Staying On Budget

Savvy Spending for Your Perfect Wedding Day

- Sonja Stephen willn

You’ve found the perfect man, you’re engaged, you’re high on life, and now it’s time to discuss the reality of just how much your dream day is going to cost. The wedding budget is without a doubt the least exciting aspect of wedding planning, but it’s one of the best gifts you can give each other as a couple. Every wedding is different and there is no one size fits all, but whatever your personal budget, remember there’s no need to break the bank to have a truly amazing and memorable day. An extravagant wedding is wonderful, but starting married life with a lovely-looking bank account is just that little bit more wonderful. Read on to find out how to set a wedding budget you can stick to, tips on what to look out for when it comes to costs and advice from real brides.

SET AN OVERALL BUDGET

Yes, the "what’s our budget?" conversation with your groom-to-be will likely be as dull as it sounds, but it’s essential you both sit down and work out an overall budget before you start any wedding planning. Putting in that time and effort to get your budget sorted early will be so worth it. Often families want to contribute to your big day, so find out if that’s the case, and if so how much. Then tally up a total spend and set a figure you both don’t want to go above. Once you have that magic number you can set your expectations accordingly and decide which elements of your big day to prioritise. You don’t want to fall in love with a beautiful venue, dream dress or stunning cake and then be left disappointed, so first things first. Once you’ve agreed on your budget, you both need to stick to it – however tempting it is to blow it. If you let suppliers know what your budget is up front, they’ll give you suitable options, which is much better, and saves everyone’s time being wasted for no reason.