Setting a wedding essentials budget is a smart way to stay on top of all your spending during your wedding planning.
- Take a Realistic Look at all Your Finances:
If your family isn’t footing the bill for the big day, make sure you and your fiancé figure out how you can each comfortably contribute to the budget without going into the red (starting a marriage in debt is never a great idea!). Finances are a touchy subject when it comes to most people and it can often create tension within a couple. Being honest and open about how much you have and want to spend on your wedding will not only diminish confusion it will also help lay a good foundation for solving money issues in the future.
- Be Selective with the Guest List:
Probably the first and most important part of your wedding budget to determine is how many people you are planning on inviting to the ceremony and the reception. The guest list dictates the amount of space you’ll need to accommodate all the attendees, the quantity of food caterers must prepare for the reception meal, and other key budgetary considerations. It goes without saying that the less people you invite the less you will have to spend!
- See if Other Plan to Contribute to Your Wedding Expenses:
Families of the bride and groom will often offer to pay for some if not all of the wedding essentials expenses. We know that asking for money can sometimes be uncomfortable, if that’s the case ask them to purchase a certain item. Whether your family pays a portion of your wedding costs or the entire bill, having others contribute to your wedding budget will certainly cut the cost of the final bill immensely.
- Open a Separate “Wedding Account” to Track Expenses:
Once you have taken a look at your finances and pulled all your wedding funds together, it might be a good idea to put them into a back account that is solely devoted to paying for things having to do with the wedding. Doing this will help keep your wedding expenses separate from all of your everyday expenses.
- Determine Where you Want to Spend the Most/Least:
Some wedding essentials items and services automatically come with a pretty hefty price tag. Sometime it is better to splurge on thing that you can hold on to forever, something that you will have long after the wedding day is over. For example a great videographer to capture all of the days festivities from start to finish. Unfortunately there are no cutting corners with these aspects. But knowing where to shell out the big bucks and where to cut costs can make all the difference in your planning. The best thing to do is create a list of wedding services that you don’t mind spending more money on, and those that you’ll be fine with pulling back from. Remember that no matter where you choose to splurge or save, it should be something you can both agree on so there is not resentment when it comes to looking back on the big day.
- Resist the Urge to go Overboard:
It’s probably the easiest to get overwhelmed and go overboard when all you want is your special day to be perfect but not at the expense of a small fortune. Obviously, if there is something that is of meaning or value to you, as stated in Step 5, it’s ok to pick and choose where to let yourself go a little hog wild. Just remember to use good judgment throughout the process. Shop smarter when selecting items for your wedding; you’ll soon find that most everything you will ever need has a less-expensive counterpart.