A Guide to Your Wedding Day Budget
When planning a wedding, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Not knowing what to splurge on and what to leave out. There are so many details (and expensive ones) that go into your big day. But you don’t want to end up broke after what should be the happiest day of your lives. The last thing you want is to start your marriage in debt, so here are some tips on how to navigate your wedding budget:
Make a payment plan
Once you’re engaged, you and your fiancé should have a conversation with your families to decide on a budget. Discuss who is going to pay for what and determine a realistic price for each detail of your ceremony and reception. Be considerate of what everyone has to contribute, no matter how big or small. Also remember to be thankful for what each person is willing to donate toward your wedding day. Figuring where your budget is going to be coming from; do you and your partner have savings built up or will you be taking out a wedding loan? Whatever your payment plan is, set a hard budget and stick to it.
Splurge on what’s important
You and your soon-to-be spouse should sit down and talk about what is most important to you in a wedding. Is an open bar a must for your fiancé? You’ll have to carve out a big section of your budget for that. What about a videographer? If you can’t imagine not having your day documented to look back on, take that into consideration when determining your ‘splurge’ budget. If you hyperventilate just thinking about planning all of the details, you might want to pay for a wedding planning service to take some of the pressure off of you. Your mind will be at ease knowing there’s someone else to look out for your wedding day’s best interest.
Cut back on certain details
Just like deciding on what was most important to you for your wedding day, you’ll have to determine which details you’re okay with cutting back on. If you aren’t that into flowers, you can nix your floral budget and try out one of these non-floral wedding centerpieces. You can have a beautiful wedding without a bunch of flowers. Some guests may not remember the flowers anyway. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on a dress you’ll only wear for a few hours, consider renting your wedding dress to save money.
It's about you!
Your wedding day is such a special occasion, and you don’t want to go broke during the planning process. Making a solid budget is important to keep you on track. Especially since it can be so easy to go overboard and spend too much. No matter how big or small your budget is, remember that the most crucial component of your big day is how much you love each other!