Planning a wedding, especially on a tight budget can get on your nerves. You have to fit in multiple items in a tight schedule and budget, while still aiming to get the best results in each sector. Luckily, various ways help handle different wedding ideas, including DIY options and the availability of cheaper, quality services.
In this article, we'll look at how to effectively use your wedding budget. We'll examine the factors you should consider and review how to maximize the available budget for the perfect wedding ceremony. That said, let's get started!
What’s Your Overall Budget and Source?
You must have an overall budget plan before you officially begin planning for the wedding. If you're still short on cash, it's crucial to determine reliable monetary sources. Aside from your savings and income, you can acquire contributions from friends and family.
Having a clear budget helps determine what to do and avoid during the planning process. Therefore, ensure that your wedding expectations match your budget.
Budget Wedding Priorities
If you're planning the wedding on a budget, ensure to prioritize what matters the most. For instance, you can identify your top agendas, which can include the following:
- Clothing/attire and rings
- Catering
- Venue
- Photography and Videography
These items should take up a large portion of the budget to meet your expectations. No worries if you are still confused about how to allocate your budget; the following section goes in-depth on how to break down your wedding budget.
How to Breakdown Your Wedding
The section below looks at the common priorities and their respective total percentages/costs. However, the following wedding budget breakdown shouldn’t entirely dictate how you distribute your available cash. Normally, priorities might change depending on the people.
Here's a breakdown sample and how to plan a wedding on a budget:
Venue Allocation: 35%-50%
Considering the venue’s importance on your wedding day, it's fair to allocate it half of the budget. This can work if you have a relatively high-to-fair budget and can afford to splash some cash on your chosen venue. You’ll be able to afford a great venue on a normally busy day and also manage acquiring quality decorations for your setting.
Nonetheless, various low-budget wedding venues offer great alternatives and will only take up 35% - 40% of your total budget. They are worth the money, with some including aesthetic furniture/seats and great ambiance. However, you might need to spend more on decorations for various settings.
An online search can direct you to some great choices. If you’re unlucky, recommendations from friends or online platforms/forums can come in handy.
Catering: 30-40%
Like it or not, some of your guests will be attending for the food and beverages. Moreover, catering is a major item in a wedding, thus requiring ample budget allocation. You can designate 30-40% of the budget, which also includes the cake and dessert.
The catering team also dictates the price. Ensure you get a reliable team or company to avoid delays or food poisoning cases.
Image Credit: Pexels.com
Photography/Videography: 15-20%
Quality videos and photos will help create permanent memories and are also perfect for showing to your kids and grandkids. Ensure to hire professionals who can deliver quality work without breaking the bank. Consider getting quotations from different personnel and samples of their previous work.
Clothing/Attire: 5-10%
Gowns, groom’s suits, or the bridal party dress/attires can cost a dime, forcing you to make compromises in the total wedding budget breakdown. If you're on a budget, the bridal party can handle their attires while you can also hire the suit or the gown.
Entertainment: 5-10%
Entertainment contributes to the general, joyful mood of the day. You should have a plan for the venue and the reception area. A great wedding idea on a budget is prioritizing entertainment for the reception area and having a simple plan for the venue. For instance, you can only have background music playing.
Other Factors to Consider in a Wedding Budget Breakdown
- Flowers and Decors (5-10%): Artificial flowers and related items offer options for low budget wedding stage decorations. Additionally, you can hire them and save up cash for other activities.
- Invitations and Stationery (2-5%): You'll probably save more if you choose DIY options when drafting thank-you notes or factoring in stationery costs. Digital means are an immediate solution.
- Miscellaneous Expenses (5-10%): You should set some cash aside to cover unforeseen matters during your wedding day. These include wedding planner fees, transportation, favors, gifts, and beauty services like hair and makeup.
What to Do to Stick to Your Wedding Budget
Surprisingly, most people go over budget despite having a well-structured wedding plan. This also occurs when executing budget rustic wedding ideas, which should be simple and cost-friendly.
So, what can you do to avoid budget mistakes? Read on for more information:
Track Each Expense
Tracking your expenses is crucial, helping you recognize things you might have missed in the official plan. A simple solution is using spreadsheets to monitor your spending. Also, technology offers wedding budget tracking tools to make your work easy. Remember to update your budget regularly to reflect actual expenses and keep receipts for reference.
Use DIY Solutions
This can work on factors like invitations, certain decorations, and makeup (the bride and bridal party can share makeup). You can also get help from friends on duties like venue decoration and setup. It can also act as a good bonding moment.
Negotiate Effectively
Don't hesitate to negotiate to get a better deal. You might end up getting a better price than the one planned for and automatically saving the money for other major priorities. An excellent tip is getting and comparing multiple quotes. However, remember not to compromise quality for cheap services/items.
Be Specific with Guest List
Knowing the number of guests to expect helps to plan on food, venue, and reception arrangements. If you're on a budget, a smaller guest list can significantly reduce costs. A simple solution is to consider an intimate wedding with close family and friends.
Carefully Select the Venue and Dates
Usually, you can get cheaper venues on a weekday, with weekend offers being expensive due to demand. You can consider non-traditional venues like parks, gardens, or even a friend’s backyard, which can be both beautiful and budget-friendly.
Common Mistakes in Wedding Budget Planning
Various factors can unintentionally or intentionally make your wedding budget overboard. Here are common mistakes in wedding budget planning:
- Underestimating costs:You should get different budget plans for your places of choice. This ensures you get an effective plan with the right amounts.
- Counter hidden fees: You should research vendor charges and inquire about any additional costs. This will help you avoid surprise fees during the actual event.
- Impulse expenses: It's common to get additional expenses but be careful of making unnecessary purchases. If necessary, let any impulse costs come from the miscellaneous cash pool.
- Focusing on non-essentials: Initially prioritize on essential expenses like venue, attire, and photography services.
Helpful Resources for a Wedding Plan Budget
Undoubtedly, technology is here to make things easier, and wedding planning is not an exception. Nonetheless, various traditional sources are handy: Follow below to discover these sources:
- Tools and apps: Platforms like Pinterest rel="nofollow" can help you find great DIY and low-wedding-budget decor ideas. Other tools include Weddinghappy and Minted.
- Websites and blogs: You can rely on websites like this to get great insights on how to plan a wedding on a budget.
- Books and journals: Try reading books like “The Wedding Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer”.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Basic Budget for a Wedding?
The general rule is to have a $100 budget for each guest. This is inclusive of their food and seating arrangements.
2. How to Split Your Budget for a Wedding?
Split your budget based on priority. A great tip is also having miscellaneous cash set aside for any arising issues.
3. How Do You Cover Wedding Costs?
You should have a clear source of funds. As mentioned, start saving early and also source funds from friends and family. Avoid credit sources if you don't have a clear way of paying it.
Conclusion
That's everything you need to know when looking to account for every cent in your wedding budget. The venue and catering automatically take the higher percentages. Nonetheless, ensure to balance out your budget to have a lovely and enjoyable day.