You are over the euphoria of being newly engaged and the wedding bells have rung, it is time to get down to the nitty gritty of planning the wedding.
The first step is to plan the budget. In Notes from Colin Cowie , he offers some great suggestions and most importantly offers this advice.
“ Whether your budget is large or small, your main objective is probably to squeeze the most value out of the dollars you have to spend. My general philosophy is to do five things really well instead of 10 things poorly.
At Linzi Events we will offer our newlyweds the following helpful hints , “prioritize” and more often than not ” less is more” .
The following is a list of what needs to be covered in the budget.
- Invitations
- Fees for the officiant and ceremony site
- Wedding attire
- Transportation
- Flowers
- Photography
- Gifts for the attendants
- Gratuities
- Wedding Planner
- Favors
- Décor
- Music
- The honeymoon
www.lovewedd.com
The most high – cost item usually is the reception food and beverage as seen in the chart above. Make a list of what is important for you and budget accordingly. For example for some couples food and beverage and photography is important and will opt for DIY decor , for others the wedding dress and entertainment are where their dollars will be spent. The budget will be worked on based on your shared list of priorities which the couple need to decide upon together . If parents are paying for the wedding the next step will be to share this list with your families so you can all be in agreement.
In different states, some seasons may be more popular than others so could be more expensive. So if you are not committed to a particular date this may be a consideration . For example in Florida in the summer months, a bride may be more able to get a deal on the location of her dreams than in the winter months. Should you hire a professional wedding planner they will assist you in creating your budget, making sure your have done all your homework and when you are comfortable with your decision, sign the contracts.
In the end it will be the wedding of your dreams with all your wishes in the right place.