How to Create a Budget for Your Wedding

One of your first tasks in planning a wedding, right after you announce your engagement, is to create your wedding budget. Then you must commit to sticking to it, no matter what. Promise? Good. Here's how to do it.

Instructions

STEP 1: Talk to your spouse-to-be about what kind of wedding you both want. Discuss what kinds of flowers, colors, venues, clothing, invitations, music and food you prefer.

STEP 2: Make a list of what you'll need: a wedding consultant if you're using one, a ceremony location, a reception venue, food, beverages, cake, flowers, photography, entertainment, attire, invitations and so forth.

STEP 3: Prioritize this list. What means the most to you? Is the cake more important than the music? Where can you pinch pennies without sacrificing your vision?

STEP 4: Meet with both sets of parents to find out how much money, if any, they are willing to contribute. Be gracious, grateful and understanding, no matter what their responses.

STEP 5: Calculate how much money you currently have available, how much you think you'll need and how much you will have to save. Keep in mind that the average wedding in the United States costs about $15,000.

STEP 6: Make a plan to save what you need, using a savings account or certificate of deposit. Consider selling stocks or mutual funds if necessary.

STEP 7: Divide your budget according to your priorities. For example, if your top priority is the dress and your second priority is the venue, you might plan to spend 20 percent of your budget on the dress and 15 percent on the venue.

STEP 8: Visit at least four vendors or suppliers in each category (florists, photographers, caterers, consultants, etc.) and compare prices.

STEP 9: Use a checklist to make sure you ask all of the vendors the same questions. Note their answers in your budget notebook and review your notes before making a decision.

STEP 10: Keep a record of the estimated and actual costs of each item in your notebook.

STEP 11: Keep all contracts, agreements, receipts and vouchers in the notebook.

STEP 12: Review your budget after each purchase to make sure you're on track. If you're $50 over budget on the cake, maybe you can save $50 by cutting the cost of favors or eliminating those electronic turtledoves.

Tips & Warnings

--Use professional vendors if possible. You'll have no recourse if your Uncle Marty forgets to load film in his camera and only notices it after the wedding.
--Pay with a credit card whenever possible, in case of a dispute with a vendor or merchant.
--Get every contract or agreement in writing.
--Pay for as many items as you can at least two weeks before the wedding. Writing huge checks is not a pleasant way to spend the first days of your marriage.

 

Send mail to KeysDAN@keysdan.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 1986-2012 KeysDAN Enterprises, Inc