The Dreaded
Wedding Budget... tips to making the right
budget for your wedding, and sticking to it.
For
most couples, planning a wedding is the first and sometimes only time you will
be planning an event that requires a budget. Many brides envision their dream
wedding from the time they are little girls, however seeing the prices on paper
can sometimes send you into sticker shock. I experienced this phenomenon when
planning my own wedding. I planned for a certain budget, but quickly saw it
double over night. This wasn’t because we opted for extravagant extras; it was
because we imagined that items were cheaper than they were in reality. For
example, we thought that chair rentals would cost $1 each, when in fact they
were $2. Or we didn’t factor in service fees, transportation, bridal party
gifts etc… There are a lot of small items, that when added up can equal a few
thousand dollars. You may end up seeing
your budget rise if you don’t have a clear one to begin with. Here are some of my ideas on how to make your
budget work for you.
Step 1: What kind of wedding do you want?
Do
you want to elope in the courthouse with just you and your fiancé? Do you want
to have a casual morning wedding followed by brunch, or do you want an elegant
evening wedding with cocktail hour, dinner and dancing with all of your family
and friends? The style of wedding can have a huge impact on how much your
budget will be. The bigger the party = the more money you will have to spend.
Step 2: Who’s Paying?
Do
you have help from parents, relatives etc. or are you and your finace footing
the entire bill? This is extremely important when planning your budget. Make sure to factor in the amount of help as
well as what you can afford yourselves.
HINT:
if your family can’t help monetarily, they may be willing to help in other ways like provided transportation, crafts
or errands. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Step 3: Make Room for what really matters.
Many
times there are aspects of your wedding that you can’t live without, but there
are others that you don’t mind giving up.
You may want a certain venue, signature drink or your dream dress, but
you can live without a 3-tier cake. Make a list of all your must haves. This
might help you figure out what you can live without.
Step 4: Revise, Revise, Revise
Don’t
just stop at your first draft. Look it over several times and make sure to add
and subtract items as you go. This is a great way to cross items off of your
list and/or add them. Your wedding is a work in progress; don’t be afraid if
things change. I suggest doing this at least every month, if you are always up
to date with your plan, there will be less stress later on.
Just
remember, everybody gets organized in different ways, some use calendars, some
use spread sheets, some use good old-fashioned pen and paper. Do what works best for you, so that you stick
to your budget.
~Lindsey
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