Wedding Planning on a Budget
Weddings are stressful times with all the planning, shopping, phoning around and saving up the money. In fact, the cost is one of the biggest stresses of all. The good news is that it is possible to plan a budget wedding – you just need to decide on a few factors.
Making the Wedding Plans
The first thing that you need to do is sit down with your partner and discuss what you want for the big day. Do not think about the cost; it is about what the two of you want. Start off by making a list of the top 10 things that are essential for your wedding – each do a list and do them separately.
Once finished, it is time to join the lists together. Take the top five of each list and cross off anything that has been doubled up. Every time something is crossed off, add something from the bottom five of the lists. Together you will come up with the top 10 things that are essential for your big day.
Do the same with what you do not need at your wedding. For example, do you really need an open bar?
The Guest List
You do not need your whole family or all your friends there if you do not want to. When planning a budget wedding, you will need to limit your guests so you can cut down on the amount of food and the size of venue needed. Do the same as above – make a list of all the family and friends that you can think of and then cut it in half.
Remember that the list of guests are the people that you want there and not people that others want there.
Once you know how many guests you have, you will have a rough idea on the amount of food and drink will be needed. You will also be able to estimate the cost of save the date cards, invitations, the cake and favors.
Breaking Down Your Wedding Budget
The breakdown of any budget will differ between couples. This depends on how much you can save up and the amount that you are willing to spend. It will also depend on the amount of extras that you have. Of course, there are some things that you cannot do without.
1. The Venue
The venue should cost about 50% of your total budget but that does not mean you have to opt for something that costs a lot. Avoid the flashy hotel or big stately home if you want to keep the cost down. When wedding planning, look around for community halls or church halls close to where you live – or close to the church or the city hall that you will be getting married in.
To help with your budget wedding, you could also look at saving money by throwing your reception in a park or by a lake – consider places that will be free. Remember that you can always save the grand affair for your first anniversary.
2. Catering
Food is a must at any wedding – alcohol on an empty stomach never ends well and you don’t want your guests to be hungry throughout the day. That doesn’t mean that you need to spend a lot.
Plan your wedding for the afternoon, so that you only have to throw the evening reception – instead of having a wedding breakfast too. You should also look into doing your own food, which will cost less than asking professional caterers to do it.
3. Dresses and Suits
So you have found a wedding dress to-die-for in a bridal boutique but it costs thousands. That doesn’t mean that you will not find something similar for less money. Shop around because it is likely that you will find something exactly the same – just without the designer label.
You could consider buying all dresses and suits from an online retailer. No everybody wants to do this but there are some benefits to it. Not only will you spend less, but you can also have it tailored to fit you. Buy something a size too big and then take it into a local tailor – while you will need to spend more money to do that, you will be saving on the total cost of the clothing.
4. The Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are pricey unless you start shopping around. Many grocery stores will now do fruit cakes in various sizes or you can make your own. All you need to worry about is the decoration. Not only will avoiding bakeries help you to stick to your wedding budget, you will also be able to decorate it exactly how you want.
Cupcakes are becoming a popular option for many weddings, and these will help to save money. This will also work well to make sure you have enough cakes for each guest.
5. The Favors
These are used as a thank you for your guests attending but that does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. Traditionally, favors are five sweets, which are affordable on any wedding budget.
It is also possible to double your favors with another part of your wedding. If you are having a sit down meal, consider doing something special for name places and allow the guests to take them as favors. There are also many websites that offer low-priced wedding favors.
6. Photographer
Memories fade over time so the best way to remember your wedding is to have photos or a video. A professional photographer will cost thousands, especially if you want a full day event, unless you are lucky enough to know a friend who is willing to do it cheaper.
You may also find a friend who will hold the video camera – just make sure they know how to work it! Or consider having disposable camera around the wedding and ask your guests to take photos throughout the day and leave them at the end of the night. These photos will then be developed and you get to see what your friends and family wanted you to remember.
The downside with doing this is that they may not get everything that you wanted, so you may want to ask a trusted friend to snap certain shots for you.
Making the Wedding Plans
The first thing that you need to do is sit down with your partner and discuss what you want for the big day. Do not think about the cost; it is about what the two of you want. Start off by making a list of the top 10 things that are essential for your wedding – each do a list and do them separately.
Once finished, it is time to join the lists together. Take the top five of each list and cross off anything that has been doubled up. Every time something is crossed off, add something from the bottom five of the lists. Together you will come up with the top 10 things that are essential for your big day.
Do the same with what you do not need at your wedding. For example, do you really need an open bar?
The Guest List
You do not need your whole family or all your friends there if you do not want to. When planning a budget wedding, you will need to limit your guests so you can cut down on the amount of food and the size of venue needed. Do the same as above – make a list of all the family and friends that you can think of and then cut it in half.
Remember that the list of guests are the people that you want there and not people that others want there.
Once you know how many guests you have, you will have a rough idea on the amount of food and drink will be needed. You will also be able to estimate the cost of save the date cards, invitations, the cake and favors.
Breaking Down Your Wedding Budget
The breakdown of any budget will differ between couples. This depends on how much you can save up and the amount that you are willing to spend. It will also depend on the amount of extras that you have. Of course, there are some things that you cannot do without.
1. The Venue
The venue should cost about 50% of your total budget but that does not mean you have to opt for something that costs a lot. Avoid the flashy hotel or big stately home if you want to keep the cost down. When wedding planning, look around for community halls or church halls close to where you live – or close to the church or the city hall that you will be getting married in.
To help with your budget wedding, you could also look at saving money by throwing your reception in a park or by a lake – consider places that will be free. Remember that you can always save the grand affair for your first anniversary.
2. Catering
Food is a must at any wedding – alcohol on an empty stomach never ends well and you don’t want your guests to be hungry throughout the day. That doesn’t mean that you need to spend a lot.
Plan your wedding for the afternoon, so that you only have to throw the evening reception – instead of having a wedding breakfast too. You should also look into doing your own food, which will cost less than asking professional caterers to do it.
3. Dresses and Suits
So you have found a wedding dress to-die-for in a bridal boutique but it costs thousands. That doesn’t mean that you will not find something similar for less money. Shop around because it is likely that you will find something exactly the same – just without the designer label.
You could consider buying all dresses and suits from an online retailer. No everybody wants to do this but there are some benefits to it. Not only will you spend less, but you can also have it tailored to fit you. Buy something a size too big and then take it into a local tailor – while you will need to spend more money to do that, you will be saving on the total cost of the clothing.
4. The Wedding Cake
Wedding cakes are pricey unless you start shopping around. Many grocery stores will now do fruit cakes in various sizes or you can make your own. All you need to worry about is the decoration. Not only will avoiding bakeries help you to stick to your wedding budget, you will also be able to decorate it exactly how you want.
Cupcakes are becoming a popular option for many weddings, and these will help to save money. This will also work well to make sure you have enough cakes for each guest.
5. The Favors
These are used as a thank you for your guests attending but that does not mean you have to spend a lot of money. Traditionally, favors are five sweets, which are affordable on any wedding budget.
It is also possible to double your favors with another part of your wedding. If you are having a sit down meal, consider doing something special for name places and allow the guests to take them as favors. There are also many websites that offer low-priced wedding favors.
6. Photographer
Memories fade over time so the best way to remember your wedding is to have photos or a video. A professional photographer will cost thousands, especially if you want a full day event, unless you are lucky enough to know a friend who is willing to do it cheaper.
You may also find a friend who will hold the video camera – just make sure they know how to work it! Or consider having disposable camera around the wedding and ask your guests to take photos throughout the day and leave them at the end of the night. These photos will then be developed and you get to see what your friends and family wanted you to remember.
The downside with doing this is that they may not get everything that you wanted, so you may want to ask a trusted friend to snap certain shots for you.
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