Wedding Planning
How to Stick to Your Wedding Budget
Aug
Complicated, time-consuming, and stressful – these words usually come to mind when the topic of wedding planning is discussed. With so many elements to consider, the stresses of coordinating everything for your special day and planning the perfect budget allocation, planning a wedding can easily be the first test to a couple’s soon to be married life.
As couples try their best to arrange their big day and mark off their wedding planning to-do list, most of the time they simply give in to the pressure and opt for items which may be out of their budget or are more expensive than their estimated cost budgeted for. Other times, cramming to finish all of the needed elements can lead couples to settle for the easiest option available without considering different price points or a more affordable vendor.
These mistakes can be easily avoided with a simple case of organisation and time management – getting to have a detailed plan of action, getting ample time in doing research and enquiries, and getting enough help from others to make the job easier.
Planning Your Wedding with a Realistic Wedding Budget
The most important key is setting up a realistic wedding budget, with both the soon-to-be bride and groom both comfortable with the total amount and with the listed wedding elements to actually include what is to be expected in the wedding. Whether you splurge on the bridal gown or you try to skip the dessert table to save a couple of hundred dollars, it is totally fine as long as you are both amenable to all decisions and all aspects of the wedding day are covered.
Now the tricky part starts, as the challenge remains to be sticking to the wedding budget. As the wedding planning stretches into months and months of deliberation and meetings, new expenses pop up out of nowhere in the form of wedding insurance, vendor meals, and “cakeage” fees. These might just be a couple of dollars at the beginning but it racks up to a hundred or even thousands of dollars of additional expenses just as the wedding day starts, and that is when the stress kicks in.
However, as early as now, get a headstart on how to cut costs during your wedding planning and learn the secrets of how to actually stick to your set wedding budget. Here are a couple of tips we here at Giftware Direct have rounded up, so read on!
1. Trim down the guest list.
To have an instant cut on the overall costs, the guest list is always a great way to start as these can greatly affect both the ceremony and reception instantaneously. Should you really invite a hundred people or would both sides be willing to trim down to having only 80 guests? Being able to cut just 10 to 20 people would mean a couple of thousand dollars already, especially with expensive buffet dinner rates. Do really want Plus Ones at your wedding? These Plus Ones are simply unfamiliar to you and your family and you might not want to pay extra for the meals and drinks of someone else’s Tinder match.
2. DIY whenever possible.
From wedding decorations to wedding stationery, you can definitely do-it-yourself your way into sticking to your set budget. Employ the help of the bridesmaids and make a fun girl’s wine night out of cutting place cards and folding paper cranes to save big time on the decorations. Even with homemade brownies and hand-cooked treats from a baker aunt or a kitchen whiz bridesmaid, whip up your own dessert table and get to save big time without giving up the sweets.
3. Be on a lookout for special offers.
Be on a lookout for special offers. Discounted prices and wholesale rates become your friend as saving even for a dollar apiece can add up to saving a hundred dollars when planning for a big wedding. Cheap wedding favours become even cheaper when bought at wholesale prices and when bought directly from the factory itself. No need to pay for overly hyped Instagram trends or wedding markups as buying straight from the producers at wholesale price is simply the best way to shop for personalised wedding favours and custom wedding decoration.
4. Feature the season’s best.
Opt for seasonal blooms which are cheaper than the fancier flowers your Pinterest boards might have. Have a talk with a local florist to get to know which flowers are high in supply and you might just be surprised at how stunning they’ll look once it all comes together. Same goes with menu choices and special dishes, choosing what’s in-season in terms of seafood, produce, and fruits will mean lower costs and happier pockets.
5. Let it go.
When things become too complicated, simply learn to let it go. Remember, it is you and your spouse-to-be who make the wedding day special – no need for the over-the-top fireworks exit at the end of the night, no need for the oyster bar during cocktail hour, and no need for hiring a dance troupe for the reception entertain. These are indeed great to have at any wedding but if it does not fit the wedding budget, it really isn’t necessary. With or without these fancy details and extra elements, you can still get married, your guests are surely going to enjoy, and you’ll definitely have an unforgettable day.
Want to know the most common budgeting mistakes most brides make? Stay tuned here on the blog for the next part of this Wedding Budget 101 series as we tackle the common wedding budgeting mistakes couples make and find out you can steer clear of them.
