In order to get off on the right foot with your wedding planning you have begin with your budget. Everything stems from your budget! I hope to shed a bit of light on this subject so you those of you who are planning your own wedding create a budget that is realistic!
- Make a Priority List
This is essentially a list of wedding elements that are most important to you and decide what percentage of your budget you will allot to those areas. So for example catering, entertainment and décor may be the segments you are willing spend 50% of your budget on and the other half of your budget goes towards everything else.
- Start getting quotes
It will be difficult to create an honest budget if you don’t know exactly how much certain services cost in the area you are getting married. Do some research and compare pricing you get from different vendors based on what you are looking for and what they have to offer. Seeing numbers in front of you gives you a very realistic idea as to how your budget will look.
- Have the budget “talk”
Once you have some numbers to look at, you and your fiancée should s
it down and discuss it. Things like your current expenses will need to be reviewed so you can come up with a realistic budget. Here you will also be able to chat about whether or not parents will be giving a monetary contribution for the wedding as well. Once you have a better idea as to what your financial circumstances are, planning the budget becomes easier.
This is one of the most important first steps that engaged couples must take before they get into planning anything. It is crucial that you are both on the same page so you can support one another and help each other stay on track so as not to be tempted to overspend. No one needs to be starting off marriage in debt, so it may take a few weeks but it’s well worth the effort!
Images provided by: arkansasbride.com; weddingjournalonline.com
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