want and it costs significantly less.

Ask culinary students to make it - it will be a fraction of the price and taste just as good - so what if it doesn't look like a $5000 masterpiece?

My favourite idea - have cupcakes! there's less mess, less wastage, they're easy to make and anyone can do so and you can have different flavours. A cupcake cake usually has a small cake for cutting on the top and tiers of cupcakes below.

There are many ways around paying extreme amounts for a cake that no one is going to eat, you just need to find the one that's right you!

Remember, if you're having a summer wedding - while butter-cream frosting is delicious and beautiful, it does not do well in any warm temperatures and must be kept cool, otherwise it will melt and destroy the cake.

Honeymooners

While not every couple splurges on the honeymoon, or even take one, it can end up being very expensive if you do. Not only are you taking a week or two off work, your spending thousands on a vacation, right after you paid for a wedding.

Some couples may be lucky enough to have their honeymoons given to them as a gift from family members, however not everyone is that lucky. If you're one of those people, here's a fun, exciting idea!

Don't book anything, other than the time off work. the night before the wedding or the morning after, go on Groupon, Team Buy, Deal Find, Sell- Off Vacations, or expedia and choose a last minute vacaction based on what's available. Then just pack your bag and leave! This way, it's much cheaper, it's exciting and thrilling (unless you're an A type personality) and you won't be able to obsess or over plan it. You can sit back, relax and just go which ever way the wind blows!

On average these deals are up to 80% off and you can find beautiful places all over the world, for any personality. There's always plenty of warm beach destinations, and if that's not for you there's usually an European destination as well! A few weeks ago there was an offer on Groupon for a week long trip to Ireland, meals, travel and hotel included for $1500! Do some research and you'll save a ton!

Another option is to host a jack and jill and put all your earning in the honeymoon fund and don't dip into under any circumstances!

Center of attention...

The one thing I will never understand about some brides is why they would ever fuss over a centerpiece. Some brides go crazy for them - they always want bigger, brighter and better. They can end up costing thousands of dollars (especially if they're real flowers) and are completely pointless. The only thing they're good for are the juvenile games like musical chairs that are played in order to get rid of them. And then some poor sap gets stuck lugging the thing home and ends up with a massive vase sitting in their house for the next 10 years collecting dust because it's too big to actually use.

Well if you're smart and you're not 'that' bride, one of the following suggestions make work for you!

1. Use free, natural resources such as twigs, greenery, water, pine cones and acorns

2. Use dollar store floating candles

3. For a Christmas wedding, cranberries!














4. Candy! That way everyone gets some and you can have it match your colours

5. Bulk dried fruits and veggies!

No matter what you have at your disposal I am sure there is something beautiful you can do with it!

Intimate weddings

If you want the extravagant, classy, upscale wedding, why not have it with just fewer people? An intimate wedding with only 60-80 could be absolutely lovely. There's a few mansions in NOTL that have been turned into bed and breakfasts that will accommodate up to 80 people in the grand ball rooms or library.

The Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast is an example of such a place.

The Grand Victorian Bed and Breakfast, NOTL

Another option for an intimate upscale wedding would be one of the vintage inns in town - The Prince of Wales, Queen's Landing or The Pillar & Post.

They have off-season wedding packages that are only $99 per guest - an amazing deal for a hotel that high on the scale.

The Prince of Wales Hotel in Winter

The Queen's Landing Hotel

The Pillar and Post entrance at Christmas