They asked and you said, “YES!”
Yesssss, babe!! Now it’s time to start wedding planning!
If you haven’t yet snagged my wedding planning checklist, snag it now!
With wedding planning comes the overwhelming, and sometimes not so fun part, subject of money. Weddings can be EXPENSIVE so you need to plan accordingly. If you’re like me, you plan on cash flowing your entire wedding. Which means you need to have a budget!
How do you go about creating a wedding budget?
I’m gonna give you the down low. Right here. Right now.
1. First figure out what you and your partner can realistically spend on your wedding. Whether you have money saved or you need to save up, decide exactly how much you can afford to put down in cash before you wedding day arrives. What can you realistically save up in time for your day?
2. So you have your own budget decided, you might have mom or dad saying that can pitch in. Who is contributing and how much are they contributing? I know, I know. This is awkward and not a fun conversation to have, but it has to happen AND it needs to happen at the beginning so there is no confusions or questions. A good way to go about this is…
3. Now that you have your full wedding budget figured out, it’s time to set your non-negotiables! What are they top things on your wedding day that are a MUST. Things you aren’t willing to sacrifice or let go. For me, this would be my photographer, my dress, and my S/O’s outfit. These are my top priorities because I want us to feel AMAZING on our day and it is SO important to me to have tons of photos from our day! Sit down with your partner and make a list of the top must-haves from your day!
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH! I can not stress how important it is to do your research on your vendors. Whatever your top priorities are, make sure you do your research and ask questions! You can never ask too many questions. This is YOUR day and this is a huge investment. Take your time. Talk over your options. Do your research.
5. Estimate your guest count. Your guest count will 100% influence your total wedding costs. Smaller guest count = smaller wedding costs. Look at your total wedding costs as a per person expenditure. It will help put your total costs into perspective and help you decide how much and what you can really afford.
6. Crunch the numbers. After you have done your research and found possible vendors and know their costs, crunch the actual numbers. Do they really fit into your budget? What can you cut to bring it down? DON’T FORGET TO ADD TAX! Tax (and service fees) can add up fast so always allow an extra 30%.
Ready to start creating your wedding budget?
Download my free wedding budget spreadsheet!
Happy Planning!
Olivia
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