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Now that you have a rough idea of the things you’ll need to pay for, now comes the time for research. When I started I didn’t realise how expensive things were. Like the venue for instance, I shed quite a few tears over the venue because it seemed at the time like I’d end up getting married in a barn in the middle of a field because the costs were so steep.
However if you’re like me, a budget hunter, you’ll be just fine. Don’t accept a price straight away. Look around. I guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for cheaper elsewhere. A great example of this is, is the invites.
Don’t accept a price straight away.
I’m a graphic designer so it was really important for me to do the invites by myself from scratch. But there are so many nice personalised designs that I had to weigh up both options. By deciding to do them myself I saved at least 40%, by sourcing online all my invite materials compared to purchasing a design anyone could have. My invites are completely unique to me and at a fraction of the cost. Yes they took an age to create but through all the blood sweat and tears they looked amazing and I’m really proud. Every person on my guest list commented on them. Another great thing about doing your invites yourself is it’s a great excuse for a girly day. Get your bridesmaids, sisters, mums involved. Make a day of it with some nibbles and bubbly and great songs that make you wanna dance.
SO DO YOUR RESEARCH. Ebay is a fantastic place for all things wedding from gifts to table crystals to card stock for invites.
If you’re paying for the wedding yourself then money is a sensitive subject but you and your fiancée need to be really open with each other. You need to have a clear savings plan. Don’t think ‘oh we’ll just get a loan its fine’ because you might actually be able to save the money if you have a long engagement. Also loans or credit cards are not always the best answer because you will still be paying the money back for months or years after the wedding.
My fiancée and I decided to save the money. So no loans and no credit cards. This meant we started saving right after we got engaged. In total we’ll have been saving for a year and 5 months plenty of time to afford the wedding we want.
I’ve got a wedding budget spread sheet as well as a savings plan spread sheet to keep track of everything. I always check my accounts online making sure everything tallies up. I won’t lie I’m in charge of the savings plan and the budget but that’s because I enjoy doing this kind of thing. Although ironically my fiancée is an accountant so you would think he would be the moneyman! But I’ll let you in on a little secret he is fab with other people’s money but not so great with his own hehe. So I keep a tight rein on all the budgets and touch wood it’s going swimmingly.
So final bit of advice begin your wedding journey with the budget. Do your research to get an idea of actual costs rather than what you think things cost because normally its always more. Keep a tally of your budget and make sure you keep a close eye on it throughout your journey.
Good luck
B2Be
