Let's face it - a wedding can be one of the biggest expenses a married couple face in their life.
And it comes at a time when they are just starting out in life.
Decisions made in the planning process of your wedding can have a significant impact on how you are able to live your life for several years to come.
Is it any wonder why most couples over spend their budget? Both (OK, mainly the bride to be) want the day to be perfect.
With the average product that has the word wedding attached to it running 30% more than identical "non wedding" items, it's no wonder why it's so easy to go over budget.
ON top of that, you've got every vendor under the sun promoting the idea that you've simply got to spend lavishly if you expect to have a "perfect" wedding.
This is rubbish! It takes a great deal of willpower to be able to stand up against all of the hype, pressure and impulsiveness that you're bound to run into throughout the wedding planning process.
You and your spouse to be really need to sit down and identify early on what you really want and what you can actually live without.
One of the first things you'll have to do after putting an estimated budget together is to figure out how you are going to pay for it all.
Who's footing the bill? In most cases, the tradition of the bride's family paying for the wedding and reception while the groom's family paid for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon is long gone.
Oh sure, there are some instances where this tradition still applies, but these days, nearly a third of all weddings are paid for by the bride and groom themselves.
The other two thirds are a mix of parents footing the bill or providing loans of some type for the big day.
Before you get too far along in the planning of your wedding, you're going to need to know where the money is coming from.
Don't make the mistake of thinking your parents are going to automatically pay for your reception.
You could be in for a huge shock when it comes time to put the deposit down for your dream venue! It's best to have all this out in the open early on - as soon after your engagement as possible to avoid any misunderstandings.
It's entirely possible that both sets of parents want to handle things in the traditional way.
If so, great! But you are still going to have to set up a budget based on their wishes.
Or, maybe neither set of parents is in a position to be able to help out.
Whatever the case, you need to know this information up front.
If they want to help, find out if they are going to contribute cash, if they are going to pay for specific things, or if they want to do a combination of both.
Obviously without this information, you won't be able to put together a wedding budget.
There is one thing that you are going to have to be keenly aware of - if you aren't already.
Sometimes when family members (or even a friend) gives you money or pays for specific wedding expenses, they seem to think that this gives them some creative control in your wedding.
It's a double edged sword.
Sure, you want the money, but you really don't want someone else butting their nose into your business.
You will want to be flexible, but don't let the offer for help make you do something completely contrary to what you had planned on doing.
The best way to deal with these type of situations is to lay it out on the table at the start of the planning process.
If someone is giving you cash, let them know how you are going to be spending the money.
For example, if you get $2,500 from your folks, let them know you're going to be using it for flowers, put towards the reception, etc.
If they don't like that idea for some reason, let them choose an item or two they would rather fund instead.
The bottom line here is the same as it is with the entire process.
Prepare, plan and stick to your plan! Doing so will avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.
And it comes at a time when they are just starting out in life.
Decisions made in the planning process of your wedding can have a significant impact on how you are able to live your life for several years to come.
Is it any wonder why most couples over spend their budget? Both (OK, mainly the bride to be) want the day to be perfect.
With the average product that has the word wedding attached to it running 30% more than identical "non wedding" items, it's no wonder why it's so easy to go over budget.
ON top of that, you've got every vendor under the sun promoting the idea that you've simply got to spend lavishly if you expect to have a "perfect" wedding.
This is rubbish! It takes a great deal of willpower to be able to stand up against all of the hype, pressure and impulsiveness that you're bound to run into throughout the wedding planning process.
You and your spouse to be really need to sit down and identify early on what you really want and what you can actually live without.
One of the first things you'll have to do after putting an estimated budget together is to figure out how you are going to pay for it all.
Who's footing the bill? In most cases, the tradition of the bride's family paying for the wedding and reception while the groom's family paid for the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon is long gone.
Oh sure, there are some instances where this tradition still applies, but these days, nearly a third of all weddings are paid for by the bride and groom themselves.
The other two thirds are a mix of parents footing the bill or providing loans of some type for the big day.
Before you get too far along in the planning of your wedding, you're going to need to know where the money is coming from.
Don't make the mistake of thinking your parents are going to automatically pay for your reception.
You could be in for a huge shock when it comes time to put the deposit down for your dream venue! It's best to have all this out in the open early on - as soon after your engagement as possible to avoid any misunderstandings.
It's entirely possible that both sets of parents want to handle things in the traditional way.
If so, great! But you are still going to have to set up a budget based on their wishes.
Or, maybe neither set of parents is in a position to be able to help out.
Whatever the case, you need to know this information up front.
If they want to help, find out if they are going to contribute cash, if they are going to pay for specific things, or if they want to do a combination of both.
Obviously without this information, you won't be able to put together a wedding budget.
There is one thing that you are going to have to be keenly aware of - if you aren't already.
Sometimes when family members (or even a friend) gives you money or pays for specific wedding expenses, they seem to think that this gives them some creative control in your wedding.
It's a double edged sword.
Sure, you want the money, but you really don't want someone else butting their nose into your business.
You will want to be flexible, but don't let the offer for help make you do something completely contrary to what you had planned on doing.
The best way to deal with these type of situations is to lay it out on the table at the start of the planning process.
If someone is giving you cash, let them know how you are going to be spending the money.
For example, if you get $2,500 from your folks, let them know you're going to be using it for flowers, put towards the reception, etc.
If they don't like that idea for some reason, let them choose an item or two they would rather fund instead.
The bottom line here is the same as it is with the entire process.
Prepare, plan and stick to your plan! Doing so will avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.
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