Inflation affecting wedding industry on Vancouver Island

The rising cost of inflation is impacting the daunting task of planning a wedding on Vancouver Island.

Recently married Jennaka Clark says she'll always remember the sunny day in Tofino, where she tied the knot on May 26.

But the beautiful memory didn't come cheap.

"We started off with a budget, of 30 (thousand dollars), and realized quickly that that wasn't realistic, based on the size of the wedding we were having," she said.

She says the 115-person event cost about $50,000 in total.

Wedding planner Radhika Graham says that's on par with the average price tag for a 100-person wedding on the island.

"With inflation and weddings, we're noticing that the price of everything is going up," she said.

Graham says food and flowers in particularly is where it will hurt your wallet.

"A lot of the time, that's because the cost of gas has gone up, so getting that to the island is affecting the price," she said.

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That being said, you don't need to rush off to Vegas to elope and get married by Elvis.

"Instead of having that sit-down dinner, you can look at having a brunch wedding, a lunch wedding, maybe even a high tea," said Graham.

Or, you can make some cuts to your guest list.

"You can just re-envision and be creative with what your wedding day looks like," said Graham.

The Clarks saved some money by supplying their own alcohol and second-hand decor.

"So it's upfront cost that's there, but I'm going to get some of my money back, hopefully, by reselling some of the stuff," said Clark.

Loved ones were also in charge of setting up the venue and made the bridesmaids' bouquets and their own cocktail hour food.

"We found ways to save money, certainly, but still had everything that we wanted," said Clark.