How do you make (and stick to!) your wedding budget? This is probably the number one question brides ask when we first begin planning. This week we will discuss tips and tricks to a realistic and attainable wedding budget.
The first thing you will want to do is speak to all parties to see who (and how much) everyone will be contributing. Make sure to know if any contributing party has strong opinions about any vendors hired. This way you will know how much you have to work with and can then begin to hire vendors according to your budgeted sections.
Use theknot.com online budgeting tool (if you don't have a planner) to allocate how much to spend in each category. A budgeting tool like the one on The Knot is amazing because it shows you how much you should be spending and keeps you within your budget range.
Be sure to spend less than 50% of your total budget on the reception space (rental, food, and beverage). This is very important to keep in mind. Most people think that rental, food, and beverage are the most important aspect of their wedding and while it is very important (don't get me wrong here) you will definitely want to spend money on other things that will complement your wedding. You don't want to spend all your money on these three categories and then not be able to afford an amazing florist if you like flowers or beautiful stationary to bring your space to life.
Once you've decided on something, stop looking! There will always be something more amazing if you keep looking so enjoy what you've chosen and move on to the next item.
If you overspend in a category, be sure to look at other categories to see where you can scale back. There is always a category where you can scale back if you do overspend. There is likely something that you don't feel the need to put as much emphasis in and therefore can put less money into it or simply eliminate it from your list.
Budgeting is all about using your money wisely and having a plan. Before you begin hiring vendors make sure you know how much you want to spend on each vendor and what feels most important to you. You may have a heard that a wedding planner can actually save you money in the long run and that is because we have created professional relationships with our preferred vendors and they will likely offer a discount to our clients. I would definitely recommend hiring a wedding planner (and I'm not being biased I promise) because he or she will keep you inside your budget, but will also get you pretty sweet deals.
Are you ready to begin planning your wedding? Click HERE for a complimentary consultation!
Comments