QUESTION:
We just got engaged. Everyone suggests that before we start planning, we need to set a budget for our wedding. How do we do that?
ANSWER:
You absolutely need to set a budget for your wedding before we start planning. Weddings can be very expensive! Does the cost of having the wedding of your dreams frighten you? It does not need to cost quite as much as you think. You can have your dream wedding within your budget if you use good organizational skills, ingenuity, flexibility, and enlist the help of friends and family. Many components go into planning a wedding day. Therefore, those who suggest that before you start planning, you need to set a budget for your wedding, give you sound advice. So, continue reading to learn how to do that.
Many details need to be completed and intertwined to create not only a wedding but a dream wedding as the two of you picture it. Today, about 70% of the marrying couples pay for their own weddings so, setting a realistic wedding budget that you can work with and sticking to, is a must. Your most important tool is a Budget planner. So, read the information and work with the budget worksheets contained in the FREE Wedding Planning Guide, book. Yes, for a limited time, it is FREE!
Before you start, you need to determine and figure out what you can afford or want to spend. Assign realistic figures to each aspect of your pre-wedding activities, wedding day and honeymoon and to stick to them. Possibly the most challenging task is to stay at least 10% below your assigned budget, to secure funds for incidentals and un-foreseen expenses.
To arrive at a workable budget, you may base it on an amount both of you can comfortably take off your pay checks and deposit in a special joint wedding account. Using a credit card is safe and cancelling a transaction is quite simple. However, it is important that you pay each monthly statement IN FULL so there will be no interest added. You do not want to start your married life with a credit card debt hanging over you. There are many options to choose from and many ways to save. So, get creative, and examine your options. You will be surprised by how much money you can save.
If your parents will be paying for the wedding, ask them what their budget is and do your utmost to spend less. If your friend and family contribute add their contributions to the total available to you. If their contribution substitutes the need to hire a vendor, add the amout you save to your total needed for other services.
Search the Internet thoroughly and you can save time and money. The World Wide Web provides you with information and resources for making purchases on-line. Many wedding web sites provide links to wedding related businesses that could be your answer to quality products and services. A- wedding Day Magazine offers you a series of wedding planning articles that concentrate on how to choose and work with wedding vendors, professionals and service providers, a wedding planning worksheet, and a checklist.
Set Your Priorities and Your Budget As you plan your wedding create three categories:
- Must have
- Optional
- Nice to have.
Base your decisions on availability, on your budget and on your ingenuity. Once you decide what your priorities are, involve yourselves, your friends and your families in at least some of the preparations.
- Loved ones will be honored and appreciate the opportunity to contribute their talents and connections to your special day, have fun and save you money.
- Find out if you can borrow attire accessories such as a veil, tiara and jewelry from a friend or a family member. After all you need to have “something borrowed”.
- Find products that have multiple uses such as: favors that accommodate place cards or that serve as centerpieces. Use your ceremony flowers and bridesmaids’ bouquets at the reception.
Beware Keep track of your expenses as you go along. Unless you do, it may be impossible to stick to your budget! You would be surprised by how quickly expenses add up to the point where you may run out of money and need to skimp or give up on important items. So, as you plan your wedding, run a detailed balance sheet of your expenses.
Vendors and Service Providers
- Choose vendors and service providers who can assure that your priorities will be met and that yours will be the wedding you dreamed of.
- Do not be afraid to ask for discounts and to negotiate! Wedding vendors and service providers are quite familiar with budgets.
- Hint that you are getting bids and convince them that you appreciate the quality if their work or service. Vendors and service providers who take pride in what they do will want to work with you.
- When you negotiate with vendors and service providers, be firm. Stick to what you decided you want and to what you budgeted for.
- Do not let them talk you into anything you neither budgeted for, nor want. But by the same token, be flexible enough to either spend more or to substitute, if you cannot find exactly what you considered a priority within your budget.
- Be sure you are familiar with all changes; return and / or cancellation policies before you sign any contract or finalize any arrangement.
- Always keep documentation of every contract and receipt in a safe place and pay special attention to deadlines for returning items.
- Always comparison shop. Interview at least 3 service providers before you select the one who will accommodate you best.
- Look for discount malls on and off the Internet. Shop for bargains and at clearance sales. If you are careful, you can save a lot of money.
- Do not get confused between inexpensive and cheap.
- Wedding Stationery You’ll probably want to send engagement announcements, save the day, invitations etc… If you are willing to depart from the traditional printed invitations, you can save not only money but time and anxiety. Create your own wedding stationery and invitation right on your computer and print it on blanks.
- Even if you have an excellent photographer, you may that your guests will take wedding pictures too.
- Most guests need some guidance regarding appropriate gifts but few consider items for the wedding itself. Let the hosts of your wedding celebrations know what you want. They will be able to coordinate and assure the guests that their gifts are wanted and will be highly appreciated. A win – win.
Ceremony Site
- The only decorations expected in the ceremony site or sanctuary, are 2 standing flower bouquets.
- Use flowers that are plentiful and inexpensive. Today, many supermarkets, even Costco and Sam’s Club sell wonderful fresh and silk flowers and bouquets, at a very reasonable price.
- You may wish to add pew bows. If you make your own, you’ll save a lot of money.
- You can make your ceremony special by lighting a unity candle and if you have children, involving them in the ceremony.
Attire Wedding gowns
Wedding gowns are very expensive but there are many options you may exercise to get what you want and save money.
- Do you have a friend or a family member who sews? Engage them and in return give them the honor of serving as an attendant at your wedding party.
- Shop for a gown, before you decide to have it custom made, go to department stores and check their sales corner. Occasionally, department and bridal stores have sample sales and wedding gowns on clearance. Don’t be shy. Ask the bridal salon manager when they plan to have an end of the season clearance sale.
- Look into buying a sample gown which was used for a fashion show or a display.
- Consider a simple gown off the rack. Or comb the wedding ads and auction sites on and off the web.
- To save even more, you may consider a “prom” or a bridesmaid dress.
- Shop in Online wedding shops.
Bridesmaids’ dresses
Today it is customary for the bridesmaids to purchase their own dresses and shoes. But, most brides provide the bridesmaids with custom jewelry such as necklaces, earrings and bracelets that coordinate well with their gowns or dresses. The jewelry does not have to be expensive but does need to be of good quality and look good.
Groom and Grooms Men
Depending on your wedding motif, the groom and groomsmen can wear a dark suit and dress shirt they probably own. Gift them with matching ties for uniformity and cufflinks as a keepsake gift. If your wedding calls for tuxedos, have the men in the wedding party rent the tuxedos, shoes, and accessories. Here too it is customary for the groomsmen to pay for the rental of their attire. Many rental places will furnish the groom’s attire for free if all the men from the wedding party rent at the same time as one package, saving you money.
Flowers
- Choose flowers that are in season and are grown locally.
- You can save money on your flower arrangements if you are willing to be ‘original’ and creative.
- If any of your guests creates flower arrangements even as a hobby, ask them to do the flower arrangements for your wedding.
- If you cannot find a capable guest, you’ll need to purchase the bridal bouquet and the flowers for the altar at a reputable florist.
- Consider giving the bridesmaids mixed seasonal flowers. They are available in supermarkets and Even at Costco and Sam’s Club at a fraction of the price charged by a florist.
- Ask your bridesmaids to insert their bouquets in vases to serve as centerpieces for the reception tables.
Photographers and Videographers
When it comes to photographers and videographers, choose your professionals very carefully. Your wedding day will come and go, and the photos and video will serve as mementos and memories of your big day.
- Choose the very best that are within your budget. Even if you need to choose a smaller package, here is where you want the very best. Go for it.
- Ask your guests to take pictures and email them to you after the wedding.
- These pictures will usually be real and spontaneous and reflect your wedding as seen by your guests.
Venue
The reception is the most expensive part of your wedding. But, you can plan it within your budget and have a memorable event.
- You must be very particular when choosing the site. It must be appropriate and fit in with your reception plan. It does not have to be a traditional hall.
- How about having your wedding in a historical home, a park, a museum, fair grounds, public gardens, a clubhouse, the beach, etc…
- You also need to know if the venue supplies you with all your furniture and dining needs. If not, you must calculate rental fees.
- When choosing a wedding site, choose slow period and either a Friday evening, Sunday afternoon or Monday evening and you’ll be able to negotiate the best deals.
- If you invite some good cooks to your wedding, you may ask them to prepare their favorite recipes for your wedding reception.
- If you invite some good bakers, ask if they could prepare sweets and desserts or maybe even your wedding cake.
- If you have your reception catered, you must consider the number of guests, the time of day and how the food will be served.
- Will it be refreshments only, dessert only, light snack and finger-food, a sit-down, a buffet?
- Will you serve alcohol? If bar tenders will serve alcohol, if it will be an open bar, and if you or the guests will pay for the drinks?
Choose the time of day for your reception carefully because there is an enormous difference in price between a light brunch, and a catered five course sit-down dinner. Having your wedding during the day gives you more options in the FREE Wedding Planning Guide, book.
Music
When it comes to music, you’ll need to decide what fits in with your personalities when choosing whether to use instrumental music, a band or a disc jockey.
- Check out the local colleges and universities and find out if they have a music department. If so, inquire if there are students in the music program who will be able to perform at your wedding.
- Don’t overlook your guests. If you invited guests who play instruments, are singers and/or performers, let them play, sing and perform.
For a list of music for your ceremony and music for your reception, go to: wedding music selections for the ceremony and reception
Copyrights © 2006 Revised 2022 All Rights Reserved Nily Glaser, A-wedding Day and Gan Publishing
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Author Byline
Nily Glaser is the founder of A-wedding Day magazine, a very popular Wedding Resource, and Information Center. She is a published author who wrote and published the A-wedding Day Wedding Planning Guide, Book. She writes important articles and has presented workshops for wedding professionals all over the USA.
To read more of her articles visit the A-wedding Day Magazine.
