If you’re recently engaged and excited (but also a little terrified!) about pulling together the largest event of your life, then here are some top tips to help you plan your wedding budget. With good budget planning you can’t fail.
Will Anyone Be Contributing?
Have honest conversations straight away with those who you think might contribute to your wedding budget to find out exactly what they will pay for. Without a firm total budget in mind it’s not a good idea to start wedding planning — you will almost certainly overspend.
Make a List
Make a list of all the things that you will need to include. As a rule of thumb, the total cost of the venue hire and food and drink aspects tends to account for almost 50% of the overall wedding budget, with all the other aspects taking up the other 50% together. If your venue costs are eating up too much of your total budget at the beginning, think again if you can.
Focus on Your Priorities
Pick your top three priorities where you want to make your mark, and be prepared to compromise more on the items lower down your list. Only you will know what these items are, but set them down in stone because it’s easy as the planning progresses to worry about everything.
Build in a Contingency
No matter what your wedding budget is, allow a 5-10% contingency fund for last minute items that you haven’t included. There are always small things which crop up which were unforeseen at the beginning.
Things You Might Easily Forget to Include in Your Wedding Budget…
- Meals for suppliers such as your photographer, DJ and/or band who may need feeding
- Service charges/gratuities to the wedding venue
- Postage for your wedding invitations
- Dinner the night before the wedding
- Breakfast/brunch the day after
Guest post by Kelly Chandler
Images from Unsplash
