How to Save Big on Your Wedding Day

In a world where all prices have skyrocketed, saving where you can is everything.

So how do you minimize the damage to your budget

while still having your dream wedding?

Here is a list of tips, tricks and advice to help you save.

Location

While there are certainly venues with pricing tiers, a great way to save is to choose a non-traditional location such as a park, beach or botanical garden. Locations like this not only offer more unique and idyllic backdrops, but also cost a fraction of the price.

Another great way to save both money and time is to have your entire day at one location. Since hosting your entire day at one location is easier not only on you but your guests and the environment, these weddings receive our eco-friendly incentive.

Which brings me to my second tip...

Incentives

Some vendors include incentivized pricing for things such as booking your wedding on a weekday because they're less in-demand.

We offer incentivized pricing for off-season weddings, and eco-friendly choices!

Check out the link below to find out what other incentives we offer.

https://www.seaglassfilms-photography.com/incentives

Digital Invitations

Unless you've been dreaming about your wedding invitations since you were a kid,

go the digital route! Traditional invitations can hike up your bill, especially when

considering printing and mailing costs.

DIY As Much As You Can While Involving Loved Ones

Making centrepieces or wedding favours? Make a party out of it!

Get togethers to make crafts to decorate your special day will create a sense of togetherness and shared excitement. Not to mention, it will make you feel much more supported through the process which can sometimes get stressful.

Involving your friends and family in you wedding planning process is such a good way to get excited about the day while also dispersing the workload. While some couples feel they don't want to burden others, chances are the people you care about enough to include in your wedding will be more than happy and even excited to help!

From having someone bake the wedding cake to asking a friend to put together a playlist, things like this will likely make your friends and family happy that you want them to be more involved.

Facebook Groups

So many more brides are paying forward today, which is not only much easier on your budget, but also much less stressful! I've been seeing it more and more on Facebook groups where brides are offering the most beautiful decorations that they didn't completely use on their day, and only asking the next bride to pay it forward!

If you can't find a pay it forward situation, this route will definitely be more cost-efficient than buying the decorations new!

Focus on the Important Things

While the smaller details can add a bit more beauty to your day,

keep in mind, that's all you need them for.

One day.

If there is one piece of advice I would give to my closest friends and family planning their wedding, it would be to prioritize your memories. Even if you're not getting it from me, please, please, please make sure you include photography and video in your day.

While the pricing for these services can be on the higher price tag side, they will capture and preserve the memory of every other one of the details - that will only last one day -FOREVER!

6 Creative Ideas for Engagement Photography

While Ottawa has many picturesque locations to choose from, sometimes it's refreshing to switch it up, be creative and see what you can make of locations that may not have been your first choice for your next photoshoot.

The Side of the Road

Sometimes my favourite shots come from places I've stopped on my way to, or from locations.

For Andrea and Scott's Ottawa engagement session, we picked Mer Bleue Bog, but on my way there, I passed a set of train tracks and a wheat field that the sun was hitting just right.

Once we got what we needed at Mer Bleue, I asked them to follow me in their car to this location and I'm so glad I did. These photos turned out to be my favourites from the session!

Rescues/Sanctuaries

For the animal-loving couple, rescues and sanctuaries are a great option.

They offer beautiful foliage, a private space and 10% of your session will be donated to the rescue/sanctuary so you're also supporting a good cause!

Shelby and Warren's engagement session took place at Keshet Kennels not only because it aligned with their values, but because it offered a secluded space they could bring their dogs to include in the session.

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For couples in the Grey Bruce Peninsula part of Ontario, my favourite spot has been...

Harrison Park

It offers a myriad of options to make your photos beautiful like lush greenery, lovely gardens and duck ponds.

Its hidden gem is the waterfall hidden within its forests. Catch this at the right time of the day and you'll find the sun peaking through the tree tops creating a truly magical backdrop.

Luskville Falls...

... is my favourite place to go for a couple who is wild and free.

It has a beautiful landscape with cat tails and tall grass,

and is just a short hike to the waterfall.

Tip: The waterfall doesn't flow all year round, so if you're aiming for water, September is a good month to go!

(fast-forward to 0:55 to see the location!)

Your Local Park

In truth, you really don't need acres of forest, a waterfall or the "popular" spot for photography to get amazing photos. If you're lucky enough to live near a walking path, you'll likely stumble upon a few small spots where the light is just perfect.

I have been frequenting my local library to switch up my environment when getting work done, and my eyes happened to wander out the window. I noticed the sun, just about to start setting, was casting this wonderful glow on the trees along the path outside.

It was so beautiful that I asked Sophie and Talia to meet me there for their engagement session!

And finally, Sophie and Talia's engagement session brings me to the final tip...

The Venue

Arranging the engagement session at the wedding venue

can be sweet bookends to a love story.

If the wedding is in the Summer, do the photos in the Fall, Spring or Winter to give your photos a diverse yet synchronized theme.

We did Part 1 of Sophie and Talia's engagement session at Pine Lodge which will be their venue in the Summer <3

When it comes to engagement photography, the important thing to remember is that any location can be turned into a cute spot for photos.

What matters is the meaning.

If the place where you met was a parking lot, or your first date was at a coffee shop, there's no duplicating the emotion of returning to that spot for your engagement session.

Genuine emotion is what I capture and any location can be beautiful if you know

how to capture it.

Ottawa bride gets her dream wedding at Orchard View

Michelle Statham couldn’t imagine having her wedding day without her mom, Nancy, by her side; But after an earth-shattering lung cancer prognosis and only being given a couple weeks left to live, Nancy knew she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her daughter’s wish by February 2021 - the original wedding date.

With a tight deadline, Nancy reached out to Ladies Who Lunch on Facebook and told her story to the wedding community. Within just hours, vendors had commented on her post asking her what she needed, and assured her they would make it happen.

In just a short few days, Ella from RSVP Events was able to pull together an entire (physically distanced) wedding ceremony for Michelle with the help and generosity of many local businesses.

Michelle married Tylor on Saturday afternoon, on a day full of tears, joy and love, and in the presence of not only her mom, but many loved ones.

I am so thrilled that Michelle’s wedding wish came true, to have been among the list of incredibly generous vendors, and to have been the one to capture it all.

Are you looking for beautiful keepsakes of your wedding day? Wedding photography is just one of the amazing services that we offer as part of our packages. Contact me here to learn more and discover how we can make your special day even better.