Now I know when wedding planning it can be easy to be swept up in the excitement of it all, scrolling through all these epic pinterest boards & Instagram feeds but just remember the good old wedding budget is looming above you (unfortunately haha) I totally get it when you want absolutely everything glitzy glam for your special day but the bane of couples existence is the bloody budget. Have a think to yourself, What will fit into your budget? What are the most important parts to include in your special day? Do we really need 100+ people? Dealing with dollars can become extremely overwhelming so here is a little helping hand to try nut out how to keep costs down. BASICS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WEDDINGEngagement- Bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, engagement party, personal costs for engagement parties eg beauty appointments/ outfits. Stationery- Save the date, wedding invitations, stamps, postage, table cards, seating charts, menus. Clothing- Wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, alterations, shoes, suits, veil, lingerie, garter, groomsmen attire. Accessories- Hair, nails, jewellery, purse, accessories for both groomsmen and bridesmaids, makeup artist. Venue- Ceremony hire, reception hire, celebrant, food and drinks, vendor meals, vendors, MC, band, cake, styling items or stylist, guest book, wishing well favours. Day of- Accommodation, photographer, videographer, food, alcohol, transport. Florist- Bouquets, table decorations, buttonholes, flower confetti, bouquet to toss, flowers for cake, room decorations. Extra- Thank you gifts, transport afterwards. MONEY TALKOkay so it is super important to think realistically when it comes to your finances. Firstly talk about what you would like to spend ideally, throw a rough number out there that you are both comfortable with then go from there. Once you have established a ball park figure, sit down together and start figuring it all out starting with these first few steps. 1. Confirm ball park figure of what you wish to spend. 2. Is anyone else going to be contributing? 3. Do you have any money already saved for your wedding? 4. What are both of your incomes like minus life's expenses? What can you comfortably save into a wedding account each month? Once you talk through all of this you should have a better understanding of how everything will work out. GUEST LISTSo after you have discussed everything above, now is a good time to have a think about whether you will have a large guestlist or going for a smaller intimate vibe. Most wedding budgets are based around the number of people you wish to invite. Obviously the more people you invite the more expensive it is going to be. A per head cost is normally established to cover food & drink then you can factor things in like stationery/ wedding favours etc. If you are wanting to cut costs being strategic around your guest list is the first place to start. WHAT YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUTThere are often a few non negotiable items you simply can't live without on your big day. Prioritize these throughout the planning process. It is entirely up to you as a couple what the non negotiables are. It could be the to die for wedding dress, an epic photographer or a live band that will have your guests moving and grooving all night long! Figure the most important out first and spend your money in these areas. Then you can look to save in other areas that aren't so important. FINAL STEPSAlright so you have established your budget, thought about everything that is included in a wedding, your guest list and the non negotiable items you can't live without. Now have a little reality check, ask yourself am I staying on track? How is the budget? Check in on it regularly to make sure you aren't splurging on silly little things that you don't need to. Downloading a wedding checklist and financial spreadsheet is another great idea to help with the planning process. When you have made the decision to book in vendors, make sure you check in with all your vendors of when payments are due. It's all good if you can save X amount of money in X amount of time but what happens if it is mostly due in the first two months? Make sure to have an emergency account that can cover any last minute things you didn't think about like a stain in the suit or dress that needs to be quickly dry cleaned. It is always better to be over prepared than under prepared. Happy wedding planning people <3  |
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