Planning your wedding starts with deciding on a realistic budget together. It could be the first time you disagree on priorities and have to work to find a compromise. The important thing is you both agree on how much you can spend on your wedding, so here’s just a few pointers to help you plan that all-important wedding budget.
The ‘budget chat’ won’t be the most romantic conversation you’re going to have when it comes to planning your big day, but overspending isn’t very romantic either. One of the first things you need to do when that rock is comfortably on your finger is decide who’s paying for what, how it is paid and hopefully how not to get into any debt.
Who Pays for What?
Traditionally, the father of the bride picked up the tab for the main event, with the groom chipping in for ceremony fees and a suitably fabulous, surprise honeymoon. Nowadays most couples choose to pay for the bulk of their wedding themselves, or even to split the costs three ways – between them and both sets of parents.
Set the Cost
Agree on a figure and then stick to it by focusing on having the most important aspects of your wedding and perhaps cutting corners on anything not so important to you.
Be Realistic
You may want a luxury formal weekend-long wedding in the Bahamas with 12 bridesmaids and everyone you’ve ever met but it’s going to cost more than a pub buffet so discuss what’s most important to you both and how you can achieve it. If you are set on a wedding abroad then inviting fewer guests and asking fewer bridesmaids and ushers will help keep costs down. You might be able to have a weekend long wedding celebration with the whole town at your local pub but not in another country. You’ll need to decide which aspect is more important to you as a couple.
Make it Simple
Being organised will help you know how much you have to spend, how much you have already spent and how much you have left. Pay deposits on bookings and keep a tally of how much you have left to pay. Our fabulous FREE online planning tools will help you keep track of everything so you won’t need to worry about going over budget.
You can find out more on how to save money on your wedding planning in our Wedding Budget and Costs articles.
