Planning a Wedding (Part 3)

Wedding Planning Part 3:

Let’s recap what you’ve learned thus far.
  1. This is YOUR Wedding. The only person you have to concern yourself with is your fiancé.
  2. Create a timeline and stick to your priorities first.
  3. Surround yourself with experienced wedding planners to help with your process
  4. Enjoy every second of this planning process.
Hope you have enjoyed the planning process so far. There is a lot to be done and unfortunately, a limited amount of time to get it finished. Therefore, we want to move onto the next and possibly one of the most important parts to planning your wedding. 

YOUR BUDGET.
 
  • SHH – Don’t use the F Word! (Finances)
Please, don’t hate us. We know that we all hate to talk about our financial situation when it has to do with something so intimate like your wedding – but it has to be discussed. Everyone, no matter what they financial stature is, has a budget they are willing to spend on their wedding. At the end of this whole process, you will be able to reflect upon what you wish you spent your money on and what you wish you didn’t. Make no mistake, even if you have the PERFECT wedding, there will be at least one aspect from your wedding that you will question its value. This is something that many people are worrisome over and may cause them to stop taking actions – DON’T. Remember that whatever decision you and your fiancé make is based off the given information you are obtaining and making the best decision possible at that time. However, there are a few articles that will attempt to convince you that you can have the wedding of your dreams on a low scale budget. Unfortunately, that is untrue.

Don’t make the mistake of settling for something based on price when something that is so desirable to you and your fiancé can be maneuvered for your budget. Let us explain further with an example.

If you are buying a new car, would you settle for the model you didn’t want because the initial price was to high? Wouldn’t you rather say you bought the car you so vigorously wanted by negating the features you didn’t need within the car? Do you need a fully loaded 8 cylinder engine and a sunroof, or are you willing to take a 6 cylinder with no sunroof and heated seats? 

The point we’re trying to make, is that you’re still getting the value that you want and deserve, without over reaching your budget. You have to balance out your wants and needs in order to truly find what you’re looking for in the wedding market. Many companies will attempt to sell you everything under their roof because they are rated by someone and are going to convince you that they’re the best choice for you. Just remember, you aren’t one of their previous couples. Instead of all of the bells and whistles, are they offering their time and effort to make sure they will do whatever it takes to make that service the best at your wedding? If not, challenge their value. Be sure to judge their value before you judge their price!

 

2. Don’t replace necessities, replace desires.

This may confuse some people based on what we just discussed but let’s make this simple. Statistically, there are 3 things that you and your guests will remember the most about your wedding. They are as listed:
  1. The Music and Entertainment
  2. The Food
  3. The Wedding Dress
Now let’s be clear, were not asking you to get married in a Chucky Cheese, but maybe you could find more room in your budget if you search for a venue that supplies great food for a reasonable price per plate. Ultimately, your guests will remember if they enjoyed the food before they decide if they enjoyed the scenery of your venue. Also, your wedding dress is going to be a very high topic of discussion, so be sure to choose the one that you truly are in love with and never hesitate to ask for help from loved ones.
  • Heres a little tip to help manage your budget:
Ask some very important people (parents, relatives, etc) to help with the planning as opposed to offering a gift. Their gift is for your support. Obviously, certain expenses are greater than others, but if be willing to negotiate a budget that they can help you with instead of receiving a gift from them on the day of your wedding! 
 
Entertainment – the most memorable portion of your wedding. Whether it be a band or DJ company, you have to make sure they are a perfect fit for you. Best way to find out is to see some of their previous work. Ask for CDs, Download Links, Videos, or possible live performances. A great entertainment company can make or break your wedding, so if there is anything you do not want to replace your budget with, it’s the music. Your guests will remember for years how amazing your party was. If your entertainers are engaging, professional and experienced, they know to cater to your every needs and to perform beyond your expectations!

 

3.Get things to take home.

If you’re going to spend all of this money on your wedding, don’t you want some form of souvenir to cherish forever? The most common souvenir for a bride and groom is a wedding album. How many times have you seen your parents, grandparents or other elder’s wedding album? I’m sure you’ve seen at least a dozen wedding albums throughout your family and each and every one of them are proud of that album. Be sure to take into account different options for a wedding album and be sure you pick something that you will cherish forever – spend more money on items or services you can use to remember the greatest day of your life.
Some things to avoid are high priced items such as centerpieces, invitations, save the dates, party favors, etc. These are items that you, nor most of your guests, will not obtain for long periods of time. How many invitations are kept after a wedding? How many high priced centerpieces are often left behind or found for use as a decoration anywhere else? Be sure to question these items and see if you can either do them yourself or replace them with something more desirable (e.g., a tastier wedding cake.)

 So get planning! We’ll see and hear from you next time on our 4th addition to the Wedding Planning Process!

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