Real Weddings

16 real weddings PLANNING GUIDE 2016 I t's easy to get carried away when you're planning your wedding. Pinterest is abuzz with tantalizing ideas for décor and, of course, you want a delicious menu, a spectacular venue and vendors who excel at what they do. Still, you don't want to start off your new life together with a mountain of debt. So, how do you balance your budget and still hold your dream wedding? We asked a couple of local experts to weigh in. Get real "If you start with a realistic budget at the beginning of your wedding planning, you can avoid unnecessary disappointments and stresses down the road," cautions Genève McNally, principal planner at DreamGroup Productions in Vancouver. "Planning a wedding is not rocket science and there are usually two things that make it challenging: budget constraints and family dynamics." McNally always begins by asking couples about their budget. If it sounds too low, she'll advise them to prioritize. "I'll tell them, it's not that you cannot do a wedding on that budget with that number of people, but rather that you won't get the kinds of products and services you'll likely want," she says. "My favourite couples are those who have a realistic budget and room to move on it if there's something they really want." realadvice Crunching How to put together a realistic, affordable wedding budget – and then stick to it By Lauren Kramer Illustration by Yenting Chen Beyond the minimum Many couples start their research by contacting a reception venue and receiving quotes on catering. e term "minimum spend" comes up often and is easily misunderstood, notes McNally. "So many people get the wrong impression about that and think, 'Great, I can afford that.' But typically, no one wants the starting price, the cheapest centrepieces and the least expensive item on the menu. Starting prices are very misleading. What couples need to know is the actual average price per person at a wedding at that venue." e most popular Vancouver venues charge between $150 and $225 per guest. Do the Math Starting out with venue quotes is putting the cart before the horse, says Tara orpe, wedding planner with Forever True Wedding Designs in Vancouver. First, you need to sit down and talk about how much money you want to invest in your wedding. "e bride and groom have to be on the same page when it comes to budget," she says. "If they know that parents and grandparents are going to chip in for the wedding, they have to have those conversations, too." Once you have a clearly defined budget, you can discuss the length of your guest list, since your budget will dictate the number you can afford to Numbers the

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