How do I find and stick to a wedding budget?
It all begins with a romantic idea but how do you make that idea a reality?
Finding and sticking to a budget really varies from couple to couple. We all have different things going on in our lives, have different must haves and responsibilities so how do you have the wedding you want?
First of all, you need to find out what you can afford without going into debt. Calculate your income and outgoings. Can you cut back on anything? Are any family members contributing to your wedding fund? Do you have any savings that you can dip into or are you saving that for a new house, future family or holiday of a lifetime? Create a spreadsheet so that you can see your finances and tweak it if necessary. But you must be honest and open with each other and listen to each others opinions.
Track your spending. Keep your spreadsheet up to date, everything you spend should be written down and tracked, even the cup of coffee you treated yourself to last week needs to be added! This way there will be no nasty surprises for your other half because all these little spends add up. Write down your estimated spend of each of your suppliers and venue and the actual spend.
Ways to keep costs down so that you stick to your budget:
1. Have an off peak wedding. Getting married on Saturdays can be so expensive but what is stopping you from getting married on a weekday?
2. Can you cut down the wedding guest list, do you really want to invite second cousin once removed Fred who you haven't seen in 10 years just because your Auntie Sue said you should?
3. DIY your invites, menus, order of the day's etc. Are you or someone you know artistic enough to do this?
4. Say no to any upgrades. Yes they sound amazing but do you really need it?
5. Can you make your own florals, cake etc? Couples have previously had a shop bought cake and decorated it themselves or made the entire cake themselves. A groom once made the whole thing himself and it was really good, the guests loved it.
6. Borrow jewellery instead of buying it. Your Auntie Sue might have a gorgeous pair of earrings that you have always liked. I am sure she would love you to wear them.
7. Hire the dress and suits instead of buying or go to a wholesaler to buy it. Keep an eye out for sales too, you can get yourself some bargains
8. Hire student MUA, hairstylists, photographers instead. They will charge a fraction of the price if you allow them to use pictures for their portfolios.
Breaking down your budget:
Venue 20%
Catering 20%
Photographer/Videographer 10%
Fashion 10%
Wedding planner/Coordinator 10%
Entertainment 7%
Florist 5%
Stationery 3%
Ceremony 3%
Cake 2%
Misc 2%
Emergency 2%
HMUA 1%
However, this is not set in stone. This is only a rough guide in finding and sticking to a budget. Alter the percentages to suit what is important to you both. The main thing is, you have the best day without going into debt.