The How, What and Who of a Wedding Budget Plan
After you and your fiance have announced your engagement and start showing your friends your beautiful ring, the questions will follow thick and fast. Friends and family will start asking you when you plan to get married, where it will be held, who are the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and whether you’ve chosen a dress. So, at some stage, you will have to start planning for the big day, which is based around a budget. You and your fiance will decide how much you wish to spend, how much you can afford and where the money is coming from. Will your families help?
Have a ‘Wedding Meeting’
If your fiance is a bit gung-ho about discussing the wedding plans, set up a meeting with an agenda that contains everything you’ll need to organise for the big day, especially if the engagement is to be a short one. Unless, of course, you plan to elope or do it registry style! But even then, you need to find a celebrant, book a time, and find some accommodation. The agenda should be along the lines of what you want to spend, what you will need, and what you both want from the day. You might want plenty of pavlovas, a huge cake, a stunning dress, and a live band. Your partner might want something entirely different.
Don’t Get Into Debt
Your wedding day is all about you and your partner, so it’s important that when planning your budget you take into account what you want, as well as what your family and friends want you to have. Then do your sums and make a decision from that viewpoint. Life after the ceremony has to be considered as well. Do you want to spend all your savings on the wedding and leave nothing for a deposit on a home? And it’s not a good idea to get into debt for a lavish wedding, so resist the temptation to put it all on the credit card or borrow too heavily. Beginning your married life in debt does not augur well for future happiness.
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Parties
Apart from the engagement party, do you really need anything more than a hen’s party and a buck’s night? Don’t get sucked into pre and post-wedding brunches, bachelor and bachelorette dos and so on. If you can’t afford them, just don’t do it.
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The Venue
Save lots of money on the cost of a venue by having it at home, at a friend’s place on the Harbour, a restaurant or pub, or on the beach. You can probably invite more people to a less expensive venue. If the venue isn’t quite up to scratch, you could hire a wedding banner as a beautiful backdrop to the ceremony. Most venues have a time limit in the contract, so be careful not to let your reception run over time, or there will be extra costs.
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Skip the Full Bar
Don’t provide a full bar with all varieties of spirits, beer and wine. Choose the alcohol wisely with perhaps one white wine and one red, a couple of beers and maybe a cocktail or champagne for toast.
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Photography
Your photographs are important, but try to keep it simple. Covering an outlandish wedding is more expensive, so the more you’ll have to fork out for photography/videography services. But don’t rely on iPhones and friends’ pics to capture your wedding day. You might get disappointed down the line.
Contact me for the most affordable wedding photographers.
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Programs and menu cards
If you need to show people where to go, post up one big sign that all guests can follow. Menu cards are only useful only if you’re serving a home-style meal with different choices of dishes.
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Is a Limo Necessary?
If you have friends with vintage cars, ask them if you can hire them for the wedding. A limousine ride feels the same as any car after about 20 seconds.
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An Affordable Marriage Celebrant
Choose the right marriage celebrant who can assist you in choosing low-cost suppliers as well as recommending affordable wedding locations. A celebrant who can also offer a variety of budget wedding packages. A celebrant who has a reliable PA system, where you can play your chosen music and so save on a band.
Even the smallest saving here or there will add up and could make a big difference to the cost of your wedding. Wishing you good luck in your planning and for the big day – but remember, what you are doing is embarking on wedded life.