URGENT REALITY CHECK: Wedding Budget! Must-Have Information for Brides and Grooms

By MARCINHO SAVANT
The Fairy-Wedding Father™ (WHAAT!??? Cindy had a Godmother!®)


Dear Newlyweds to Be;

This is a difficult and daring conversation to embark upon, however, Angel-Puddins, clearly it must be had.

Here is just a little ‘tough love’ from your Fairy-Wedding-Father™, intended with the UTMOST genuine compassion, understanding and respect I possess.

Each week, we get at least a dozen referrals or leads that had the most outrageously impossible budget numbers in them. Now most people don’t plan their own weddings multiple times so the learning curve is steep and merciless— first time out. As for GLBTI couples, I have a particular empathy because OUR weddings are really just being born, not something with which most of us have any knowledge and are starting from zero. This is why savvyplanners.com was formed 5 and a half years ago— To HELP people learn the truth about weddings, while providing them exclusive, extraordinary care and attention and protection from bigotry.

The rough bite is that these couples are simply not facing the reality, or are unaware, of the expense of a fantasy wedding. Forget a ‘fantasy’ wedding— the reality of a typical wedding… period.

I am happy and confident to broach the topic because our record is unimpeachable when it comes to saving clients money, working to find affordable short-cuts, guiding them to the wisest choices for their particular circumstances and that, unlike the model for many of our contemporaries, our profit is not based on what we “SELL”. It is based on our service fee which unlocks for our clients those insider tips and years of empirical evidence in the field, so there’s no axe to grind. We are forbidden, in our business model, to mark up ANYTHING. Ever. So now, the hard, uncomfortable facts:

Here are some examples of requests we received:

Example 1: Reception for 150 guests
TOTAL Event Budget: $10,000.00
Comments: A really nice reception with lots of flowers all over
REALITY: This allows $ 66.66 per guest for EVERYTHING

Example 2: Reception for 500 guests
TOTAL Event Budget: $7,000.00
REALITY: This allows $ 14.00 per guest for EVERYTHING

Example 3: Sweet 16 for 130 guests
TOTAL Event Budget: $2500.00
REALITY: This allows $ 19.23 per guest for EVERYTHING

Example 4: Banquet for 125 guests
TOTAL Event Budget: $4000.00
REALITY: This allows $ 32.00 per guest for EVERYTHING

KEY WORD: “EVERYTHING”!

These budgets are simply unrealistic for couples seeking a reception in a venue, with open bar, a DJ, a band, the floral décor, bouquets or boutonnieres, invitations, catering , hair and makeup, invitations, programs, escort cards/place cards, linens, tables and chairs, décor/environmental design, event design, cleanup and setup, furniture rentals, pipe and drape, lighting, pin spots et cetera.

This doesn’t even bring into account the transportation, attire, rings, honeymoon plans, gifts and favors.

That said, the final budget needs to account for those aspects, even if you don’t desire them all. The largest expenses are the food and beverage costs. So taking the $14.00 per person allowance, for example, it isn’t hard to see that it isn’t likely that you will be able to achieve this goal and provide ample food and drink for your esteemed guests, let alone, the entertainment and the rest.

Yes, savvyplanners.com’s fee is what it is. This, however, allows us to share crucial details like these and to protect couples from making fiscally dangerous & disastrous plans on their own. It also allows us to immediately pass on vendor discounts, commissions and savings to our clients.

There are DEFINITELY couples who organize, design, fabricate, create, plan and work their own events. They are certainly to be congratulated. We KNOW what they’re going through! We do it all day every day.

Weddings and events, professionally done, are not ‘cheap’. There is a virtual army of personnel that amass in order to give perfection to a client from start to finish with seamless execution and accountability.

Fellow wedding expert and good friend of savvyplanners.com, Christine at Think Like a Bride (@ChrisBoulton), has written a blunt and truthful post on this very subject, entitled:


“Why Can’t I Get Lobster for the Price of Cheeseburgers? I mean th...


I just wanted to be truthful with you and let you know that we’re here to protect and educate you about your best choices in order to defend your, substantial, investment from inadequacy or ineptitude. You need to know, UP FRONT, what your costs will be. No surprises. No games and no excuses.

Ah, shucks! There I go being all concerned again, Angel-Puddins! I Can’t help it! It’s what I do! :-D

Let’s create your perfect event, while being innovative, protective, invested in its success and, most importantly, realistic.

Here’s love,

MARCINHO SAVANT
savvyplanners.com’s Fairy-Wedding-Father™
(WHAAT!??? Cindy had a Godmother!®)