Talia Pankewicz, a 33-year-old living in Toronto, once received seven wedding Invitation in a year.
To reduce expenses, she attended five of them, but since she was at the wedding party for two and traveled to her hometown of Winnipeg for four, the cost was still significant.
“It’s really hard for someone to say ‘no’ to things and expect a ‘yes’ both because you want the people you love to be happy and because we grow up thinking we should remember these events. There needs to be good reasons to do so,” he said.
While you don’t have to attend every celebration you’re invited to, figuring out how to incorporate these events into your budget can make the wedding season easier on your wallet.
The cost of attending a wedding is expected to be even higher this year as rising inflation has made everything from beauty services to air travel costlier.
And as attendees budget to spend more on wedding costs, they may also find more celebrations in their calendars as COVID-19 restrictions lift.
Shannon Kennedy told The Canadian Press earlier this month that the 2022 season is projected to have the largest number of weddings worldwide.
“You have people who have postponed from 2020 and 2021 and then … couples who have always intended to get married this year,” said the owner of Ottawa-based Kennedy Event Planning.
Saijal Patel, financial wellness consultant at Sage Wealth Consulting, estimates that wedding-goers can expect to spend $300 on a local wedding and $1,000 or more when moving out of town.
Attendees who find themselves part of the wedding party or traveling to destination weddings will have to pay an even higher cost.
Patel said that if you know you will be attending two or more weddings in the coming year, try creating a wedding attendance savings account or bucket to create a cushion for what you have.
To start, you can start by putting $50 away each month, or whatever number is feasible for you. Then, when the details of the wedding are revealed, you can start budgeting with concrete numbers, taking into account estimated expenses.
“My personal take is that I always add an extra 10 percent padding so it doesn’t stress me out as much,” Patel said. “There are always these little unexpected things coming up.”
For example, you might not have accounted for taxes on an Airbnb rental for an out-of-town wedding or wedding party or a surprise brunch with other guests the day before.
You’ll also want to think strategically about what costs you can reduce.
When it comes to getting the best flight deal, book flights early, Patel said. And, when possible, try to split accommodation and travel costs with friends and family. This could mean renting a car or sharing carpooling for the big day.
The advice to get started also applies to gift registries.
“I always say pick up early so that you have options within your budget,” Patel said.
When it comes to outfits, many people have a mind to buy something new for every wedding. “It’s a money-waster,” Patel said.
“Go classic and then replace it with accessories,” she said.
This can mean changing ties for your suit or clothing, changing your hairstyle, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories.
If you can borrow a dress from a friend, that’s even better, Patel said.
“If I have multiple weddings in a year, I’m not shy about taking the same outfit out of my closet instead of wearing it to multiple events or buying something new,” Pankowicz said.
Since she attends several weddings that take place in her hometown of Winnipeg, she will also use the Travel Rewards credit card program to count on points to fly.
To further cut costs, Pankewycz sometimes skips wedding-related events, such as bachelorette parties, showers or socials, especially those involving travel and long periods of time away from home. .
“The invitation is just that: the invitation,” she said. “Any event or cost is, in the end, optional. It doesn’t always seem like it, but letting go of expectations can be really helpful.”
© 2022 Canadian Press