Your wedding budget, this is something a lot of couples don’t want to discuss, because when you start discussing budget, you come to the realization that your dream wedding you wanted to have, might not be within your reach. So, how do you go about budgeting your wedding? Here are some tips to make it less stressful for you, your fiancé and your families.
WHO IS PAYING FOR YOUR WEDDING?
Is it just you two? Are parents of bride and groom chipping in? Are parents sticking to tradition and brides’ parents pay for wedding and grooms parents pay for rehearsal?
You need to be sure that you find this out from day one! Are both sets of parents paying for it all or just helping with some of the expenses? You need to have exact amounts for your wedding budget. That way, you know from day one what you have to spend, and then you can decide what and if you can pay for some of the wedding yourselves.
CREATE A LIST OF YOUR PRIORTIES
Make your list based on what is your I GOTTA HAVE THAT… Is there a specific dress, venue, photographer, caterer, or DJ you HAVE TO HAVE? Put them at the top of your list with their cost and work your way thru your budget that way.
I had a bride that had to have a specific dress for her wedding day. It was a $3,000 dress. Her family told her multiple times, you’re not going to be able to have the wedding you want if you buy a $3,000 wedding dress! Watch me, was her response. She had her wedding on a Wednesday, which most venues have reduced rates on a weekday and some of your other vendors may too… she kept her guest list to a manageable number and she had every other vendor she wanted for her wedding! And she said her wedding was everything that she had dreamed of! Smart girl for creating a priority list of her must haves and making everything she wanted fit in her budget.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY
I get asked this a lot, and there are ways to save money. Get married on an off day which is a Sunday or weekday and most wedding venues have reduced prices on off days. You can really save a lot of money in your budget by doing this. Some of your other vendors may have reduced rates on off days, so be sure to ask them if they do. Don’t be afraid to ask all your vendors, do you give any discounts? They should understand that not everyone has an unlimited budget to spend on their wedding.
Another way to save money is to get your wedding dress off the sale rack. Sometimes you can negotiate an even more reduced price on the dress if the wedding shop is independently owned and not a chain store.
Ask the venue owners if they work with certain photographers that give a discount if you refer them. Some venues and photographers have partnerships that benefit both of them and they are happy to give discounts because of their referrals.
Florals can also be another big expense and there are ways to save there too. If you prefer real flowers, call your local flower farmer and ask them if they sell buckets of lose flowers. Most do, and you can get a lot of real flowers at a reduced rate but you have to be okay with what the flowers are and what the colors are…most of the time you will be getting the growers “choice” when you go this route.
Search Facebook Marketplace. I have found there are lots of brides wanting to sell their décor from their own weddings and you can really save some money by going this route.
WEDDING PACKAGES
Some venues offer all-inclusive packages of some kind that can take care of some or all your needs and you just show up! Be sure when you are talking to venues ask them if they offer any specialty packages and what is included in those packages. You can sometimes save yourself some money by going this route as well.
FINAL WORDS
Don’t let BUDGET be a dirty word when you are planning your wedding. However, don’t be unrealistic about what your budget is either. To get the biggest bang for your buck, prioritize your wedding preferences, find out what discounts are available from vendors and then you can plan your BIG day. I have seen some very beautiful weddings that didn’t cost the couple more than they could afford.
So be realistic, prioritize your list by starting with your Number 1 item you must have, ask about discounts, and enjoy the journey.
