Your wedding budget. Something that Brides want to ignore, and most simply don’t know where to start when it comes to setting a budget, distributing costs and keeping track of everything.
That’s why I decided to make my incredibly handy wedding budget planner available for YOU to download, fo’ free.
I’ve used this spreadsheet numerous times during my time as a Wedding Planner, and Brides have found it incredibly useful to track funds throughout the entire planning process.
Listen up, ‘cos I’m about to discuss why it’s ESSENTIAL to have a clear budget and to manage it well.
Having a precise budget right from the start sets a clear path to follow. Here are a few more reasons why setting a budget is the most important thing you can do:
1. You won’t waste time. Avoid having consultations with suppliers you later discover you can’t afford, and rustling up ideas you know aren’t realistic.
2. It’s easy to get carried away. The cost of an average wedding in the UK is now at a staggering £22,000. Ouch. It’s so easy to want more because let’s face it, there are tonnes of options out there, so having a budget will avoid temptation.
3. No nasty surprises. Keeping track of everything throughout the process gives you a clear idea of how much you have left to spend. Forget going over budget or realising you can’t afford something after putting a deposit down.
Setting a budget and shopping around will cut costs. Fact.
1. It covers absolutely everything you could ever possibly need to budget towards for your wedding day.
2. It allows you to keep track of deposits you pay and the date you book everything, as well as a handy notes section for important details (outstanding balance, cost per head, Bridesmaids requests etc.).
3. It has an entire column of average wedding costs to help guide you.
Use this wedding budget planner throughout the process and you’ll avoid mistakes and save on cost.
Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?
We’ve gathered together a selection of top wedding planning tips & tricks based on our experiences, as well as those from experts in the industry, just for you.
We reveal clever ways on how to save money, as well as techniques to make the entire process a heck of a lot more stress-free.
Want to read even more tips and tricks? Download our FREE resource straight to your computer now. Click here.
START EARLY
Don’t hang around. Suppliers often get booked up extremely quickly, so don’t prolong the booking process, especially if you’re getting married in peak summer. “Late planning will drastically reduce the options,” says Vic Alexander, Visiting Tailor at JB Bespoke. “This could result in ‘second best, poorer service, and far from a dream wedding.”
HIT PINTEREST
Pinterest is quickly becoming the most popular search engine, especially for Brides. I like to call it the wedding Bible.
BE BUDGET SAVVY
Start by actually writing down your budget, saying it out loud even helps. Then begin to think about what you’d LOVE to have at your wedding.
THINK BEFORE YOU START RESEARCHING VENUES
What kind of wedding do you want? And how many guests do you want to invite? Only once you know the answers to these questions should you start researching possible venues.
VISIT YOUR VENUE AGAIN, AGAIN & AGAIN
You’ll find that you come across so many questions throughout the planning process, such as, “how many tables can we fit in the space?”, and “where can we put flowers where guests will notice?”. Visiting your venue during open days/evenings is a great way to discuss any queries with the staff (plus it’s always nice for an excuse to see the venue again!).
THINK ABOUT THE LIGHTING
Lighting is something that is usually massively overlooked, yet it can make all the difference to your venue. Uplighters and candles are relatively low-cost effective ways of introducing lighting. Don’t forget to think of outside lighting too – outdoor lanterns are really cheap and look amazing.
CHOOSE WISELY
“Take your time and choose suppliers that compliments your personal style. Shop around before contacting them. Everything is easier when you work with suppliers that you trust 100%.” Cameron & Mindy Braun of Braunphotography.
Click here to download even more incredibly useful wedding planning tips & tricks — it’s free!
CHOOSE A MENU YOU WILL ENJOY
Many future brides and grooms worry about the wedding breakfast menu, and get caught up in the details of others’ preferences and dietary requirements. Trying to please everybody is an impossible task. It’s YOUR day, so pick a menu you and your partner both love.
MAKE THE PLANNING FUN
“With so much to think of, planning a wedding can be really stressful. It’s easy to forget to enjoy the journey,” says Maria-Antonia Greenhill, Wedding and Event Planner of White Door Events. She encourages her clients to make a celebration out of as many planning events as possible. “For instance, if you’re having a dress fitting, meet with your entourage for afternoon tea or bubbly afterwards.”
GET ORGANISED
Create a master document with supplier names, contact numbers, and other important details. Not only will you feel in complete control during the planning stages, you can print it and hand it to one of your trusted bridesmaids on the day!
TAKE NOTES
“It may feel a bit like being back in school, but take lots of notes when visiting venues or other suppliers. You’re bound to forget the detail by the time you get home. With venues specifically, I recommend giving marks out of ten on things like style, charm, and budget.” MariaAntonia Greenhill, Wedding and Event Planner of White Door Events.
Click here to download even more incredibly useful wedding planning tips & tricks — it’s free!
Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?
Most Bride’s are unaware of hidden wedding costs. But you’re already very wise to search the net for any potential nasty surprises that will knock a hole in your budget.
With lots of hidden wedding costs sprinkled throughout the planning process, it can cause you to go way above your budget, around 30% in fact. Ouch.
So where are these hidden costs? And how can you avoid them? Listen up, my friend, cos’ I’m about to teach you a whole lot.
Grab a pen and paper to jot down some of my essential tips.
SET-UP & BREAKDOWN
Are you going to hire a florist? A venue dresser? A cake maker? Each of these will charge various fees to cover transport costs, and the time it takes to set-up and breakdown items.
This can be anything from 20% of a single suppliers total costs. And obviously, the more suppliers you use, the more you can expect to pay in these fees.
ALTERATIONS
Alterations can be costly for the Brides and Bridesmaids dresses. Before you buy, you must ask what the stores alteration policy is.
It’s extremely common for the Bride and Bridesmaids to fluctuate in size, and you don’t want to be forking out potentially double your original budget in alterations.
This can cost anything from £100 per dress.
POSTAGE
It seems most Brides are still opting for the more traditional method of posting the invitations to guests. Which personally I LOVE, however, you must remember that not only are you paying for the invitations to be delivered, but also for stamps and RSVPs.
To keep costs down, avoid bulky or large invitations and use RSVP postcards rather than letters.
VENUE
This is fo’ sure my biggest tip. If you take anything away with you today, let it be this.
Ask your venue what exactly is included in your chosen package.
Table linen? Chairs? Cake table? Lighting? These aspects can be the most costly for a wedding. And do you know why? Because it’s a WEDDING, so venues know they can be sneaky and charge up to triple what they usually would.
Be very careful that you’re not purely paying for hire of the venue.
These costs can add an additional £75 EXTRA per person. Say what?!
CORKAGE
Bringing in your own wine sounds like a good get out of extra fees, right? It can be, but be wary of the corkage charges.
If you bring your own alcohol to avoid the venue’s costs, you may still rack up a similarly priced bill. And you may even be charged glass rental fees.
Corkage fees range from venue to venue, so it’s always worth asking.
PERMITS
While having an outdoor wedding may initially seem cheaper, you may have to get permits to hold your event. Add on rentals (marquee, heater, generator, etc.) can begin to get costly.
Some indoor venues will also require a permit if you choose to use candles or other non-approved details. Inquire about these before signing the contract.
Additional add ons can cost from £500.
WEDDING BREAKFAST
Some venues charge extra for guests to select their own meal from a range of dishes. This can cost an additional £2 per person. However, this is not expected by guests so make life easier for yourselves and just choose some good all rounders.
If there’s no set price for a three course meal, be cheeky and save some buck by opting for the wedding cake as desert instead.
TAXES & SERVICE CHARGES
Did someone say taxes? Yawn. Listen up though, cos’ this is important.
Tax varies from country to country, however you can expect to fork out an extra 20% on food, drink and rental fees.
Make sure that the venue package is inclusive of VAT, or at least be aware of the extra costs you’ll possibly have to pay. Sometimes, you will even be taxed on the service charge, increasing costs more.
Taxes and tips will be around 1/3 of your budgeted amount.
I truly hope you learnt some useful tips. The bottom line is, always read the small print to avoid hidden fees.
TOTAL COSTS: £8,460+
Did you know you can access a range of free, useful documentation including spreadsheets, checklists and guides to help you plan your wedding, the RIGHT way?
