
Every couple that is planning their wedding, dreams of having an event that’s going to resemble a fairytale. That’s because this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so they want to ensure everything goes smoothly.
There are many things that they need to take into consideration during wedding planning and organizing, and one of them is a wedding budget. Unless you have limitless funds at your disposal, you need to be very careful to avoid breaking the bank.
Sticking to a certain amount isn’t very easy and couples tend to go off-track in these situations, however, there are different strategies that you can resort to that are going keep you on track. So let’s dive further into the most common wedding budget mistakes and how to prevent them!
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You Fail To Track Your Expenses
This for sure isn’t the most thrilling part of this entire process, however, that’s something that simply must be done if you want to avoid blowing your budget. One of the biggest benefits of tracking your costs is the fact that you’ll be able to see where your money actually goes when compared to the amount you determined for the budget.
For example, when choosing the venue, you may spend a substantial amount of money on it because the venue that you opted for includes its own seating and table arrangements that are too pricey. Instead of agreeing to these conditions, it would be much better to find specialists in table hire because they are normally a lot less costly and then use the rest of the amount for other purposes. There’s no need to remind you that if you overspend, you’ll easily defeat the purpose of budgeting.
Therefore, you should give this suggestion to the venue owner (referring to the previously mentioned arrangements) and if they don’t accept it, then find someone who will. Another thing that’s going to help you properly track your costs is if you employ apps that are intended for this, like Google Docs, or any other budget phone app.
They are going to help you assess all your expenses the right way. By doing all of this, you’ll be able to properly allocate your funds, and, at the same time, make certain adjustments if necessary.
Some Tasks Should Be Done By The Professionals
A lot of couples that want to tighten their belt think that they’ll be able to do so if they take on several wedding tasks, such as making the wedding cake, decorating, or anything else that requires a plethora of experience, which they don’t have, of course.
Instead of leaving these tasks up to the professionals, they normally turn these endeavors into DIY projects that end up being a lot more expensive than hiring an expert. For instance, if you decide that you want to create the centerpieces, you’ll need to buy flowers, and elegant vases, and know exactly what needs to be done to properly arrange them.
If you decide to do this all on your own, without the assistance of a professional, you will most likely spend more money than you initially planned. Although there are certain things that can be done on your own, this one definitely isn’t one of them.
Not Talking About Who Is Pay For What
Now, this may not be the most “comfortable” topic to discuss, but at some point, you’ll simply need to go through that too! Every couple ends up in a different situation as far as this goes. There are those who receive money upfront from certain family members to contribute to their wedding budget, and then there are those who receive it as a gift (on the wedding day), so the couple needs to borrow money first and then (after the wedding is over) they repay their debt.
Whatever your situation may be, you still need to determine who’s paying for what. In some instances, there’ll be relatives who will immediately let you know what they are responsible for (in terms of expenses), which is great because this makes things so much simpler.
On the flip side, if no one says anything about this, then you’ll need to bring this topic up. It’s much better to have it out in the open before this special day than to wait until the very last minute.
Not Defining Your Priorities
This is probably one of the most common mistakes when it comes to wedding budget, and this ceremony, in general. It’s of huge importance to be realistic in these situations, and this rule applies even to the ones who are hiring a wedding planner.
Every couple has things that are simply non-negotiable, which is probably the case with the two of you as well. Consequently, you should write them down in order of importance and make sure they are covered first, before other aspects of this event that aren’t as relevant.
Not Considering A Wedding Insurance
This is something that many couples overlook, not perceiving it as anything that’s crucial. But is it really the case? It all comes down to the type of wedding you’ll be having. If you’re planning on hosting something small (with only a couple of people), then it’s highly unlikely you need one.
On the other hand, if you want to organize a large wedding, then this is certainly something worth considering. A lot of people think that this is just another unnecessary cost that they can survive without.
However, what you need to realize is that if (God forbid) something bad occurs at this event, that is quite severe, you may end up losing almost all of the amount you’ve previously spent. Although this may seem like a huge expense at first glance, it’s still a great investment, because it covers a bunch of things that may potentially go wrong, like:
- Damaged, stolen, or lost things
- Technical issues
- Incidents, death, or illness
- If a supplier doesn’t arrive at all, or the goods that are brought are damaged in any way
- Public liability insurance and potential legal action
- Harsh weather
Splurging
Practically everyone is “susceptible” to splurging, especially when it’s time to purchase all kinds of things for this special occasion, however, if you want to stick to your budget, then you must be very cautious when obtaining anything.
Now, this doesn’t solely refer to the items and services that are expensive, but also to the ones that are affordable. You may think that, for example, ten dollars won’t make any huge difference, but little by little, and here you are penniless.
Bear in mind that regardless of their sizes, expenses can quickly add up. That’s exactly why you must carefully think things through before you officially acquire them. In these instances, practicing self-control can do a lot.
For instance, before you buy anything, you should first check whether that item is part of your budget or not. If it isn’t, refrain from purchasing it. On the flip side, if you think it’s necessary to make some changes to your budget, take some time and carefully think if that change will really benefit your finances or not.
Assumptions Can Often Be Misleading
Many couples have the tendency to determine their budget based on the expenses their friends or family members had a couple of years ago, which is a huge mistake. What you need to remember is that things have drastically changed over the years.
The prices of everything have gone through the roof, hence you should never rely on the pieces of information that are practically outdated, otherwise, you’ll be unpleasantly surprised once you get the bill for every cost.
Therefore, it would be much better if you received estimates from the owners of the venue, catering service, or anything/anyone else that you plan on having for the wedding day. Speaking of this, make sure to tell to vendors to be very direct, transparent, and honest when it comes to their services so you can properly set aside a certain amount of money for them.
For instance, if you decide you want to have a wedding photographer, then they should be transparent about all the expenses that will be included as part of their services. This typically involves things such as fees for travel time, taking pictures, printing, editing, and other things.
Don’t Forget The Hidden Costs
There are many expenses that people tend to overlook or forget because they aren’t seemingly “visible”. This refers to service fees, taxes, delivery charges, gratuities, etc. If you don’t want to forget them, then you should tell your wedding planner (if you hire one) to identify them on time and include them in the wedding budget.
There Are Things That Should Be Rented
One of the surefire ways to completely blow your budget is by buying everything (even the items that you’ll use once), instead of renting. The ones that you plan on keeping should be purchased. The rest can freely be rented.
Regardless of how thrilling weddings are, they can be hectic and chaotic as well and if you do not pay attention to what you’re doing, you can easily go astray. But that’s why these tips are here, to make sure you “stay on course”.