It used to be that the parents of the bride would set the budget, plan the wedding, and pay for everything. As times have evolved so has family dynamics. Not everyone has a man and a wife and 2.5 kids in the family. More and more couples are finding themselves having to pay for weddings on their own, and with piling debt from student loans or having to live on their own sooner, the wedding budget is starting to look much different today than it did 20 years ago.
Many couples are left wondering how to have a wedding of their dreams with prices they can afford. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1) Find out who is contributing to the wedding and how much. Just because your parents can't afford a $20,000 wedding doesn't mean that they wouldn't want to help at all. Maybe you're close to your grandparents and they want to help out. No, i'm not saying go around begging for money from family, but it's an important conversation to have early on, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
2) Set your budget. Weddings are beautiful no matter if they are $5,000 or $35,000. Set a budget that works for you. Think about how long you are going to be engaged and how much realistically you can save each month. Add that to whatever your family is contributing and come up with a range. I always suggests clients don't set themselves up for failure. If my budget is anywhere between 10K and 15K i'm going to try everything to keep it at 10K because I know that hidden or last minute expenses do arise.
3) Hire a wedding planner right away. Many couples assume they can do it on their own. Or they feel their budget is too small to be able to hire any help. Trust me - I was that bride! But research has shown that having a wedding planner will cost you less in the long run. They can help you find vendors that fit within your budget and they will keep track of your expenses to make sure you stay on your budget.
Weddings don't have to cost a fortune. I've always said that you can have a wedding on a small budget but doesn't look cheap. Figure out what aspects are important to you and communicate that with your wedding planner. We are here to make your dreams come true, no matter how big or how small.
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