A Guelph couple, Samantha Hartley and Chris Denis, are making news for crowdfunding their wedding, and they aren’t the only ones.
The average cost of a wedding in Ontario is about $30,000-$40,000 and can be a struggle for young couples who haven’t saved or don’t receive help from their families. So, tacky or genius, Crowdfunding is becoming a real trend. Aside from GoFundMe, CrowdRise, and IndieGoGo pages, there are sites like Sponsor My Event that allow couples to hook up with corporations willing to invest in an event for product mentions or visibility. As with anything, there are couples who will ask for everything, and there are couples who will ask for just one thing.
Like this OffBeat Bride we found who explained her crowdfunding option with a poem.
Our quirky gift idea might seem a bit skew,
But you know with us that’s nothing new.
You see, we really don’t need any more stuff.
As far as things go we have more than enough.
So, when it comes to gifts we’re trying something new.
You see, what we really want is a wedding with you.
We aren’t super rich, we have our own kind of wealthy.
We’re rich in love and we think that’s healthy.
But, when it comes to our wedding, we hit a bit of a snag.
You see, an intimate wedding just isn’t our bag.
And while it’s a reality that leaves us bereft,
Love just isn’t a currency most vendors accept.
So we looked at our options and settled on one,
because it didn’t feel right to leave out anyone.
You see while we don’t need a TV or bookshelf,
we really need some help with the wedding itself.
We promise your money won’t go on her dress,
it won’t go on the rings, or our shoes — this we stress.
You see, all of the money we get sent our way,
Goes on the food, entertainment, and booze on the day.
It’s called crowdfunding, and we really feel,
it’s the best gift of all because part of the deal,
Is that we get to share our gift with everyone
Who matters to us most in this world, with the exception of none.
So while we know it’s a little bit strange.
We hope you’ll agree that it’s far from deranged.
What do you think?
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Weddings aren’t cheap. Can you really put a price tag on your dreams? Pffft.
For a lot of engaged couples, hiring a wedding planner just isn’t in the budget. And that’s OK because the modern-day DIY bride and groom are a force to be reckoned with. Just a word of warning, planning your own wedding won’t always be fun.
The reality is, you’re planning a major event with a plethora of moving parts. It can be one of the most stressful things you can ever do. There will be fights, tears, tantrums, and the occasional hair-pulling. From sourcing out good vendors, to location viewings, timelines, gifts, favours, food, wardrobe, rings, invitations, table seating, and then the stress of having family and friends all giving their advice, ideas, and the always helpful, unsolicited commentaries on family opinions. You no longer feel like it’s a magical day and it becomes more of a full-time job than anything else.
And let us not forget the actual day. The culmination of all your careful planning. You’ll be dealing with unforseen issues and problems like late vendors, traffic problems, schedules, timing and missing or incorrect items.
A wedding is supposed to be a beautiful and magical day for you to enjoy. But any tiny error or over-looked item and your magnificent day could snowball into utter chaos.
Assigning a family member or friend to coordinate certain matters on the day-of is great, but remember that they are technically still a guest. After three glasses of wine they may forget to do the only task you asked of them.
All of that aside, many couples do everything themselves and still manage to enjoy the best day of their lives and throw one hell of a party. That can be you too. Here’s a bit of upfront advice for planning your own wedding:
- Start planning early! At least a year, two is better. This will give you enough time to make sure ever aspect is covered.
- Thoroughly research your vendors. Don’t just jump on the lowest price. You get what you pay for and you don’t want to be disappointed. Be sure to read all negative reviews online in order to find any common issues.
- Put everything in writing. Whether it’s a friend offering you something, or a professional service, put everything in a contract. Have a lawyer look it over. Be protected.
- Ask all suppliers, vendors and even your local municipality about any permits or licences you may need to get.
- Be organized. Make sure every delivery, schedule, supplier and contact number is all organized way ahead of schedule. Double-check and triple check your delivery dates and times.
- After you’ve finalized your guest list, get to preparing the centers and favours. Don’t leave anything to the last minute.
- Make sure whoever you have doing your “day-of ” is fully aware of the entire schedule. From the delivery times, to what items are being delivered, where it goes, etc. Also make it very clear what their responsibilities are and what you expect of them.
In a nutshell, allow enough time, stay organized and most importantly… don’t try and do absolutely everything yourself. Sometimes, it’s worth it to pay someone to mind the schedule.
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Photo Courtesy of Studio DVM
Once you have been proposed to and you have said the big “yes” to the one you love, the questions about your future wedding from your family and friends begin! Any bride can become overwhelmed with all of the excitement of planning a wedding. There is so much to do! But there is always one big step that many brides tend to neglect: the budget. (more…)
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