Budgeting For The Wedding

 A wedding may be one of the most exciting affairs in a couple’s life, but it can also become utterly stressful when not properly organized. It can cause emotional strain and angst on a couple’s relationship when things do not turn out as expected; thus, planning and discussing even its most minute details is just as important.

Budgeting is the first step to your wedding planning. To start it, you will have to make a list on the essentials—things that can never be missing on a wedding—such as dresses, wedding rings, caterer, and photographer. Then you can continue by making another list for the extra things that you’d want, like invitations, flower arrangements, transportation, decorations, wedding venue, musicians, and so on.

Assessing Your Finances

When you have created a list of what you’d like to include in your wedding, you should soon start assessing your finances. Of course, anybody would want to have a memorable wedding, but it is also important to consider how much you can afford and how much you are willing to pay.  Determine first the exact amount you can shell out, as well as pledges from family members.

Once the figures are finalized, you can refer back to your list and see what to cross out and what to retain. When you have decided on a budget, you have to stick to it. You wouldn’t want to end up using the money being set aside for other important things. It takes resourcefulness and extra effort to be able to look for alternatives when some of your options go out of your range. You can start by shopping online, where you can find a lot of budget-friendly wedding items.

Proper Allocation of Budget

One of the secrets to a stress-free wedding planning is the proper allocation of budget. After assessing your finances, you can now start finalizing your wedding budget by allocating the money you have for the corresponding event or item. You do not need a wedding planner to do all these work for you. You and your partner can put your heads together to create the perfect budget plan.

Here is an example of the usual expenses in a wedding and how you can squeeze them all in your budget:

Wedding Ceremony                         – 6%

• Officiant’s Fee
• Venue Cost

Wedding Rings                                   – 5%

Invitations/Response cards              – 5%

Attire                                                  – 15%

• Bride’s Wedding Gown
• Groom’s Tuxedo
• Shoes and Accessories
• Bridesmaids’ Dresses
• Flower Girls’ Dresses
• Hair and Make-up

Flowers                                               – 8%

• Bride’s Bouquet
• Groom’s Boutonniere
• Corsages for Parents and Grandparents
• Flowers at the Site

 

Wedding Reception                          – 20%

Food Catering

Decorations                                        – 6%

• Centerpieces, Flowers and Balloons
• Theme Touches
• Table coverings

 

Photography/Video Recording        - 10%

Transportation (Limo or Rental)      – 4%

Wedding Cake                                   – 3%

Music DJ or Band                               – 5%

Honeymoon                                       – 8%

Miscellaneous Expenses                    – 5%

• Wedding Planner

Bear in mind that you don’t necessarily have to spend a fortune just to have a beautiful wedding. The most important thing you have to take note of when planning for your special day is “KIS”— Keep it simple.

Tagged as: budgeting, planning, wedding