Our tips for keeping your wedding budget in check
If we had to name one thing that can really cause stress it wouldn't be hard to guess that the Budget topic is first on the list. Why? Because it is often skipped over in the excitement of being engaged and the couple or the families of the couple choose a wedding venue off the bat without realizing how that impacts the rest of the budget moving forward.
Looking at sites like The Knot and Wedding Wire, you will see an estimation of 50% of your total budget going towards the cost of the venue. What varies greatly is what the venue actually provides. If your venue doubles as your ceremony and reception venue and includes amenities like tables and chairs, you probably in good shape.
Our advice is to A) Discuss the budget and be realistic on how much you are comfortable putting away or who will be contributing. B) Meet with a wedding planner who can put these numbers into perspective for you based on the area C) Create two spreadsheets based on your top two venues and break down how the budget would be allocated in both scenarios.
Wedding planning is fun we promise, but it does come with some reality checks and for good reason. We strongly believe in planning for the experience and not for the "stuff" or you will definitely go over budget and feel like you are being over taken by the whole process.
We use a planning dashboard to help our couples through their planning and budgeting so that we can track costs and keep all of those items in check. By tracking deposits, payments and final balance it keeps the financial aspect much more transparent.
What has been the most stressful aspect of planning for you? Just getting started? Contact us today for a complimentary consultation for wedding planning and how we can best help you.