Things to consider when setting your wedding budget
28/03/22
As you’ve probably heard/felt in the past few weeks, yesterday’s price is not today’s price! The cost of living is soaring all round and when you throw a wedding in the mix, it can be quite intense. For engaged couples planning a wedding, this may mean having to revisit your wedding budget from time to time so you can bring your vision to life.If that sounds like you, I’ve made this blog post especially dedicated to you! If you’re in the process of making sense of your budget, here are a few pro wedding budget tips I recommend to help you along the way:
- Decide what matters most to you and what your non-negotiables are. If at any point you need to adjust your budget or remove something, avoid taking it from areas that are most important to you
- Do your research as this will help you set a realistic budget. Yes, your moodboard can feature ghost chairs, hanging wisteria with a burst of baby’s breath and hurricane candle centerpieces but also be practical about what you can afford. You can’t have a champagne diet on a Sprite budget
- Bear in mind that during the course of planning, costs may arise that you may not have considered (tailoring/alterations, hire items, bridal party gifts, etc)
- Read the fine print carefully. Check contracts to see if things like delivery costs, transport fees, additional envelopes, makeup trials and so on are an extra add on or whether they are an extra expense
- Be respectful of a supplier’s pricing/quote. The quality, experience and expertise of most suppliers are reflected in their price and the saying “you get what you pay for” can certainly be true in most instances
- When talking to suppliers, avoid saying things like “But so and so charges X..” Not only is it disrespectful, but it also shows you don’t value the unique ability and creativity this particular supplier has to make your wedding bespoke
- Instead of asking for a discount, perhaps ask a supplier for an upgrade or extra add on
- Intimate doesn’t always mean cheap! Whilst it’s true that having fewer guests will save you on things like catering, depending on how elegant or lavish your theme is, you may still have to fork out quite a bit on elements such as decor, venue and/or wedding gifts.
- Take advantage of sales and holiday periods. Shopping during these seasons is likely to save you some money plus you’re likely to get great bargains too! I always advise couples to take advantage of Christmas and Easter periods to stock on up things like alcohol and canned drinks
- Hire a wedding planner! Yup sounds weird right but having a wedding planner may actually work out to your benefit when sourcing and booking suppliers. How you ask? Well essentially, a wedding planner with good connections in the industry could likely leverage on their existing relationships with suppliers and help negotiate prices working out a deal that works in your favour and isn’t available to others!
So there you have it. As the saying goes, ‘Every little helps’ and I hope you’re able to take something away that will help you manage your budget in a way that means you can have a wedding that brings Purpose and Vision in a way that suits you. When working with couples, I support them to do this by working with them to tailor their budgets in a comfortable way and also offering them specialist venue and supplier referrals that are not only matched to their requirements but also to their budget. You can tell me more about your plans by filling out the enquiry form so we can work together to nail your budget!
