Your budget is one of the first things you should discuss when planning your wedding. But it can also cause the most stress during the planning process. Before you even pick your date or venue, consider these 6 things wedding planning factors that can have a major impact on your budget.
The venue. Where you choose to get married will play a big role in your budget. Consider a venue’s location (big city vs out of town, bigger vs smaller) and their wedding packages and policies (including minimum spends or preferred vendors that might be out of your budget). Venues also differ in how much flexibility they offer for weddings (from bringing in your own decor or even your own alcohol).
Wedding vendors. Do your homework on average vendor costs so you know what to expect. Then you can splurge on what aspects are most important to YOU and be more frugal on the rest. You can also bundle services to save (hire a photo & video team, or a DJ for both ceremony & reception), utilize up & coming vendors that building their portfolio, negotiate early-payment or early-booking discounts, or just ASK if they offer custom packages or streamlined services that can beteter fit into your budget.
Your guest list. Your guests are going to take up the largest portion of your budget, so it pays to be mindful about who you are including in your wedding. Your criteria can include how long you've known them, how often you see them or how important they are to you both. The key is to agree on who and how many guests you want to invite... and ensure it’s those you actually WANT to celebrate with!
A wedding planner. A good wedding planner can actually help you SAVE more money than you may spend on them. Not only can they can help you plan for expenses you might not have thought of (like the marriage license, gratuities, vendor meals or dress alterations), but they will also negotiate with vendors on your behalf, suss out any extra fees and charges, and help keep the wedding on schedule to avoid excess overtime fees. They also often pass on preferred planner discounts to their clients and can help you stay on budget, manage contingencies, and share their best money-saving tips from their years of experience in the industry.
Focus on small touches that make a BIG impact. If you want to add WOW factor to your wedding without adding major costs, consider these elements for impact at a discount: upgrade your linens, repurpose decor from the ceremony to the reception, use signage instead of printed collateral, or using candles vs florals, to name a few.
Consider what you can swap or forgo. A lot of couples feel that they “need” to do certain things at their wedding, but in reality, you can forgo certain aspects and save quite a bit. Examples include: an elaborate wedding cake (consider a sweetheart or cutting cake), paper invitations (consider evites instead), guest favours (unless they are edible, most people don’t usually keep them), photo booths (fun but not necessary), printed programs (often thrown out, so consider creating a sign instead), a full bar (focus on just a few select drinks), and so many other ideas that you or your guests won’t miss on your big day.
“A good wedding planner can actually help you SAVE more money than you spend on them. They will help you say on budget, negotiate with vendors and pass on preferred planner discounts directly to you.”
When you take the time to create a budget, you'll find that can still plan your dream wedding while not breaking the bank along the way. If you're looking for more cost-saving tips, reach out and let's chat! We can help you celebrate your dream day in a way that fits your budget & exceeds your expectations.
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