Who Needs a Wedding Budget? You Do!        

Courtesy of The Marry Me Lounge Event Staff

Okay, the excitement of the annoucement has passed and the date has been set. Now what? It is time to sit down and define a wedding budget. A wedding budget can help you both determine the approximate amount of money that will be spent on every aspect of the wedding. Plus, if a you as a couple can work on a wedding budget together and succeed, you have survived one of the biggest hurdles in the Wedding Planning process!

What You Need To Know:
We know there is so much involved in planning a wedding and many couples become stressed when they begin to plan. Everything must be perfect and if the wedding plans and budget aren’t just right, things can go haywire. To avoid the sense of being overwhelmed, sit down and preplan every aspect of the wedding in advance and attach a estimate of what you think that particular item will cost. We suggest a visit with an experienced Wedding Consultant. They have plenty of insight as to what costs are required and what are optional. Time and time again, a Bride and Groom make the mistake of trying to cut a few dollars off the proposed budget by deleting the Wedding Planner/Consultant. Big mistake and in the long run, could cost you instead of saving your dollars. Make sure to add into your budget estimate, funds to hire your Wedding Consultant/Planner. At the Marry Me Lounge, we feel we have the best Wedding Consultants/Planners in the area! Call our Bridal Concierge and book your complimentry consultation as soon as your date has been set.

Once you establish a wedding budget, you will have a great tool to begin the planning process. The budget ensures that no essential wedding items or details will be overlooked. As the wedding day approaches (and it does quicker than you may first imagine), it is so easy to forget certain wedding essentials. Yet, when a budget is created, planned, and organized, you can rest assured in knowing that you truly have everything covered and under control.

The How To’s:

So how does a couple set about establishing a wedding budget?  Moreover, what do wedding budgets define? First, a couple must decide to sit down and discuss wedding plans openly. Each partner must be willing to accept the other partner’s feelings and concerns in regard to the wedding. If the couple cannot openly communicate with one another about wedding expenditures, it may be an indication of future difficulties when it comes to financial management.

Next, a couple is going to need to define exactly how much they are going to spend and they will also have to decide who is going to be expected to pay for what. Some couples  have parents that are willing to pay some or all of the wedding costs. Other couples are on their own and will share the expenses of the wedding themselves. 

It is important that you as a couple agree on the total amount you are going to spend on the wedding. If a budget of  $25,000 dollars is all that you both can afford, than that is what should be spent, no more. The entire idea of creating a budget involves setting a limit and trying to stick to that limit!

 Once the official limit is set its time to break out the calculator. Part of planning the budget involves breaking down all needs into categories and then trying to determine how much money will be spent for each category. You will have to do a lot of guessing to figure out how much you are going to spend, (another reason to hire a Wedding Consultant) basically arriving at a rough estimation of cost. Once the estimated budget is completed, you can then go ahead and begin to shop—finding out how much the items you need or want will actually cost. As the budget takes shape, you will then be able to identify areas where you can cut corners and save money.

The Wedding Budget is one of the most important tools you will need to help ensure your Wedding is the “perfect day” you always dreamed it would be. Here is a link to one of our favorite Wedding budget worksheets to help get you started:   http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/budget_worksheet.pdf

Need help with your Wedding Budget? Have a question? No problem, the Marry Me Lounge can help. Call our Bridal Concierge Paris at 951 694-0327. Everything you need to plan your Wedding or Event in one Elegant Boutique.