After fifteen years of planning weddings, I have grown familiar with the glazed look on the faces of the bride, groom and parents when I first ask them: “What is your budget?” It’s a look that tells me they don’t even know where to start.
Well, to coin a phrase, “I do.”
There is romance, and there is realism. They make a great couple. Here are my tips to joining these two together.
Pick a number that won’t put you into debt. I always cringe when couples want to overspend for a lavish day that then puts them in a position to start their lives together in debt. I don’t recommend it and often try to find suggestions of how to bring the budget number down but still give them a day they will love and cherish forever. I call this approach romantic realism.
Identify your priorities. If you love flowers and want them to be a main focal point of your day —great! Let’s offset that expense via a less expensive menu. If you are foodies and fell in love over sharing favorite restaurants or a couple’s cooking class, then let’s create a feast guests will talk about for years to come. If you are music people, let’s find a great band and make that your highlight. Choose where you want to splurge.
Factor in food and beverage right away. Why? Because it will ALWAYS be at least half of your overall budget. So it’s a good place to start to keep things reasonable elsewhere. Consequently, it’s smart to nail down these costs first and then work with what you have left for everything else.
Try using an Excel spreadsheet. Run your wedding like you’d run your business. A budget on a spreadsheet is the best way to make certain you don’t overspend and find yourself in a position of financial strain. I create a line item for each expense category, and the spreadsheet automatically tallies subtotals and grand totals. I create one for every one of my couples so they always know where they are in the planning process financially.
Rely on trusted vendors for advice. Don’t be too proud to ask the experts for creative, money-saving ideas. You can reduce your floral costs by replacing large flower centerpieces with a variety of low and high candle arrangements or try a dramatic tall glass vase with one or two tall flowers submerged in water to make a contemporary statement. If you need to save a bit on dinner for your guests, talk to your caterer to see if you can reduce the portion sizes of your proteins to save money. With appetizers, main courses, sides and desserts, guests won’t miss out if you reduce a six ounce filet to a four-ounce portion, but you’ll definitely see a savings.
Really like your photographer and videographer. Good photographers and videographers can range in price from $2,500 to ten times that amount or more. Make sure you find their personality, their visual style and their price range attractive. And make sure a DVD containing all your photos and video will be provided to you after your wedding. You, not the vendor, should own the images.
Let them eat cake! But bear in mind what that cake will cost. It can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on the size of the guest list and the style of the cake. Consider, believe it or not, a wedding cake from your local grocery story bakery like Publix. They are delicious, they are delivered for a minimal fee, and the simplicity of their design allows for you to work with your florist to decorate it to suit your theme to for a fraction of the cost.
Home or away? You would think that hosting a wedding at a private home would be a less expensive option that hosting it at a venue or a hotel. In reality, it can actually cost more because most homes are not set up for entertaining large groups of guests so all of the elements need to be brought in such as a tent, dance floor, tables, chairs, linens, china, bars, a place to stage the catering, extra staff, even a generator for additional power.
