Wedding Planning - Managing your wedding budget
Natasha Grant • 10 February 2020
Wedding Planning: Five tips for managing your wedding budget
Through my experience undertaking wedding planning in London and the South East of England, I have identified key areas that will help. This article provides you with tips on managing your wedding budget and how to make some key decisions.
1. Agree on a budget
First things first, decide on what your wedding budget is. Not having a budget will likely mean that you spend more. If you don’t know what your budget is, how can you allocate money or stay within budget! The money you set aside really depends on the type of wedding you want; how much you can realistically afford and whether anyone else will be contributing financially to your wedding fund.
It can be an uncomfortable discussion to have, you may decide you need to wait longer to save more money, or that it would be better to hold a smaller wedding. Get the discussion out of the way now so you have a realistic picture about what you can spend. Keep reviewing your budget as you go through your wedding planning.
2. Prioritise what’s important
Decide what key things you want to spend more money on. For example, this could be a stunning London wedding venue, brilliant photographer and your honeymoon or venue, flowers and great food or entertainment. Whatever it is assign more of your budget to these items and then less money to the others.
My advice is to always make sure you set aside money for a photographer as you will want beautiful pictures to look back on this special day. Also, don’t forget about the little extras that you may want. Last-minute add on towards the end of the wedding planning can cost more and push you over budget, so factor them in from now.
3. Your venue
Your wedding venue will play a leading role in your budget. It will likely be one of the top wedding costs. Keep in mind that venues in popular areas such as London will generally charge more than smaller venues outside of main cities.
Venues also have different packages and policies that you'll need to consider. For example, some venues might require you to use their suppliers, some of which might not fit in with your budget. A lot of venues also have minimum catering requirements that may go beyond your guest list. It's important to look at all these details before you make a final decision on where you want to get married. Where possible visit the venue to really get a feel of the place. You may also find my post on things to consider when selecting a wedding venue useful to read.
4. Guests
This is one area that can very easily get out of control. Your guests are going to take up a large portion of your budget, so it pays to be sensible about who you're inviting. Most venues will charge you for everything from drinks and food to the chair your guest will be sitting on. So, think twice about inviting your long-lost cousin. Wedding guests’ lists can bring a lot of dramas so do read my tips on how to tackle your wedding guest list.
5. Time of the year
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Wedding seasons make a big difference in costs. Planning to get married on a Saturday in the summer. Chances are you're going to end up paying a lot more for your wedding. The most popular and expensive months to get married are between June and September and the most popular day to get married is still Saturday. Look at your budget and how it fits in with the venue and location you have in mind and whether you can move your wedding to another season or day of the week to save on costs. Some suppliers might also be able to offer you discounts for off-peak days and seasons.
If you want to stick to your wedding budget and not be in debt by the time you come back from your honeymoon, carefully plan your finances at the beginning of your wedding planning, will benefit you in the long run.
If you want help with your wedding planning, getting me on board I can help with all of this whether that’s choosing a venue, helping you find better prices and suppliers or keeping you on budget. Contact me at natasha@pearlineevents.com I would love to hear from you.
Natasha x
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