Congrats on the start of your planning as a newly engaged couple!

After getting over the initial excitement of engagement and life long happiness, the first thing that comes to mind when planning your dream day is money. How much money do I have to spend? Do I want that? Or do I need that? Can I create everything I wanted with the budget I have? This is a scary task when first looking at it, but we are here to ease all your fears!

To begin, you want to allocate the right amount of money for each part of your wedding. Your reception should be about 48% of your total budget. This includes site fees, catering, bar, cake, candy/dessert, rentals/decor, and lighting. Remember your big night is the most important and will be something you cherish for years to come and that is why 13% of your budget should be spent solely on photography and video. To eliminate any stress you may have about this day, 10% should be spent on hiring  your wedding coordinator. The rest of the budget can be broken down into many ways to fit your needs.

So, all of this just sounds like scary numbers right? Well it doesn’t have to be scary! According the Knot, there is a few things you can do to avoid making mistakes on budget. Don’t forget to keep track of how much you spend. This way, nothing will be a surprise to you when it comes to money. Also make sure not to stress to much about who is paying for the wedding. Yes, it can be awkward to ask for help, but do not be afraid to ask your parents or relatives for help. They also suggest saving whenever you can. Whether it be $20 here or $1000 there, any amount of money could pay for that one item you REALLY wanted at your wedding.

With all that being said, how do you decide what you want in your wedding vs. what you need? It is very important to separate the wants from the needs, I would even suggest making a list.  Separating these will allow you to allocate money to the most important things in the wedding. Examples of needs include venue, caterer, photographer, officiant, attire, etc. This will include your basics of your wedding day.

Wedding day wants are things that you don’t have to have in order to make your wedding happen, but you wish you could have if the budget allows it. Some examples of these include photo booth, candy buffet, party favors,  entertainment, etc.

It is important to prioritize your needs and wants and figure out exactly what your day will look like. Keep in mind that the budget can be changed if something is of a higher priority to you. Everyone has different ideas when it comes to our wants and needs of our wedding day, and the budget creates quite a difficult hurtle to jump when expressing these wants and needs. However, with these tips and tricks of budgeting, your wedding day is sure to be a success and not break your wallet. Be a beautiful budget friendly couple and create memories that will last a lifetime.