When you are about to start planning your wedding one of the first things that you need to do decide is “How much money do we want to spend?” and so you need to budget your wedding. This seems obvious but there are many costs involved in having a wedding and so it is important to know exactly what these are and ultimately you want to know “How much is it going to cost?”.
Some people are good with numbers and manage their day to day lives and finances effortlessly, others aren’t so good, and if you don’t stay on top of things from the start your wedding budget could easily get out of control and you will soon find that you don’t know how much things cost or how much you end up spending and this will cause stress and cost you money. Now I don’t know about you but that sounds like an unpleasant situation and certainly isn’t the fun side of getting married.
Would it not be better to know from the start how much you want to spend on your wedding and then set yourself a target of trying to stick to it? You might find that your initial estimates of what things cost were either optimistic or overly generous but once you have discovered what things do cost you can then make an informed decision to adjust your wedding budget accordingly.
Your wedding budget should be:
- Clear. Easy to understand so that you can reference it often. It should be simple and make you feel like you are in control.
- Comprehensive. Try to list as many expenses as possible. Every event is different so make sure you include everything.
- Contingent. Allow some extra cash for unforeseen events. For example if your chosen venue has no rain alternative for the reception than you will need to pay for a tent or marquee.
One of the first things you need to do is write a list of all the things that you need to pay for at your wedding. This may involve you talking to not only your partner but in some circumstances family may also be involved in decision making or financing.
Once you have established a ceiling for your total wedding expenditure you can then create a list of everything you need and want at your wedding and try and estimate what the associated costs are whilst keeping in mind your overall maximum budget. The list will cover the costs for the reception, ceremony, accommodation, planner if you have one, transport, flowers, photographer, video, entertainment, clothes, jewelry, shoes, hair and makeup, cake and other expenses.
Start to discover the costs of the items on your list and then compare these to your initial estimates. When you have sourced and priced all your options you can then compare and make informed decisions. Once you have a complete picture of your wedding budget you can then prioritise the things that are most important to you.
Personally I would spend more money on the wedding photographer. Of course, my opinion is totally unbiased!
Hopefully, by keeping a close eye on your money you will avoid spending it unwisely and this will lead you to feel in control and avoid wedding budget stress.
How do you manage your wedding finances? Feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be having some wedding budget jitters at the moment.
Italian and destination wedding photographer Jules Bower photographs weddings in Italy, Europe, and worldwide. British but fluent in Italian, his strong artistic vision and vast experience in the wedding industry make him unique. His wife is a top wedding planner in Tuscany.
