(-15K) Getting married in Ireland August ‘27
Hi everyone,
This is my first post in this group but I’m reaching out for advice as I’m feeling so overwhelmed in planning my August 2027 ‘destination’ wedding. Me (25F) and my fiancé (27M) are a Canadian couple trying to host a wedding celebration (as we’ll legally get married here in Ontario) in Ireland — specifically the area of County Kildare, Meath, or Wicklow. For context, my Fiancé is an Irish citizen and moved here with just his immediate family to Canada when he was 5, but 90% of our guests still live in Ireland — hence why it made much more sense to travel to them for the wedding, as most are older and have health concerns. Our Irish family are absolutely lovely and have been very supportive of us planning our celebration abroad. The key stressor for us has been budget, as everything is turning out so much more expensive than anticipated. Our budget has gone from $7K CAD- $15k CAD real fast :/ We have approx. 45 guests (if everyone attends) and still want a very intimate style ceremony, ideally outdoors (or at least have that option). We have been scoping out venues and wedding packages for a couple of months now and are starting to feel the pressure of booking something. We had originally planned to do a backyard wedding at our relative’s home, but it ended up not being feasible due to location/sewage system/transportation etc. so it has become a bit of a scramble to find a new venue that isn’t going to break the bank. I’m wondering if anyone would have any suggestions of how we could possibly get the cost down — our top pick for a venue with wedding package is currently 17K which we just can’t justify spending. The currency exchange has been brutal and that won’t change, but just wondering if anyone has done a -15K destination wedding and maybe how you stayed on budget? Things we are already doing include: weekday wedding (Monday-Thursday), simplest meal plan/willing to cater ourselves, DIY decor/thrifting, renting bridal gown.
Thank you all in advance!