If you are getting married soon, you may find you’re in need of a wedding budget breakdown. Budgeting is crucial as you start planning this event since you probably do not have unlimited funds. You also want to make your wedding as enjoyable and memorable as possible with the money that you have available.
When creating your wedding budget, you might want some efficiency tips and ways to save. We will cover both areas in detail in the following article.
Hidden Places to Save During Wedding Budgeting
You will likely start planning your wedding by setting up a comprehensive spreadsheet with your fiance. There, you will list everything you need for your wedding. You can find free spreadsheet software online, so this will cost you nothing.
If you are looking for places to save, consider items you can get at a discount. For instance, you do not necessarily need to buy your wedding dress brand-new and custom-ordered. Instead, you might shop at sample wedding dress sales.
You can buy a pre-owned wedding dress, or you may be able to find one cheaper at a wedding expo. The vendors there are always ready to make a deal, so bring cash to secure a quick sale if you see something you like.
You might also consider having a cash bar at your wedding. Some of your guests might not be overjoyed when they hear about that, but you can save a lot of money that way, since alcohol is so expensive. You can also consider giving each guest a couple of drink tickets, and they must pay for any additional adult beverages on their own.
You can save when you are setting up the catering as well. Remember to consider the month you’re getting married as this can help you save up as well.. Something like salmon or steak for the guests comes at a higher price point, but an entree like chicken will not cost as much.
Additional Savings During Wedding Budgeting
You can often devise other ways to save on your wedding budget if you get creative during the planning process. For example, maybe you can use a wedding ring that is a family heirloom. That way, you have a link to the past for sentimental reasons, but you also don’t need to buy a brand-new one.
You might also have your wedding during what is considered to be the off-season by those in this niche. A winter wedding likely means you can’t have it outdoors, but you can save money on the venue.
Efficiency Tips for Your Wedding Budget Breakdown
If you go on one of the dozens of bridal or wedding blogs that are out there, you can often find a detailed explanation of how much the average wedding costs. When you look at those, you can determine whether the money you have set aside for this event is realistic.
You might allocate 55% of the wedding for the reception. The ceremony may take up an additional 12%, while the photographer might get 10%. Things like tuxes for the ushers and your dress might account for 8%. Smaller details like the lighting, centerpieces for the tables, and floral arrangements might take up 3% of your budget.
If you have a general idea from the beginning of how much you have available in each essential area, you should not be blindsided by unexpected expenses.
Your Wedding Budget Breakdown Should Help You
Weddings can sometimes seem overwhelming, even if you plan on having a relatively simple affair. Meticulous planning should put you in the best position to make this a happy and satisfying occasion that you will look back on happily for years afterward.
When you create your wedding budget, make sure to involve your fiancé. This way, you are less likely to forget anything.
Think about anywhere you can potentially save money, like your wedding dress, rings, tuxes, the venue, the open bar, and the season in which you have it. Any of those can be places where you have less of an expenditure if you find that your original plans are not quite matching the ready cash you have available.
You can also be as efficient as possible with the breakdown of your total wedding budget and how you will spend it. If you do some research, you should be able to find breakdowns online of weddings that you feel closely resemble what you want.
There is no shortage of wedding blogs that can inspire you. When you study those, you will know approximately how much of your total funds will go toward each aspect of your big day.
Hopefully, the money you and your fiance have accumulated is enough for a wedding that you feel starts your marriage off on the right note.