Budgeting for your big day is a very important and highly necessary for so many reasons. Take budget into consideration when discussing every detail possible of your wedding day, and have these discussions with the person who is ultimately paying for your big day.
Make it a point to sit down figure out what theme you want your wedding to be, and then begin to Pinterest photos of your dream wedding. After gathering a couple of those pictures, I want you to then sit down and think of what the cost would be for every single detail. When I was planning my wedding I decided on the boho theme, figured out the pricing for each individual table based on decor and went from there. I know this might seem like a lot of work, but it avoids a lot of stress in the long run, and helps you to dodge budget surprises later on. Decor is obviously an incredibly important aspect to a lot of brides on their wedding day, but it can be an area where saving money is necessary and easy to do. After you do this price check with your Pinterest saves, I want you to sit down and think to yourself, what decorations could you get for inexpensive? The dollar tree is an amazing place to buy wedding decor when it comes to buying in bulk. They have chargers, vases, gold accents, small candles, and a crafty section that can be used for the DIY bride as well. Remember that something can always look high end, without a high end price tag.
Another thing I would suggest doing Is making a list of everything you will need to purchase for your big day, decide on an ending budget, and then see how everything fits into that ending budget. If your wants are over your budget, it‘s time to decide on what’s most important to you. For most brides the important highlights of the big day are dress, decor, florals, and venue. These are typically things that most people aren’t willing to settle for. Catering, cake, tuxes, and others are necessary budget splurges for the most part, but can always be altered to fit you budget if necessary. For instance, my husband and I knew that we wanted cake to be served at our wedding, but did not want to spend $1,000.00 to feed 160 guests, so we decided to go with Nuthin Bundt Cake as our wedding cake vendor and spent around $200.00 instead (and it was stinking delicious). For tuxes, you can typically ask that each groomsmen pay for their own tux saving you TONS of money, this normally goes for the bridesmaids dresses as well. As far as catering goes, be careful with this one because the cheapest caterer may seem like a good option, that is until your served raw chicken, or soggy bread. Most of the time caterers will work with you on a specific budget and meal plan, but my advice is to have a tasting or two with them before booking.
Always remember that your wedding day is a day to splurge And do everything you’ve ever dreamed of, but it also shouldn’t be a super stressful experience on you. Book vendors and venues within your means, and always remember that no matter the budget you are marrying the love of your life.
Good luck to all the newly engaged couples out there! Happy budgeting!
