The amount of time you have before your actual wedding date are also factors in the wedding budget. Make sure that when you are deciding on an amount, that you plan for reserves or "emergency funds" in the case that something should occur during the last minute where you will need to rely on these extra finances.
If you are a DIY Bride/groom (as I was) and you are putting your wedding together little by little, by pulling a few dollars here and there from your savings or paycheck... then make sure that you have an estimate of how much money you plan to spend at any given time/moment and how much money you plan to spend all together. This will assist and be a guide for your spending so that you do not "over spend" and buy things that are not needed, just because they catch your eye or you can afford it with this paycheck. IF YOU DON'T NEED IT - DON'T BUY IT! Be sure that you keep your receipts each time you spend so that you can calculate the amount you spent during this purchase and you can factor in what other spending you will need before your wedding day.
The budget is important, not only because it keeps your spending to a limit (so that you can ensure that you start your new married life off on the right foot), but it also allows you to plan your finances accordingly so that you don't come up short. Making a budget is pretty quick to complete and easy to do. Simply sit down with your fiance and discuss the items and options you want at your wedding (including any rehearsal, ceremony & reception costs). Here are a few items that you can include:
- Venue (including ceremony & reception)
- Catering
- Decorations (including bridal bouquets, pew decor, etc.)
- Bridal attire (groomsmen & bridal party)
- Grooms tuxedo or other form of attire
- Bride's gown
- Bridal party gifts
- Photography
- Videography
- Wedding Cake
- Invitations, Programs, Guest book, etc.
There are many many more other items involved in a wedding, but those are a start to the basics. After listing each item, you need to decide how much money you would like to spend on each category. Once you decide on that, then you need to look at how much money you truly can devote to the wedding planning and how much of it will go to each category. Don't forget to factor in the "emergency fund". Make sure to stick to the amounts that you planned for. If you have a little wiggle room to spend more money on the flowers, since you saved money on the rest of the decorations, that should be okay so long as you are not taking away finances from another item/option or putting your budget in the negative. Stick to your list and you will not only have an awesome wedding, but you will also start your new life off wonderfully and "not in debt." ;-)
I hope that helped you out a little with your budget planning. Please feel free to contact me if you need more insight or advice, I'll be happy to help.
Have an awesome week. ;-) - Honey
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