First thing, call everyone and announce the news, you must be brimming with excitement. You are in the clouds…. Do we really want to talk about money? No! But we must, but not now, enjoy being engaged. Enjoy your moments in the limelight and relish the romantic spells, wondering how you are going to feel and look on your big day!!!!!!
Then, it suddenly dawns, Money! Take your time; start with the basics, what type of wedding have you dreamt of? How many people have you envisioned will be at your wedding? Will you be happy with a gathering of 10, 20, 30 people at a garden villa in Spain or will you consider taking it easy and enjoying the day with a few family members and friends. If you are going to be saving from the moment of your engagement or maybe it’s a tight budget. Having a Sunday Brunch at the beach, Friday or Saturday night simply desserts reception or an immaculate destination wedding?
Wait a minute! You want a grand Maggie Sottero wedding gown or Hawaiian wedding/honeymoon with 200 to 300 guests in attendance. Before you go on a whirlwind adventure planning a once in a lifetime route to bankruptcy. Please, Breathe! Yes, Breathe….
Let’s begin again, figure out who can help financially with your wedding plans. Have a talk with family members about who is paying for what and what they can offer, it may not be in cash but who knows, a family member may know someone who works at a car rental and can get a discount. Maybe your favourite aunt can bake your wonderful wedding cake as a gift. Friends can contribute to your flowers or music on the day, open your options.
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If it is just you and your soon to be wife/husband taking care of expenses, then it makes sense to still have that talk and work what aspect of the wedding you are most likely to spend a higher than average amount on. For instance, some people spend more than average on the photographer, because they want quality photos and they feel it will last a lifetime. For some, it will be on their honeymoon.
Now how much do you have in the kitty? Do you need to plan for a longer period of time to save enough? Are you willing to consider taking out a loan? Will go to the bank or will you look of other alternatives? If you can’t get a loan, will you reduce the amount you need for the wedding? Are you saving on costs or splurging? What areas will you consider saving on and what areas will you splurge on? Where are you willing to accommodate your soon to be husband/wife’s wants? Too many questions? Depending on how many people are sitting with you to discuss finances, every member of the “Board Group” will be voicing an opinion on how their money will be spent.
You may want the wedding venue; others may want all the family members they have not seen in decades to attend. The average wedding these days can go between 15,000 to 25,000 Euros depending on the individuals. Some weddings have been organized for much less and have turned out to be simply divine. Some have had the makings of a huge budget and significant high-stress levels but the fact still remains that 2 people have found love. It may or may not be witnessed by family and friends but vows will be exchanged and celebrated.
It is always advisable to budget on how to manage your wedding costs, it’s very important that you pick the essential things which neither of you wants to compromise on so that you can identify other areas where you’re willing to save money. It can be on any of the expenses areas of the wedding budget, like how many people will be attending, venue, flowers, accessories etc. You will need to assign budget percentages using a scale of priorities, so budget wisely. Wherever you can create, like with the cake or invitations, do so or simply ask for help from friends and family. Meanwhile enjoy the ride and reduce as much costs where feasible, but most importantly enjoy the romantic spells associated with it.
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