How to Get the Most Out of Your Wedding Budget

Even though you don’t realize it on time, the wedding budget is one of the most important things about your big day. So many questions popping out and you don’t know how to handle them all – don’t worry, we have the solution on how to get the most out of your wedding budget.

And while there is no fits-to-all-budget, you can always get the best out of your own. The most important thing is to set and stick to your budget. Sounds hard? It can be, but with all the tips we have prepared, you won’t have bigger problems.

Set Overall Budget

You should start planning your  wedding budget 12 months before the wedding day and prepare for wedding invitations. Only that way you will have time for improvisation and some unpredicted costs.

You need to decide who is paying for the wedding. The traditional rule says that the bride’s parents pay all the costs. However, that rule doesn’t apply anymore. Nowadays, even the bride and groom themselves are paying or chipping in with their parents to pay wedding costs. Decide how much money everybody is ready to give so you can have some kind of overall.

Start with the budget and not the venue. Base your wedding venue according to your budget. Try to avoid falling into expensive places, dresses, and food before you set your overall budget. Remember one thing – don’t break the bank. It is better to have a lavish wedding than to enter into married life broked.

Categorize Budget by Percentage

Many wedding planners and soon-to-be-weds find it easy to categorize their budget by percentage. It is definitely easier to control it that way. And while there are no hard rules on how much you should spend on each category, you can see how the wedding planners suggest to do it:

Food and Catering: 25%

Cake: 5%

Decoration (including flowers and lighting): 15%

Venue: 10%

Event Planning: 9%

You can surely change these percentages, but the point is to know that you should spend more on the venue than on the cake, for instance.

Don’t Forget Hidden Costs

Most people usually forget about hidden costs but trust us, they are always there. Some of these things brides don’t consider ahead of time: beauty treatments, vendor meals, and overtime costs.

Tips are one more thing you should consider when setting your budget. Be prepared for musicians and hair stylists – they all deserve tips.

Negotiate aka How to Buy Cheap Flower Girl Dresses

Don’t hesitate to negotiate with wedding vendors to get cheap flower girl dresses. Let’s say you like white flower girl dresses some brand offers, but they are way above your budget. Be honest, and tell her the truth. You will be amazed at how people are ready to cooperate with you for a better price. All you need is a good attitude and flexibility.

Track Your Expenses

Google docs and sheets allow you to share your budget list with your fiance and wedding planners. Start with breaking your budget into categories. You should be consistent and write every cost down so you can know when you cross your overall budget.