All Posts in “Budget Planning”

How much does an average wedding cost?

December 22, 2015 / no comments

You are engaged, excited and ready to plan a wedding. How much does a wedding really cost? The answer – every wedding is different. Planning a down to earth, relaxed backyard BBQ wedding is different from planning an elaborate 350 person wedding. You still need to determine your wedding budget before going out and booking all your wedding vendors.

We will attempt to break down some costs for you – Based on a 100 person wedding.

Here’s how it breaks down…

The wedding venue, room rentals (including catering) eats up a third of the budget, at $9, 500
The rings and bands ring in at $3,000 (average)
The photographer snaps up $2,300
The gown costs $1,500- $3000
The decorations and floral arrangements $3,000
Videographer $2,700
The transportation and limos- $850.00
The cake eats up $550
Jewelry and accessories cost comes out to $250
The hair and makeup takes a $450 including trials
Party favors demands $250
Wedding DJ and Ceremony Music $1400
The invites, programs, and other stationary needs draw out $550

Average cost of a Wedding Planner from $950-$3000.00

Other things to consider:

Wedding tips
Cake cutting fees
Gifts to each other
Deliveries of items such as cake
Wedding dress alterations
Taxes
Corkage fees
Tear down fees
Church/ceremony and officiant
Open Bar

There’s still time to shed costs before the big day. Don’t panic. A specialized wedding planner can determine your needs and create a wedding budget that works for you.

This gives you a great idea on the costs of weddings. Your wedding cost more or less depending on packages offered per vendor.

TO GET A COMPLIMENTARY QUOTE, FILL OUT OUR WEDDING FORM HERE

Our clients Jen and Tim opted to use our Wedding in a box Package. We were honored to be part of their day!

Photo source: Chelsea Mason Photography

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE- LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT BELOW!

Take a look at our wedding in a box gold package here!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

5 Ways to use Burlap in your wedding

December 15, 2015 / no comments

Are you thinking rustic as your wedding theme? Thinking of incorporating burlap into your rustic theme? There are so many budget friendly ways to add a little touch of burlap into your wedding décor without going over the top. For an elegant look, don’t over do the burlap. Use it in little ways around the room and ensure everything is neatly placed. We have rounded up a few great ideas on how you can use burlap into your wedding design.

Your table design & Centrepieces

Wedding bouquets and Boutonnieres

Stationary – Invitations and Table numbers

Wedding Cake

Wedding Ceremony Arch

Do you need help planning a rustic wedding with touches of burlap? Contact us today

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE- LIKE, SHARE & COMMENT!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 883-5745

For more information please contact info@rsvp-events.ca

Planning a Wedding in Muskoka

December 10, 2015 / no comments

Are you planning a wedding in Muskoka? Muskoka is a extremely popular especially as a destination location for weddings. We have clients that come as far as Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal to plan weddings there. If you are into cottage type weddings, rustic or country feel weddings, you have come to the right place.

RSVP Events can plan your home away from wedding, looking after all your out of town logistics as well as make sure you have a fun, filled romantic wedding. Our out of town, full wedding package will work for you.

Some popular Muskoka wedding venues to consider are:

Sherwood Inn- On Lake Joseph

Muskoka Wedding Planner

Photo credit: Sherwood Inn- On Lake Joseph– Website

Another Great location is Windermere House

Source: Windermere House’s Facebook/ Photo credit: Mike Prasad Photography

I love Taboo Muskoka Wedding Resorts

Photo credit: Taboo Resort Facebook

Think Rocky Crest Golf Resort

Photo credit: Rocky Crest Golf Resort

If you would like more details on planning your wedding in Muskoka, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

4 Things not to DIY for your wedding

November 25, 2015 / no comments

Planning a wedding is definitely very exciting for any newly engaged bride. It can also become extremely stressful very quickly, especially if you are thinking of planning 90% of it on your own. One wedding trend that seems to be here to stay is the rustic wedding. To save on costs, brides are attempting DIY projects. It seems like everyone is DIY-ing these days. Whether you’re planning of doing a DIY project because you are crafty or trying to save money they are a few things you should not DIY.

We are going to give you a few tips especially if you plan to DIY: To start, pinpoint all your wedding ideas & have a planned wedding budget! Once this is decided, decide what you will DIY and what should be left to a professional wedding specialist. We do not recommend DIY-ing the following things.

Wedding Photography:

Photo credit: Ashley Notley Photography

Bride and Groom: My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend is a photographer! Me: A professional photographer or taking it up as a hobby? Sound familiar? Some of the advantages of hiring a professional is that they wont know anyone a the event and there is little chance of them mingling and socialising, which could potentially have them not capture an important moment (Speeches, reactions). They would also have all the proper equipment required to shoot a wedding such as lighting and all the different cool lenses. Your wedding photos will be something you treasure for years to come, I am sure you have heard that before! I would suggest spending some money to ensure you get what will be the best thing that you will ever spend your money on!

Photo credit: VIA Noiva Com Classes

Wedding Food: Are you considering asking friends or even your family members to make all your favourite dishes? They maybe great at what they do, but catering to a wedding is a huge job on its own. Even if they are able to cater to your entire wedding party, they would need to have all 80 or a 100 plates ready at the same time at the right time. This is hard to do! People love to talk about how great food is, but they will also be the first to talk about bad food. Consider leaving this task to a caterer. You don’t guests referring to your wedding as “the wedding that had horrible food, I went home and ordered pizza!” So true!

Wedding DJ/Music:

Photo credit: Via Brides Ways

Using an Ipod to play your wedding music is never a good idea. We can tell you about all our horror stories but we wont. Hire a professional DJ or band for your peace of mind. They will also make basic announcements through out the wedding about important milestones coming up through out the day. Guests might also want to make requests during the reception and a DJ or a band would know when to play it and if it is appropriate.

Wedding planner: Yes you have friends that can assist on the day (go back to point 1. about hiring friends or family members). You can choose to hire a planner for the duration of the wedding planning process or someone just on the day. This will make a huge difference between making your wedding feel like it was truly handmade vs. well put together and organized. A professional planner will ensure you a stress free day and ensure all your DIY items work with your theme.

Read our blog: 5 Reasons to hire a professional vendor!

Happy Planning

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Wedding Invitations with Paper Divas

November 12, 2015 / no comments

Wedding invitations are known to set the tone for your event! From the save the date cards, wedding invites, reply cards and Thank you cards, make sure that the invitations are well branded and reflect the theme of your overall day! Not sure where to get your invites from? Wedding Paper Divas is the place for you! They have every layout available to suite any personality!

Once on the website, you have the options to use the pre-set wedding invitation or create a new invitation completely from scratch. The options are endless. You can be assured that all the orders are reviewed, proofread and retouched by one of their in house wedding invitation specialist.

Don’t forget to like them on Facebook: Wedding Paper Divas

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

5 Mix and Match dresses that we love

November 11, 2015 / no comments

We are in love with Mix and Match bridesmaid dresses! Not only are they gorgeous, stylish and modern, but are perfect for bridesmaids that are on a budget! The dresses give the girls the opportunity to work with there different body sizes and shapes! We are all not the same 😉 Here are our top 5 picks!

Photo by Landon Jacob Productions via Style Me Pretty

Photo by Jenny Sun Photography via Style Me Pretty

Photo by Amanda Suanne Photography

Photo by Jamie Street, Rad + In Love Photography

Dresses via Ted Baker, Photo by Jose Villa via Magnolia Rouge

Which is your favourite match?

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Ottawa Wedding Cakes

November 9, 2015 / no comments

Vendor spotlight: J S Creations Emporium

We are excited to feature a local vendor on the blog! J S Creations is one of RSVP’s preferred wedding cake vendors. Today on our blog we feature some of the wonderful work we have seen her create for our clients this year. Jacqui is known to only use the freshest ingredients available to ensure her products taste as delicious as they look.

Photo by: Ashley Notley Photography Photo by Mitch Lenet Photography

Ottawa Wedding cakes To see more of J S Creations work, be sure to follow her on Facebook and Website.

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LAST VENDOR MOMENT: MIKE & NESS

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Corporate & Event Planners
c: (613) 219-3552

For more information please contact US

Can you afford to hire an RSVP Event Specialist

July 4, 2014 / no comments

Can you afford to hire an RSVP Event Specialist

Source: Black Lamb photography

It is often believed that only brides with massive budgets and a huge guest list can afford wedding planners. Yes weddings are expensive and yes as wedding planners, we need to make a living. RSVP prides itself in charging market related prices and being transparent about all the costs involved in planning an event. As certified event specialists with WPIC and ABC, we do not pay or charge commission from suppliers, or even mark up other suppliers’ invoices. We work by charging a set of fees for our services. Our clients always know what our fees are from the very beginning. We have no hidden costs.

As a bride, this is your first time planning a large event so how can you possibly know the prices involved in planning events? A realistic budget is a key to successful wedding. We usually ask our brides what budgets they are working with. Some of our bride have an idea of what they would like to spend and others have no clue. What to expect when you come in for a consultation with an RSVP Event specialist:

We will start by going over all costs involved in planning a wedding, so you will have an idea with what to expect
We will make recommendations and provide you with a budget that works for you.
We know a few good ways which will help your budget go further. As planners, we have the knowledge and connections with the best suppliers in Ottawa.
It is in our best interest to make YOUR budget work, provided it is a budget that is based on current pricing structures and that is reasonable.So many factors play a major role one what your budget could be
We understand that every couple is different and the budget for one might not work for the next one
RSVP event specialists work hard at researching and matching up couples with the best suppliers who can accommodate your budget

At RSVP we are known to be creative in finding ways to make your wedding memorable, unique and special for each of our individual clients. We have a great selection of resources at our disposal to make your wedding stand out. One of the many awesome examples, is our remarkable decor stock which adds value to all our clients packages; on a budget and for those who are can afford to splurge. We are big believers of the fact that every bride needs to be educated on all the costs involved in planning a wedding from the beginning stage to avoid unnecessary surprises down the line. No matter the budget, the client should always pay market related prices.

RSVP has designed different wedding packages to accommodate the needs of our brides. Coming to us earlier on, you will be able to avoid stressful and often frustrating quotation obtaining stage, as we will do all of that for you.Get a copy of our wedding package here

Do you think you can afford a planner? Now you can find out. Send us an email or call us and we will make an appointment at our offices to discuss your wedding requirements.

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Wedding Planner
c: (613) 807-7787

10 reasons to book Wedding in a Box

December 12, 2013 / no comments

10 reasons to Book Wedding in a Box

Ottawa Wedding

Wedding in a box package is one of Ottawa’s famous all inclusive weddings package The all inclusive wedding package is designed to make any wedding planning stressful and simple especially for the busy bride. This is a high end quality package that offers all the major elements of planning a high-end, quality dream wedding at an affordable price with little to no hassle or stress.

These are the top 10 REASONS, why couples in Ottawa have booked this package:

1. More bang for your buck

2. It offers added value for the price

3. Planning should be fun and not stressful. This package is exactly that, STRESS FREE

4. A professional Wedding planner to guide you through the planning process. This means, you can actually enjoy your actual wedding day

5. This All inclusive package is offered in Ottawa. No need for a passport, no flight bookings, no stress of going down south necessary

6. Only trust worthy, professional and noteworthy vendors are part of this package.

7. No hidden fees

8. This package is fun and easy

9. Its a flexible package. It offers you choices. You are able to customize the package to suit your needs.

10. It is a budget friendly package

5 Common Budget Questions

Source: Photo

Here are a list of 5 common questions most couples tend to ask in regards to their Wedding.

1. My Parents and future in-laws wish to contribute to the wedding financially. Do they have the rights to say how I spend the money they give me?

The answer is yes. Most parents will decide not to say anything but others will want to be involved. Here are a few tips to work with and guide them through the process. This will also reduce any tension during the planning process should you have any disagreement. If your parents are paying for the entire wedding, provide them with a list of your top 2 vendors in each category. Include all the pros and cons of each vendor so they have a better understanding to why you are choosing them (this should include quotes, the style of wedding that you prefer, what is included in each vendor package and which items are not included.) This will make them feel included in the decision making.

If your parents are providing a set amount, lets say $5000.00, please thank them and ask them where they would like you to spend this money. This will also make them feel as though they were involved in the decision making.

2. What if my family members do not come through with the finances that we were promised?

We suggest asking for the money when you are ready to make a purchase. You can also have your parents send the money directly to the vendors if this will make it comfortable for them. You can also let them know that you have started the wedding planning and budgeting process and would like to know when to expect their part of the checks for deposits. Always have a back up plan in case your parents finances change and they are unable to come through. Things do happen. If you were really counting on their help and they are not able to provide, be prepared to change your wedding vision to meet your new budget.

3. How can I avoid going over budget?

We highly recommend hiring an event planner as they have great relationships with vendors that can save you a lot of money. Keep track of everything you are spending. This can quickly add up. The number of guests you have at your wedding can affect how much you spend. Look out for hidden fees or fees that you were not aware of, as this may not have been included in your budget (Tips, gratuities, taxes, etc)

4. Is it okay to negotiate a price or ask vendors for discounts?

You can always try. Some vendors do run specials in the low season, take advantage of this. Always tell your vendors what your budget is! They may be able to customize a package that works within your budget. Some vendors may not necessarily reduce the price or give a discount, but they may be able to add value. For example, a Photographer may include a $250.00 engagement shoot with a purchase of a full photography package worth $2500.00.

5. What is the Most expensive time of the year to get married?

Summer is the most expensive time, with weddings taking place between May and October. Lots of Brides are competing for venues and vendors around this time. Still want to have a summer wedding? Opt to have your wedding on a Thursday, Friday evening or a Sunday.

Happy Planning!

Cheers!
RSVP Events | Ottawa Wedding Planner
c: (613) 807-7787

All Posts in “Budget Planning”

Category

How much does an average wedding cost?

December 22, 2015 / no comments

TO GET A COMPLIMENTARY QUOTE, FILL OUT OUR WEDDING FORM HERE

5 Ways to use Burlap in your wedding

December 15, 2015 / no comments

Planning a Wedding in Muskoka

December 10, 2015 / no comments

4 Things not to DIY for your wedding

November 25, 2015 / no comments

Wedding Invitations with Paper Divas

November 12, 2015 / no comments

5 Mix and Match dresses that we love

November 11, 2015 / no comments

Ottawa Wedding Cakes

November 9, 2015 / no comments

Can you afford to hire an RSVP Event Specialist

July 4, 2014 / no comments

Can you afford to hire an RSVP Event Specialist

10 reasons to book Wedding in a Box

December 12, 2013 / no comments

10 reasons to Book Wedding in a Box

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5 Common Budget Questions

June 3, 2013 / no comments

5 Common Budget Questions