Step 1: Create or borrow a Wedding Budget System
Be prepared to put all of your ideas down on paper so you can then add dollar amounts to each item.
- The easiest way? A budget calculator, which automatically calculates everything you are spending, from stamps to mother-in-law gifts, and allows you to track all your payments and their due dates.
- If you are old school and love putting pen to paper go for an old-fashioned spreadsheet. Just make sure you record every payment you make and who you owe what.
Step 2: Explore Hidden Wedding Costs and Extras
Tackling every expense up front will save drama in the end
- Avoid overtime. Determine with vendors up front if they charge you for going over your allotted rental time. Many reception venues have strict noise ordinances they must follow and can be charged large fees by local authorities. These fees will always get passed on to you.
- Tip the staff. From the manicurist who tackles your nails to the hotel staff who brings your luggage to your room, even small tipping can add many additional dollars to your wedding cost. Make sure to account for these costs in your initial budget.
- Remember that nothing is free. A florist’s demo may be gratis the first time, but if you make repeated changes, you risk being billed. Budget your trial hair style into your overall hair budget.
- Remember the little things. The rose petals you plan to drop down the aisle, the fans you want all of your guests to have during the ceremony, all add up. Going “just over budget” in a couple different areas can add hundreds of dollars to your bottom line.
Step 3: You spend more than you budgeted for
Just like a new builder will add in a 10% overage, so should you. If you pad your budget up front then a few small overages won’t break your bank.
These are some areas where you might go over:
- Flowers: A last-minute realization that something previously unconsidered needs to be decorated, or a request that an additional family member wear a boutonniere or corsage.
- Weather-related expenses: Umbrellas for a rainy day, space heaters for an unseasonably cool day, additional shade for a particularly hot or humid one.
- Small accidents: Gown needs last-minute spot removal, something breaks in the days before the ceremony, menus get damp and need to get reprinted.
Step 4: Be Smart with Your Wedding Budget
Take advantage of budgeting and money management tricks along the way.
- Set up a wedding bank account with it’s own debit card. You can then track all wedding expenses seperately.
- Talk to family upfront about whether they will be gifting any money or donating services so you can budget those items in.