If you’re having your wedding in Spring or Summer this year (or any year, really) in Vancouver, then you’re probably going to be paying premium prices for venue rentals, hotels, etc.

After all,this is peak wedding season AND peak tourist season in Vancouver!

But there ARE ways to save money while having a Spring/Summer Vancouver wedding! Here’s how:

1. Skimp on flowers

If your wedding ceremony or reception will take place in a garden setting, don’t bother with expensive floral arrangements. The surrounding greenery and flowers will provide plenty of natural beauty. Use inexpensive decorations on the tables if you feel you still need something (like votives, simple vases with twigs, or even just platters of beautiful food).

2. Skip the heat lamps

Okay, but be careful with this one! While skipping the heat lamps is a great way to cut costs, don’t forget that Vancouver weather can be very fickle! If your event takes place outdoors in the evening, a little rain is all it takes to make your guests chilly. The weather is the biggest challenge for a Vancouver wedding! But if the city’s in the middle of a summer heat wave, you can probably safely skip the heat lamps.

3. Use flowers and foliage from your garden

Raid your garden… your parents’ garden…. your friends’ gardens… There is plenty of beautiful foliage to be had for a Vancouver wedding in spring and summer. It doesn’t need to be fancy — use cherry blossoms, pussy willows, or daffodils in the spring. In the summer months you can use any kind of flower, branches, even ferns if you like them.

4. Go more casual

While you’ll probably still want the wedding dress of your dreams, a Spring or Summer wedding in Vancouver can look lovely with simple sundresses for the bridesmaids, and less formal suits or even just shirts and ties for the groomsmen. Nobody wants to be wearing a three-piece suit on a sweltering summer day!

5. Head to the beach!

Rather than renting an expensive location for your wedding ceremony, find a free outdoor location to say your vows. Vancouver beaches offer spectacular views; there are also plenty of beautiful parks around Vancouver and the Lower Mainland that are lovely for wedding ceremonies. Make sure you know the rules of you location before planning anything, though!

Different restrictions apply to different areas. For a list of beaches and parks in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, including the regulations regarding wedding ceremonies at each, sign in at www.myperfectwedding.ca/login.

Not a member? Sign up at www.myperfectwedding.ca for instant access to 150+ in-depth reviews of wedding ceremony and reception venues in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, plus Vancouver wedding planning guides, local resource lists, and more!

Looking for an all-in-one wedding package at a Langley wedding venue?

One of the very best deals in the Lower Mainland is Newland’s Golf and Country Club, located in Langley, BC.

This Langley wedding venue boasts an extremely popular “Club Wed” wedding package with truly amazing deals that include everything you could possibly think of for your all-in-one wedding, from wedding and reception locations to flowers, photography, decorations, tux rentals… you name it!

Langley wedding venues: Newland's

Some people may consider Newland’s a bit of a “wedding factory” — and the truth is, it absolutely IS a wedding factory.

But that’s what makes Newland’s such a great deal: Their Club Wed wedding factory is like a well-oiled wedding machine. They’ve got a great wedding system in place — and they have their systems down-pat. Newland’s knowledgable staff will ensure that every detail of your wedding is taken care of. There will be no hiccups or last-minute problems. These guys know what they are doing.

Of course, there are drawbacks. This Langley weddig venue is housed in a ’60s building that looks a little dated. Many of the ballrooms are kind of dark and characterless, with the exception of the “Conservatory Ballroom” (depicted above).

But the real drawback is that Newland’s does multiple weddings on the same day (as any good wedding factory will do).

But if you can overlook some of these details, you can wind up with an all-in-one Langley wedding venue that’s affordable, easy, and remarkably complete.

Check out Newland’s upcoming Wedding Show on March 25th: www.newlandsclubwed.com

Planning a Vancouver wedding reception can be a daunting task. This is not a cheap city, and costs from your venue rentals to your equipment rentals, catering, alcohol, your dress, decorations, etc, etc, can really start to add up…

So what do you do if you are having a Vancouver wedding reception on a budget????

Well, there is one fast and true rule for saving money on your vancouver wedding reception…

The very best way to save money on your wedding is (drum roll please): to invite fewer people.

It sounds obvious, I know. But this is the main area where couples (and their parents!!!) really tend to let things get out of control.

You can plan your budget well. Shop for a dress on sale. Book your venue during low season. Keep your catering costs down. Have a cash bar.

But even if you do all that… you’re Vancouver wedding reception is still going to blow the budget if you invite too many people!

Try making a guest list of the “absolute must-haves” and see what the numbers are. You can add a few more from there… but remember just how much each new guest is going to cost you!

For more tips on how to save money on your Vancouver wedding reception, sign in at www.myperfectwedding.ca/login and check out our resources section for tons of awesome tips! (If you’re not a member yet, just go to www.myperfectwedding.ca to sign up today!)

Good luck planning your Vancouver wedding reception on a budget!

The most popular months for weddings in the Vancouver Lower Mainland are the spring and summer months, especially June through September — but most wedding venues consider May through October their “peak season” (i.e., the most expensive wedding and reception venue rental rates!!)

Brides thinking about having a winter wedding in the Vancouver Lower Mainland have a lot of lovely options open to you. The following list includes some great reasons why you might want to have a winter wedding — PLUS tips on how to pull it off in style…

1. Winter weddings can be less expensive! If you avoid the few weeks around Christmas, a winter wedding at most Vancouver Lower Mainland wedding and reception venues can be significantly less expensive than a spring or summer wedding.
2. Winter weddings can “piggyback” on the holiday season! If you decide to have your winter wedding after Christmas or New Year’s Eve at a banquet hall or reception facility, chances are they will have some pointsettas, candles, ribbons, wreaths, and other decorations that you could use for your event.
3. Winter weddings can be cozy and unique! Consider compementing your winter wedding theme with details like ice wine… luxurious comfort foods… sparkling snowflake and silvery accents… perhaps an ice scultpure… You can also reuse those gold and silver balls from your Christmas tree — fill vases with them for immediate impact!
4. Winter weddings mean… Winter honeymoons! Though winter can be cozy and romantic, it’s also a great time to go somewhere hot and sunny for a vacation with your new husband! On the other hand, if you have a summer wedding, why go to a sunny beach when the weather’s perfectly good at home?

Don’t think you need to be restricted by time of year when planning your wedding. With the right wedding and reception venue, you can have a wonderful winter wedding!

Check out the 150+ wedding and reception venue reviews for Vancouver and the Lower Mainland at www.myperfectwedding.ca to find the perfect indoor space for YOUR winter wedding!

Heritage Mansion for your Lower Mainland Wedding Venue!

Just $500 to rent the property for the day!

It’s a heritage mansion set in the countryside, roughly 25 minutes outside of Vancouver, complete with an elegant gazebo for your wedding ceremony, and seating capacity for up to 150 guests.

(Or 200 guests if you’re willing to rent the last 50 chairs and tables for dinner yourself.)

This Heritage Mansion features a pretty gazebo!

Members of MyPerfectWedding.ca can click here now to read our full 10-page candid review of this unique Lower Mainland wedding venue, get all the pricing details, and see all the pictures.

Or, if you’re not a member yet, you can click here now to get full membership details and then click here to get instant access to all 150+ wedding venues we’ve reviewed to date, complete with pictures and full descriptions.

This venue is an editor favorite; we’ve rated it 4.5 stars out of 5!

Many brides balk at the prices of some of the more popular Lower Mainland wedding venues — where room rental fees alone can be multiple thousands of dollars… and that’s BEFORE you add the cost of expensive catering, staffing fees, AND bar alcohol prices!

Well, when you get married at home, you certainly do save on the cost of your Lower Mainland wedding venue rental. AND you save on the cost of alcohol prices charged by licensed venues that typically charge upwards of $5 per drink!!!!

HOWEVER… before you get excited about all these cost savings, consider this: When you get married at home, you need to rent EVERYTHING.

Most people do not have enough tables and chairs for a wedding reception, so you’ll need to rent them. And every champagne glass, wine glass, and water glass. Every fork. Every salt shaker. Linens. Decorations. Table numbers.

If you’re doing an outdoor wedding ceremony or reception, you’ll want to rent tents (which can cost more than a thousand dollars EACH to rent!). Maybe heat lamps. Lighting. A sound system. A dance floor.

PLUS, you’ll still need to pay for expensive catering and staffing! (Unless you have really nice family and friends who want to do all the cooking for your reception!!!!)

At most Lower Mainland wedding venues, the furniture, table settings, and some of the linens will be provided for you. You won’t need to rent all the extras — like table numbers and salt shakers. You won’t need to rent tents, lighting, dance floor, etc. You won’t need to worry about having enough power for your lighting and sound system so you don’t blow a fuse in the middle of your first dance (LOL! Can you imagine?!?).

And if you pick the right venue, you can still bring your own alcohol — and avoid the exorbitantly expensive rates that many Lower Mainland wedding venues charge per drink.

To read more about how to save money when booking your Lower Mainland wedding venue, and to find a wide selection of inexpensive venues to choose from, click here now!

Want to find some cheap wedding decorations in Vancouver?

Consider buying them USED off Vancouver Craigslist.  Search “Wedding” or “Wedding Decorations” and you’ll find a surprising number of local Vancouver brides selling off their used or almost-new table centerpieces, head table decorations, ring pillows, cake toppers, gift card boxes, and MORE … typically at 75% discounts!

Here are just a few of the deals that I found in a 5 minute search:

- Large Cherry Blossom Stems (12″ - 24″) - $5 for all
- Box of Small Cherry Blossom Stems (4″ - 8″) - $10 for all
- 23 Frosted Glass Candle Holders - $10 for all
- 12 Small Vases - $10 for all 
- Light and Dark Pink rose Petals - $6 for All
- Card Box - $25
- 12 Easel Table Numbers - $10 for all
- Lighted Wedding Arch (Dis-assembled) - FREE
- Brand new guestbooks. Bought for $40 & $55 each, selling for $25.00 each. 
- Pretty Wedding Cake Top for sale $15.00 O.B.O

I sure wish Craigslist had been around when I was a bride…

There are some GREAT deals on really nice, designer wedding decorations that have seen just one day’s use! It’s my favourite source for cheap wedding decorations in Vancouver!