Once the ring is on your finger and all the excitement has died down, it’s time to start planning. But where do you start? If you’re like most couples you have no idea where to begin navigating the endless options for your wedding. One of the first questions I ask my clients is “What is your budget” 95% of the time I get “I have no idea” “Can’t we see what everything cost and then figure it out from there?” Truth is that the majority of couples have no idea what a wedding will cost and if they do they are way below the mark. We all know the good and bad of Pinterest. Although it has been great for inspiration, most couples come to me with a Pinterest board and an unrealistic budget to go with it. So how does one go about budgeting for their wedding?
The most expensive part of your wedding will be food and beverage. A good rule of thumb is to take your food and beverage cost and multiply it by 2 and you will have your wedding budget. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good start. Start by figuring out how many guests you want to invite. Keep in mind the more guests, the more money, so if you don’t want to go overboard. Invite only those who are really close and make it a more intimate wedding if you are trying to cut cost.
Decide what is most important to you, is it decor, photographer, video, your dress, etc? Splurge on that particular item and be conservative on the rest. There are certain items you can skip and no one will miss it, like wedding favors.
When it comes to your wedding budget, stay within what is comfortable for you both as a couple, discuss it at the beginning so there are no surprises later. Talk to your families to see if there will be any help from either side. Once you have your idea of a budget in place, then you can start planning all the fun stuff and you’ll be less stressed in the end.
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