If you’re engaged, or are planning to be in the near future, one of the first things post engagement you’ve probably done is google the average cost of a wedding. If you have, and you’ve laid down in a darkened room for a while, let’s tackle the reality of planning a wedding and sticking to a budget.
Money isn’t always the easiest thing to talk about – but when it comes to planning a wedding it’s so important to know what you are working with. The aim – to have the wedding of your dreams without starting your married life by going into debt. The good news – it’s possible!
We’ve put together some sage advise to help you realistically achieve your wedding goals.
1. Have the Money Conversation
Firstly, you both need to discuss what you can afford. Take into account your earnings, current financial responsibilities, savings and unplanned expenditure. You don’t want to stretch yourselves so thin that it’s going to have a negative impact on your planning, your wedding day, and further into the future. If you are able to set a realistic budget to begin with, you will find it easier to stick to during the course of your planning.
2. Have the Money Conversation with Family
While tradition still runs strong for some, nowadays it is not expected that family members are going to be contributing financially to your big day, so for everyone involved it’s best to know at the start of your planning who is going to be responsible for which expenses.
3. Look at your Timings
Planning and budgeting for your wedding can also depend on your timescale for getting married. If you already have a date set, your budget will need to accommodate your timescale. Alternatively, you may choose to set a saving goal for your wedding before setting a date. While this may mean that your engagement is longer than initially intended, it also means that you will be more able to afford the wedding you want.
4. Set a Budget
Once you have a rough estimate, factoring in all sources, you can start to think about creating a budget for different aspects of your wedding. Always remember to set some money aside for any unexpected costs – there may be some things that are missed when planning, or something may change last at the last minute. Setting aside a percentage of your budget to allow for this, will help keep things as stress free as possible!
Now you’ve set your budget – where is it being spent?
Guest List
Deciding on your guest list is going to be one of the biggest decisions you make, as the number of guests that are attending will directly impact your budget for your venue and catering. This will most likely be one of the highest costs you encounter, so it deserves a lot of thought. As a guide, expect to use roughly half of your budget on this element.
Decide on your Non-Negotiables
With half of your spending already assigned, you both need to decide on some non-negotiable priorities for the other 50%. It’s important to be realistic, and it’s more than likely that you will both need to compromise on certain aspects. Avoid overspending on multiple areas – if you choose to spend more on your dress than originally planned, you need to adjust the remaining budget in other areas to accommodate for this.
Cover All Areas
As mentioned before, there are so many parts to planning a wedding, that some things can be forgotten, or just not accounted for within your budget. Such as – Hen and stag parties, outfit alterations, on the day stationery, postage stamps, wedding party gifts, favours and additional hair and make up trials.
Where Can We Making Savings?
We are definitely savvy shoppers at Pure Invitation, and we want you to rest assured that there are ways to save, and without having to compromise on quality.
Venue
There are ways to try cut costs without having to cut your guest list. Weekday weddings can be less costly, as well as choosing an all inclusive venue for your ceremony and reception. You could also consider more informal arrangements for catering rather than a wedding breakfast. We would advise avoiding unnecessary upgrades, and negotiate with suppliers if you want to make any changes to your agreement.
Honeymoon Plans
Many couples choose to ask guests for contributions to their honeymoon, rather than gifts. This is a great way to cut down the costs for your honeymoon and also means you don’t end up with 4 toasters!
Ways to Pay
Where possible, use everything to your advantage! Credit card providers sometimes offer 0% purchase offers for promotional periods, it is always worth a call to your provider to see what they can offer you. PayPal also offers a Pay Later option with PayPal Pay in 3 for many purchases, which can help alleviate mounting costs too. Click here to find out more about Pay in 3.
Always exercise caution if you choose to use credit options, only use them if you know that you are able to pay back within the time period, and try to avoid unnecessary debt.
Decor
Wedding venue décor and table arrangements are often provided by the venue, but it may be cheaper to arrange these items yourselves. Many companies offer rentals for decorations, or you could choose to make them – candles and flowers make lovely centerpieces and can be given as gifts to guests at the end of the day, or take them home yourselves as a lasting reminder of your special day.
DIY
Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse of your wedding day that your guests receive. At Pure Invitation we offer both assembled and DIY stationery, meaning that you can achieve a quality professional finish, even if you make the invitations yourself! Our tutorial video guides give you step by step instructions to make your invitations – your guests will never know, unless you choose to tell them of course! Why not get your wedding party involved, make a night of it and create a memorable moment in your wedding journey – and save some pennies too!
Click here to start your dream invitation journey with Pure Invitation.
If you can stick to your budget, you can achieve the wedding you want, without putting too much financial strain on yourselves. The most important thing to remember is to enjoy your day, and try to enjoy planning it as much as possible too!