How to Stay Within Your Wedding Budget

As a newly engaged couple, there is nothing more exciting then starting to plan your wedding.  While this time in your life is thrilling, it can also be overwhelming - with the excitement of planning a wedding comes the major downfall - so much MONEY to spend!!

Before you begin any planning, think about the weddings you have attended in the past.  What was memorable about them?  Was the ceremony at a beautiful location?  Do you remember all the flowers at the church?  Do you remember what you ate, the monogrammed cocktail napkins, the personalized M&M's?  Did you have fun?  What made the wedding fun?  Think about what stands out the most from those weddings.  And ask friends and family what they remember most from weddings they have attended.  Jot down those ideas and keep that in mind when thinking about what you should be spending your wedding budget on.

Guest list:

This is one of the first things you should do when preparing your budget.  Because you will pay a per person rate at your venue, how many guests you have will determine a big chunk of how much you will be spending.  Make a preliminary list with your fiance.  Then take a closer look at who you have - do you really need to invite your third cousins who you haven't seen in over ten years, or your mother's co-workers who you have never met?  Do you need to include "and guest" on all of your single friends' and family members' invitations?  The more you can narrow down the guest list the more you will save.

Reception venue:

This is where a large portion of your wedding budget will go.  When choosing a venue, keep in mind what is important to you.  If you are getting married on location, then sure, you probably want a beautiful outdoor area.  However, if you are going straight to the ballroom from your church, then do you really need a place  with magnificent scenery that no one will really see?  Will a hotel or function hall suit your needs as long as it is attractive and has a large dance floor?  Is having white glove service during your cocktail hour important, or will appetizer stations work just fine?  If you can weed out the things that are really not that important to you and focus on what you really do want and what will be memorable to guests, then it will help you find a venue that will fit your needs and your wallet.

Transportation:

Do you have to rent two (or more) limos for the bridal party, or would it be more economical to rent one trolley or a bus?  It may even be more fun to have everyone together rather than split into two different vehicles.  Or does a friend or family member have a great car that they wouldn't mind escorting you in?

Music:

The entertainment portion of your wedding is probably one of the most memorable pieces for your guests as it can make or break your day.  You want to choose who you hire for your music wisely, while staying within your budget.

First, do you need a violinist, a trumpeter and an organ player for your ceremony?  This was a mistake I made.  They all sounded beautiful together so I hired the three for my 30 minute church ceremony (no mass) and spent $1,000.  Do I (or my guests for that matter) remember how beautiful they sounded on that day?  No, not at all.  Could I have had a beautiful ceremony with just the organ player for $200?  Absolutely.  And if you are having an outdoor ceremony, hire your wedding DJ to play the songs you want.  This gives you the freedom to play any songs you desire (we had a couple choose a Pantera song as their recessional) and is inexpensive - about $100-$200.

For your reception, you have the option of a band, a wedding DJ, or both (band for dinner, wedding DJ for dancing).  However, for the budget minded bride, the latter is not the best choice.  When choosing your band or wedding DJ, you definitely don't want to go with the cheapest guy out there.  Cheap means less experience.  You pay for wedding experience, and since this is such a HUGE part of your wedding day, you want someone who knows what they are doing (there's a lot more that goes into being a wedding DJ than most people think).  Interview different companies, ask lots of questions and see what each one can bring to the table for your wedding.  Don't let anyone sell you on their service - it needs to just feel right to you when hiring your wedding DJ or band.  Then compare pricing.  Choose the company that will not only fit into your budget, but fits with your personality and wedding day vision.

If you are looking for a wedding DJ, feel free to contact us and we will gladly sit down with you and provide you with valuable information and questions that you will need to know and ask each company before you hire your wedding entertainment.

 Bridal attire:

Most girls dream of their wedding dress and how they will look on their big day for years.  But does that dream mean you need to spend thousands on your attire for one day?  Do you HAVE to purchase a couture gown from one of those fancy bridal shops or does David's Bridal have what you are looking for a fraction of the price?  Do you need to spend $200 on a veil from the bridal shop or $350 on a pair of shoes that you will wear once, hardly anyone will see, and that you will probably take off and replace with flip flops during the reception anyway?  Try online shops such as Light in the Box for items such as this.  Or maybe even borrow some of your bridal attire from a friend or family member - you need something borrowed for good luck anyway, right?

Decor:

Brides end up spending a lot of money on decor ranging from flowers to favors, to little things like monogrammed napkins.  Do you need to have flowers for the centerpiece at $150 per table, or would you have more fun being creative and coming up with your own idea?  For my centerpieces, I bought large margarita glasses at Michaels and some floating candles online.  Each centerpiece cost about $15, was fun to come up with and my guests had tons of laughts taking silly pictures of them pretending to drink  from the glasses (after a few cocktails of  course!)  We also did not have flowers at the church.  My cousin made us some beautiful bows to hang as pew markers.  They matched our wedding colors, added just enough decor and were VERY budget friendly.

Favors are also another area where you can save by doing it yourself.  Re-wrap a Hershey bar with a design you create and print from your computer, or bake cookies and wrap them in cellophane baggies with a pretty ribbon in your wedding color.  My husband and I made CD's with our wedding songs and music that we asked our wedding DJ to play during the dancing portion of our night.  Sure, it took some time, but if you start early it's something you can do together and save lots of money.  The CD's (with case and ribbon) and Hershey kisses we wrapped in tulle all cost less than $1.00 per person!

And lastly, will your guests remember those little details such as monogrammed match books or napkins, or dinner menu cards at each setting?  Sure they look nice, but they eat up your budget and are not the most memorable parts of a wedding.  Think wisely before purchasing those little details that may not matter so much when budget comes into play.

Negotiate:

Finally, when trying to stick within your budget, don't forget to negotiate.  Price shop a few vendors, find the best price for the item/service you want and then decide on the vendor you would really like to work with .  If their price is not the best, then let them know you will work with them if they can beat (or even match) the best quote you received.  The worst that could happen is they say no.  And who knows, you may end up saving a few bucks!

I hope these tips help when planning your wedding.  Feel free to pass this along to anyone who may need a few ideas to help them stay within their wedding budget!

Happy planning!

Jamie