Wedding Budget 101: How to Create a Budget for Your Big Day

Your wedding day is all about celebrating the first steps that you and your partner will take together as husband and wife. It is a time to celebrate with friends and family and to create lasting memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life. 

That being said, it is also a major event that has to be planned, organized, and most importantly, paid for. The average wedding in the US costs around $38,000 when all is said and done. While that number might make you feel faint, there is no need to panic. If you take the time to draw up a wedding budget and find the resolve to stick to it, then the cost of your wedding can end up being much more manageable.

Know Your Numbers

The first step to creating a successful budget of any kind is to decide on the amount you are working with. This can be a painful process, as you have most likely been dreaming about your wedding day for a long time and don’t really want to set a limit to that vision. That being said, a wedding is just the first day of the rest of your life. 

There are so many life events, major and minor, that you and your husband-to-be have to look forward to. You don’t want to spend your entire life savings on one day, a day that will be over before you know it. Be realistic with yourself about what you can reasonably spend. Chances are, no matter how high or low your number is, the day will be remembered for what it meant to you, for the people you spent it with and the love you felt, not the quality of the flower arrangements or number of courses at dinner.

Big-Ticket Items

Once you have decided on the amount of money that you are happy to spend on your wedding, it is time to roughly allocate the amounts that will go towards the essential big-ticket items. A typical wedding budget breakdown will show that the majority of your funds will go towards your venue and the food. The details of your event, including décor, flowers, and attire, will come next on the list.

Know what is most important to you. This could be the dress or hiring the best wedding photographer since those are the pictures you will look at for the rest of your life. The important point to remember is that the cost of all these items iscompletely variable, so when you want to go big for these particular items, think about where you can save money. 

Don’t be taken in by small details 

As you plan your big day, you will quickly realize just how expensive goods and services become as soon as the word “wedding” comes into play. With that in mind, make sure to focus on the necessities of the event and don’t allow yourself to be taken in by small, excessive details that most people won’t even notice anyway, such as the favors.

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