It's All a Matter of Money.

One of the hardest things about planning a wedding is the money.  Some of us get help from family and friends and others of us are on our own when it comes to paying for our weddings.  No matter the case, make sure that you are truly sure how much you want to spend.

Yes, it is a once in a lifetime event, but you don’t want to spend the rest of your life trying to pay it back.  When deciding your budget make sure that you will be able to afford the payments over the course of the planning.  Some of your vendors will have a payment plan which allows you to pay most of the total before the actual event.  This helps alleviate the pain on the day of the wedding.  

When working with your budget there are a few things you should keep in mind.  There will be many small incidental costs towards the end that can add up and put you over budget.  A couple hundred here and there may not seem like much at the time, but four or five of those and you can be in trouble.  

Don’t forget you will need to tip your vendors.  Those tips can be a percentage of the total spent with the company or a flat amount based on the service that is provided.  The tips  will depend on your overall budget, but no matter what, they will still have an impact.  

Tipping Chart Provided by Just Save the Date Wedding Planning

Pick the three things that are most important to you and make those your splurges.  For us the music, food and photography were the top three.  If we were going to need to make compromises they would not be in those categories.  Keep in mind the overall experience is going to be the most memorable part of the wedding, most people are not going to remember your linens or choice of chairs.

Great Events Catering - Photo by Maggie Stolzberg Photography

If you are crafty or have plenty of time you can also save money by making some things yourself.  Don’t forget if you have willing and able friends they could help your budget too.  My best friend has the most amazing handwriting, so when it came to the invites he was more than willing to help address the envelopes. He was the Man of Honor after all.  Those handmade details with their love and time will mean so much more.

Escort Card and Menu by Me - Photo by Maggie Stolzberg Photography

I feel the best thing is to set your budget below what you are actually willing to spend.  That way when things pop up you have a buffer.  Most of all remember you want to enjoy your wedding not spend the planning and day of trying to justify the money that you spent.  No one can have fun when they are stressing about funds.

Merry & Married Meg