10 Crazy Steps to Creating a Wedding Budget. It's time to plan the biggest day of your life, a wedding. Here we explain how to save and spend!
So you are newly engaged. Congratulations! Once you’ve announced your relationship status and have your fair share of celebrations, it’s time to start planning for your big day with a wedding budget break! This means combining the wedding budget spreadsheet with percentages and categories.
Planning a wedding is sweet and exciting … until you start creating a budget.
How much you spend on your wedding is entirely up to you and your partner. But to make sure you don’t go overboard, you must set a budget and stick to it.
The good news is that creating a wedding budget is easier than you think.
Here are 10 crazy-easy ways to get rid of the budget that makes your dream wedding a reality without breaking your bank.
1. Book Your Priority Vendors First
You want to reserve your venue especially if you are getting married in a big city. Booking in advance not only guarantees you a spot but also saves you money. Most hotels and reception venues allow you to book sophisticated for one or two years.
2. Talk With Your Planner
You may feel like you are preparing for the final details of your wedding, but there are always some unknown tips that can help with wedding planning. Talk to your planner to read about future costs or read advice from Pros.
Check out Facebook for amazing wedding deals
Did you know that you can get some amazing deals on wedding matters elsewhere like Facebook, OfferUp and other marketplace apps? There are many buying/selling groups on Facebook where brides sell their decorations, dresses, signs, etc. and try to make some money from their own wedding.
Instead of paying the full price for anything at a bridal store you can usually find great deals here. You need to be patient and keep checking to see what is available, but it can be very rewarding once you find your perfect shape.
3. Make Sure Consider Your Priorities
You cannot have everything you want for your wedding without sacrificing your wallet. But, you can balance it by knowing your preferences.
Make sure you and your partner are on the same (financial) page. Talk about your savings goals, spending habits and how you can achieve a healthy compromise.
4. Break down the Budget by CategoryThere are no definite rules in allocating funds for a wedding. It will help if you know what parts of your budget usually take a heavy toll. These are:
Say, you set aside 75% of your budget as a reception venue. Great. But how far does this number go? To answer this, you need to classify your expenses.
Wedding Rings – How much to spend on a wedding ring depends on your wedding budget. Discuss with your fiance what kind of ring the two of you are comfortable with luxury wedding diamond rings or just 2 wedding icons.
Cake – What is a cake-free wedding? Again, 2% of your budget goes to this.
Ceremony – This includes the rental fee for the ceremony site if you have a different reception, official fee, wedding license, and ceremony accessories. The budget is about 2%.
Drinks – Experts recommend allocating 8% for drinks, including frequent bartender service, cocktail hour drinks.
Flowers & Decoration – This includes bridal and bridesmaids, bouquets, corsages, flowers and accessories, reception centerpieces, specialty rentals, etc. Allocate 8% for this.
Wedding Invitations – These include wedding ceremonies, menu cards, custom labels, saving dates, and thank you cards. These costs can eat up to 2% of your budget.
Food – At least 18% of your wedding budget goes to food, waitstaff service, catering rental, setup and cleanup fees, rehearsal dinner, and food stations.
Photography & Videography – This covers the engagement session, wedding day coverage, and feature films. It can eat up to 10% of your budget.
5. Think About What you Want
Your budget will make your dream wedding come true, but do you know how it can be? Think about the ceremony and reception that will make your wedding perfect. You can paint an expensive gown and faux flower decor or professional catering company and plastic reception tables.
6. Order Season Based FlowersIf flowers are not your priority, find a friend who can help, the order is in season, and look for affordable flower options, and bulk and pre-made flower arrangements.
Each flower has a season, and if you choose flowers that are already in season, you can save money by not shipping them and paying pretty money for other flowers that do not grow locally during your wedding.
The different versions of the flowers are also very similar. Go for the cheapest selection of flowers to get the same look you are looking for.
Think of design as an investment
When buying wedding decorations, think about whether you want it to be a permanent fixture in your home or whether to end up laying in a garden shed or put them on eBay. If this is where you go to fundraise, this is a good idea, if it’s just confusing, then think about hiring or borrowing, it will lead me.
Ask your florist for Decoration
Ask your florist what decor they hid for you to rent or borrow, they always have decorative items ranging from lanterns and vases to bottles and bowls, you never know what secret treasure will unify your look.
7. Get your wedding done on a day other than Saturday
Weddings that take place on Friday or Sunday or any other day of the week are very cheap. Many different venues give you huge discounts if your wedding takes place on a day other than Saturday. Saturdays are the most popular days to get married, and they can still book a wedding on Saturday and that week can be yours too.
Check out discounts for “off-day” with your favorite venues
A week day wedding or Sunday wedding can also save you money with your sellers for the same reason. If you celebrate your wedding on different days, many vendors will give you a discount because you do not take their favorite Saturday wedding slots.
8. Opt for Buffet Style
Serving your food is a more elegant way, but having a buffet line will save you money! And, we think it’s even better so your guests can pick and choose what they want.
If you make a buffet line where your guests fill their own plates, you will often reduce the cost of having servers for each table.
9. Plan Simple Invitations Based on Your Budget
Invitations these days can come with a lot of extra items. Although they are really beautiful and fun, they can really increase your cost when it comes time to transport them. If you are inviting a lot of people and you need to add an extra stamp due to the weight of your invitations, it can start adding quickly.
10. Have a Smaller Bridal PartyThere are a lot of hidden costs that you don’t think of and if there are more people in your marriage, everything will cost more. Obviously, if this is your priority, keep those parties heavy… If not, reduce it to those who are perfectly close to you.
You’re going to spend tons of time comparing flower types and shades of colors, so spend the same amount of time thinking about your finances as well. Plan for expenses such as your venue and caterer and all the small fees that your wedding will take together. A budget that allows for unexpected unexpected expenses along with a guest list will help cover all the bases so you will be ready when your wedding day arrives.
