How to set your wedding budget… and stick to it
If you got engaged during the summer holidays, maybe in front of a very romantic sunset, with your handsome fiancé down on one knee…now it’s time to think about your wedding organization!
And what’s more important when you come to think and start the organization of a wedding?
The very first thing you have to do is to set your wedding budget… and preferably stick to it!
I know that you are so excited to getting married, and it can be way too easy to throw yourself into planning without knowing how much you have to spend. But you should bear in mind that that the process will be more enjoyable if you set a realistic wedding budget and start organizing the wedding ceremony basing on the money that you actually have.
It doesn’t matter how big is your budget, you can go with a low budget ceremony or with a great one, in both cases there are some general guidelines that can help you decide what you can afford to spend, and what you will want to save on, and I am so glad to share them with you.
Have an honest chat with your partner
Yes, let’s start from here: you have to decide together with your partner how much you are going to spend for your wedding.
The hardest part will be sticking to it, but I can assure you that with the help of a trusty wedding planner (a local one would be perfect if you are planning a destination wedding in Italy) sticking to you budget will be as easy as you can never imagine.
No wedding is worth starting your married life in debts, and I promise you that both of you, your friends and family and all of your guests will love the day and the wedding ceremony no matter what, because they love you.
Handily I have got many tips on how to save money too, so that you can get the wedding ceremony you want for the budget you have.
Let’s count: where do we get the money for our wedding budget?
After having set, more or less, your wedding budget, you will have to think from where you are taking the money you need.
How much you and your partner have in savings? And more important, how much of this are you willing to put towards the wedding organization?
You should start an excel and write down exactly how much take-home income you both get each month and take away all the fixed financial commitments such as rent, gym membership, food budget, transport cost. Hypothesize the costs of random special outings, setting aside a realistic amount for that.
You can save what’s left and put it on your wedding budget, each month. Maybe you could open a new bank account, so you are sure you won’t be tempted to spend them.
Unrequested tip: maybe someone of your family is happy to contribute? It is worth seeing if either set of parents will help you financially or pay for a specific cost, like the dress or flowers.
Set a wedding guests’ list in order to set your wedding budget
The more guests you will have, the greater the amount of money you will (probably) need, above all for the wedding banquet and the wedding venue size.
You can ask your wedding planner to give you a list of venues depending on how much they charge for the renting and how much is the cost per head for the catering.
If you choose to have a destination wedding (and I surely recommend a destination wedding in Umbria!) you will be able to limit the number of the guests (so you will be not urged to invite all the third-grade aunts and uncles!) and you will be free to choose the wedding venue based only on your taste and preference.
Just a little tip: wedding venue’s cost will take to most part of your wedding budget. So it is important to block it out as soon as you are sure about your guests’ list.
Prioritize the rest of your budget
Traditional wedding budget wisdom says: take your budget and cut it in half, this amount should cover your wedding venue hire, plus your food and drink charges. The remaining half of your budget is for everything else.
But what’s everything else?
- Photography
- Wedding dress
- Bridal hair and make up (Maybe more than one hair and makeup trial)
- Groom’s attire
- Wedding rings
- Flowers and décor
- Wedding invitations
- Catering (per head)
- On-the-day wedding stationery: order of service, menu and place cards
- Music during the ceremony and the afterward party
- Marriage licence/registrar fees
- Wedding party gifts
- Extra reception décor (lighting hire, as an example)
- Post-wedding extras such as thank you cards
And we are certainly not finished, there are plenty of things still to think about. My suggestion is to write down a list of non-negotiable with your partner: in my opinion a good wedding photographer should be on top of the list, you will treasure the memories of your special day.
Stick to your budget
Boring, since I repeated it to you from the beginning, but true: it is important that you stick to your budget.
I can help you with it: you will set the budget with your partner and I will get back to you with a proposal that takes into account your wedding budget, without exceeding it.
Well, if you then understand that you can have a little more, we will be on time to adjust it as you may prefer.
Hiring an Italian wedding planner: is it the right choice?
After having set your wedding budget and decided to have a destination wedding in Umbria, the first thing you may think about is hiring a local wedding planner. It’s like when travelling abroad, the first thing you may think about is finding a local guide to get the most of the place you are visiting. So why should it be different with your wedding in Umbria?
If you are wondering if hiring an Italian wedding planner is the right choice, then I just gave you the right answer.
Entrust yourself to an Italian wedding planner, she will suggest the perfect wedding locations, flower settings, bridal ateliers and much more, helping you to stick to your wedding budget.
She will let you and your loved ones live the Italian bella vita, making the most of it like only a real Italian can do.
I am Fatima Palomares and I really can’t wait to meet you and start planning with you: your exclusive Italian wedding is nearer than you think!