I don’t know about anyone else, but a huge part of our wedding planning process is going to include budgeting! Weddings can be so expensive! But, why? Is it really necessary to spend tens of thousands on a wedding?
With TinyHuman to think about we simply cannot justify spending ridiculous amounts of money on a wedding. So, can we plan our dream wedding on a budget?
I definitely believe so!
There is so much that goes into wedding planning. It’s a lot to think about, a lot to remember and a lot to pay for.
With so much to remember… where should we begin?
Establish your budget.
Figure out how much you can afford to spend on your day over all. Once you have done that, then you can plan exactly how much of your budget you can afford to spend on each aspect of your wedding. This will make it easier to avoid going over your total budget, as sometimes it can be hard to keep track of how it all adds up. Personally I recommend the app Bridebook for helping with this.
This is also the time to figure what you are and aren’t willing to spend more money on, you may have always dreamed of that princess dress or the perfect venue. For me, I have only one thing that I will not compromise on- a pretty venue with an aisle for me to walk down. It was only when thinking back to a wedding I attended recently where there wasn’t an aisle that I realised that actually this is something that is very important to me.
Shop around.
Don’t settle for the most convenient option, look around and see if you can’t find the same/similar options elsewhere for a better price! Shop locally and support your local businesses- they often have a better quality of product for a good price and you’re likely to find something unique to you!
Get thrifty.
I don’t know about anybody else but I am a sucker for a good charity shop or even Facebook Marketplace! You can find anything on there! This could massively help reduce your costs. There are even bridal pages where people sell on their wedding bits, even dresses, sometimes brand new and unused!
DIY!
Where possible… DIY! Things like center pieces and decorations are so easy to create yourself if you have a little know how, and if you don’t? Phone a friend! Gather your troops and get creating, you’ll have fun doing it and save so much money compared to buying premade ones.
Some even make their own wedding cakes and/or dresses! I’m certainly not that clever, but you might be!
Keep it simple.
We all picture our perfect day differently, each dream as unique and different as we are. However, the most important thing is that we end our day as Husband and Wife.
So, let’s simplify it. Really think about who you want there, what kind of wedding do you want?
Do you really need to invite that one person you used to know but don’t really know anymore and her husband and kids? No, you don’t. Cutting your guest list to only your most important people will not only cut your costs but also make your day more enjoyable as you’ll be spending it with only your favourite people!
Do you really need that huge grand hall that seats 300 for dinner or would you be just as happy with the registry office and a big party…
Kick tradition to the curb.
It might be tradition to have a huge fancy three course meal, more big fancy flower bouquets than you could ever need, a dress that costs more than your mortgage and everyone you’ve ever met sent beautiful fancy invitations to your special day… but is that what you really want?
Are you doing these things because you want them or because they’re the done thing? If your answer is not the first one, then scrap those traditions. You can save yourself a fortune and have the day that you have dreamed of, not the day others want for you. Last year I went to a wedding where we were all invited via a Facebook page, it worked- everyone knew where to be and when, the Bride and Groom only had to answer a question once as everyone could see the response. Simple but effective and most of all, free!
