Your wedding day is probably the biggest and most expensive party that you’ll ever host. Because of that, it is so important to sit down and start creating a wedding budget before you start planning!
There are so many different aspects that go into a wedding, most of which many people don’t even realize. Today, we’re going to go through our tips for creating a flawless wedding budget!
Creating a Wedding Budget: Tips & Tricks
Here are some of our top tips for creating a wedding budget!
1. Find out who’s contributing
Even though it can be uncomfortable, the first thing that you need to do is figure out who is willing to contribute to your wedding.
There may be some people that you already know want to contribute, which is great! However, you’ll still want to talk to them to make sure that they are still wanting to and to see exactly what they’re willing to contribute.
If there are any family members that you think might want to contribute, but they haven’t said so yet, you have to ask them. Be prepared for them to say no, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask!
Once you’ve figured out who is willing to contribute, it’s time to figure out what they are willing to contribute. Some people may have a set number in their head that they’re willing to put toward your wedding. Others may want to completely cover a certain aspect for you, like your dress, the bridal shower, etc.
2. Crunch some numbers
Now that you’ve found out what other people are going to be contributing, it’s time to run your own numbers! You need to figure out how much you and your fiancé are comfortably able to put toward your wedding.
Here are some things to think about when figuring out what you’re able to contribute:
- How much money are you willing to take out of your existing savings accounts to put toward the wedding?
- How much money are you able to save between now and the wedding?
- What percentage of your monthly income can go toward the wedding?
These are all super important to consider when trying to figure out how much money you want to spend toward your wedding!
3. Decide what’s most important
Now that you’ve figured out how much money you’re able to spend, it’s time to figure out what your “non-negotiables” are!
There are probably some things that you know you want at your wedding. Make a list of these things that you aren’t willing to compromise on, so that you can allocate a little bit more of your budget towards them!
Make sure you and your partner are on the same page, too. It is both of your wedding day, and you should both be able to have the things that you want — with potentially some compromise from both of you, of course!
Some things that you might want to think about when it comes to your non-negotiables could be:
- An amazing photographer
- A full planner & designer
- A specific venue or type of venue
- Videography
- A plated meal
- An open bar
4. Determine guest count
Your guest count will determine a lot more than you think when it comes to your budget! Your guest count will be a factor in your venue size. It will also determine how much food and alcohol you need to buy. Both of these things are, of course, the biggest wedding expenses!
If you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding, your guest list could be the first place that you look. Just cutting off 10-20 people from your guest list could save you a couple thousand dollars!
5. Research & reach out
Once you have a good idea of what you’re able to spend on your wedding and what things are most important to you, it’s time to do your research. Go online and try to find as much pricing information as you can for wedding vendors in your area!
Once you have a general idea of what you might be spending, you can map out some estimated costs, or at least percentages of how much of your budget will go to each vendor.
From there, you can start reaching out to some of your favorite potential vendors. They will give you accurate price quotes based on your needs and wants!
6. Search for discounts & deals
If you are looking to save money, be on the lookout for discounts and deals!
There are a lot of different places that you can save money on your wedding. Our biggest recommendation is to hire a wedding planner. While it may seem like another expense, wedding planners know the industry inside and out and will be able to find you the best deals while still giving you the wedding of your dreams. We also have relationships with various vendors that can get you a discount!
Here are some other little tips and tricks to save money on your wedding:
- Search for bridal shop trunk shows and sample sales
- Have a weekday wedding
- Use candles to cut down on floral costs
For a full list of ways to save money on your wedding, check out our blog post here!
7. Avoid debt
Our last, but potentially most important, tip is to avoid debt if at all possible. You do not want to go into your marriage with wedding-related debt. There are so many ways to have a beautiful wedding day on a budget, that it just isn’t worth it!
Are you feeling overwhelmed after reading all of this? Feel like you need more help creating your budget? Please reach out to us here — we would love to do a free consultation with you to chat about your vision!