When planning a wedding you may be wondering how in the world can you stay on budget? Is that even possible. Here’s 10 tips to help you keep your wedding costs down successfully.

When I was planning my wedding I knew I wanted to stick to a certain budget otherwise costs would rise. There’s just so many elements that can be  part of a wedding and it’s easy to want them all. I get it. I’ve been in your shoes and it’s hard to prioritize the most important aspects of your wedding. The good news is it is possible guys. So you can breath a sigh of relief to know while it will take work and discipline it is possible to stick to your budget!

Now get ready to pop some champagne or celebrate each time you guys achieve these milestones because you deserve to reward yourself for not letting costs get out of hand. So let’s get started!

Tips For Sticking to your Wedding Budget

According to a recent Study found on the Knot, nearly half of all couples admit to overspending on the wedding budget. The moment I read this I instantly heard Cindy Laufer’s song “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” playing in my mind. As you can see from real world stats, couples are having a hard time budgeting for their wedding.

1. Contributions: Who’s Paying: 

   Determining who’s paying for your wedding is essential before figuring out how much you can realistically spend on your wedding. Will the bride and groom pay? Are mom and dad offering a gift to help you guys foot the bill? When you take the time to determine how much each person is willing to contribute and in what areas  you can better determine your budget.

2. Determine your guest list: 

   Ahh the infamous guest list. Where do we begin. Figuring out who you want to invite to your wedding is hard. Some of us brides want to invite everyone. At other times, you may want to really limit the guest list but mom and dad want to extend a invite to everyone else. So I get it! No matter the circumstance for some this part of setting a wedding budget can be stressful! Here is an amazing guide by Here Comes The Guide for tacking the guest list. Here are some other questions you may want to ask yourself when determining your guest list. Have I spoken with this guest in the last 3-6 months. Would I consider them a close friend or family member? If the answer to these is no you probably should invite them. Sorry  but not sorry.

3. Verbalize The Non-Negotiables:  Is hiring the best photographer in your city or splurging on food the most important?  Cake and food just make my soul happy so those would be at the top of my list along with cinematography, but what are yours? It’s time to figure out which aspects of your wedding day are the most important. Once you have determined what are the most important aspects of your wedding day is split your budget to realistically accommodate that.
4. Research Hidden Vendor Costs: Before finalizing your wedding budget get to know the hidden vendor costs. Is tipping included in the vendor costs? Have you allocated how much you will tip shall you’d decide to? Did you know when you hire a venue you may have additional costs associated with setup and breakdown. When hiring your cake vendors there may be an additional cutting fee. So guys it’s so important when inquiring your vendors to know the full breakdown of how much their costs are.
5. The Debt Rabbit Hole: Weddings are cherished events in a couple’s life to celebrate the sacred beauty of love. However, one thing to keep in mind is do not go into debt in order to walk down the aisle. It can be so easy to look on Pinterest or Instagram and just swoon over another persons wedding details. It happens to all of us but just remember to love where you are and to be content with what you have and can afford. The wedding should truly be about the two of you and celebrating your love with your friends and family. Whether you elope or have a full scale wedding just remember to keep your finances in line.
6. DIY Will Become your BFF! When you’re trying to stick to your wedding budget one amazing option for helping you do so is to DIY various aspects of the day. You can diy your florals if you just don’t have enough money in the budget to hire a designer. You can also diy your reception table centerpieces. I mean seriously just head on over to Pinterest you gain tons of inspiration from other brides who DIY’d their wedding day. Now if you’re not a DIY gal, I wouldn’t suggest going down this route unless you can enlist your friends and family to help you guys out.
7. Plan your Wedding On Off-Season: Weddings held during the week or on a particular day with less traffic is another great way to cut costs down. I know you may be thinking “who wants to host a wedding during the week?” I get it! That maybe difficult to do when all your friends and family work during the week but it can be an option if your having a small intimate wedding and your friends can request off for the special day.
8. Go In Season:  If you are working with a floral designer when planning your wedding try to outsource flowers that will be in season. This will help to cut costs down since they will be easier to acquire.
9. Catering: Be Selective: One of the most expensive aspects of planning a wedding is hiring a caterer. You can cut some of these costs by hiring a venue that allows you to bring in your own food or you can be very selective with the food you serve to your guests to keep costs down.
10. Simplicity in the Details: One thing I have learned from being a wedding planner and blogger of a wedding blog is that there is beautiful simplicity in the details. If you can’t afford an elaborate floral display just know that is okay and there are always amazing alternatives that are beautiful.

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    Orlando Wedding Venue : Capen House – Cake By Bake A Wish Cakes

Orlando Florida Wedding Vendor

As an Orlando Wedding photographer, one special thing I do for my LSP Brides is send a special welcome guide with more tips on how to stay on track for their wedding day. So whether your in the beginning stages of planning your big day or just need to fine-tune your wedding budget I hope this article was helpful. Be sure to check back on my blog for more wedding planning tips.

If you have made it to the end of this guide on tips to planning a wedding budget I’m sending you a virtual hug !! You’re awesome for reading this seriously. One thing to remember in the midst of planning a wedding is the celebration should be about the two of you. That’s all that matters. Have fun planning your wedding day but don’t go over the top in the details when realistically it’s not something you can do. Your wedding will be beautiful regardless of the tiny details because it’s about the two of you. That in itself is beautiful and doesn’t need anything to compliment it.