Budgeting is the one thing you need to do soon after setting a date for your wedding. Start by talking frankly about finances with your fiancé and perhaps even both families. Some parents will be able to help out and others will not. The main thing is to know how much money you have to start with so that your plans do not get overly extravagant. You don’t want to spend so much on your wedding day that you and your spouse are in debt from the first day of your marriage because this will put a definite damper on your dreams of marital bliss. Be realistic and then, given your budget, plan the wedding of your dreams.
Remember that some people spend hundreds of dollars on their wedding and some spend many thousands. At the end of the day, both couples are just as married. Couples who are not in debt will be happier than those who were not so wise.
Decisions such as the wedding gown, flowers, reception menu, nuptial decorations, headpiece, limousine and hotel accommodations, and other incidentals will all largely be determined by the size of your budget. Usually, compromise is a must in order for expenses to come in under budget. Being mindful of your future happiness will make hard decisions a little easier. Personal taste and the type and style of wedding can greatly affect the price of your wedding. Generally speaking the more formal a wedding is and the more guests that are invited, the more expensive the wedding will be.
Take time to visit several bridal shops so that you might get a sense of their prices before you fall in love with one particular gown. It is a good idea to make an appointment at the shop of your choice. This will insure you get the attention you need from the shopkeeper. You can make the appointment when you make the initial visit to the shop. Be sure to include the price of alterations in the total price of the gown. In most cases the bride will need to be fitted in order to make her wedding dress look just right. Another money saving option is to rent a gown or tuxedo from a boutique like Fantasy Bridal.
Once you have established a budget for your gown, consider the money you will have available to finish the image of your perfect wedding day. If you are creative, ambitious, and have lots of helping hands, it is possible to create a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception for less than you think. This requires lots of time, planning, and work, but will be worth it. If you are more comfortable getting the benefit of expert advice, doing less, and paying more, then by all means use a professional wedding planner. They are well worth their cost if you can afford them. Another great alternative is to use a commercial wedding chapel service that often provides everything from boutonnieres to wedding decorations.
Whether you use a wedding chapel, a professional wedding planner, or decide to go it alone, it is a good idea to create a wedding planning book so that you can stay organized. A notebook with lined paper and dividers will serve the purpose. Label the dividers of your planning book by writing words like “Wedding Gown”,” Reception”, “Menu”, “Decorations”, “Wedding Cake”, “Caterers”, “Calendar”, “Accommodations”, “Reception Hall”, “Guest List”, and so forth. In your planning book, you can write down your ideas and even tape pictures of wedding gowns, flowers, and reception decorations as inspiration. Use them to convey your ideas to your professional wedding planner. Keep a section near the front of the wedding planning book with your final budget written on it, and refer to it often. List all checks that you write for deposits, and things ordered. Keep a running tally. On the pages within the other sections, write notes as you plan your wedding. Stay organized so that you can feel in control.
Once upon a time, the bulk of the expenses for a wedding were paid for by the family of the bride. However, that was yesteryear. Today there is far more flexibility in paying for a wedding. Sincere and frank communication between the bride and groom are essential in setting the budget and ironing out the problems of budgeting. Speaking with the bride’s and groom’s family about these matters to feel them out on possible help for paying for the big wedding day is a good idea. The bride and groom should speak alone to their respective families about financial arrangements. Once you know how much family financial support the two of you will have for your big day, decide how much each of you feel comfortable spending on wedding expenses. Do not try to stretch your or your companion’s desires to spend so that you will avoid arousing resentment. After these steps, do a little addition, and a little number crunching. Before long you will develop your wedding budget. Be sure to record it in your wedding planning book.
