*This is a contributed post*
When the wedding bells are ringing, your bank account will often start crying! Gone are the days where couples used to run off and come back wed. Or pop to the town hall and get their marriage certified. Or just have a small gathering of close friends and family to celebrate their nuptials. These days, weddings cost. And they cost a lot! So it’s important for you to be aware of exactly how much.
But when it comes to setting a wedding budget, there a lot to keep in mind. And it’s important for you to do your researching, using wedding ebook options and the internet, as well as local companies and feedback from friends and family. Because then, you’re going to be able to work out where your money will go, and get a realistic idea of what you need to save. So let’s consider some options.
The Reception
To start with, let’s address one of the biggest areas of expense. The wedding reception itself. And this cost can really start to add up. Depending on where you want to get married and how many people you are planning on inviting, you could be looking at thousands. Or not. But in general, this is where a large portion will go. Because venues can be expensive. And then you have all of the decor and entertainment to go along with it. So this is likely to be the one element that most of your money goes on.
The Dress
Have you always had your princess moment in mind? Do you dream of a perfect dress? Then you will want to make sure you are looking at options and that you know what you want costs. Or, you will need to set a budget based on what you can afford and shop around from there.
The Food
Sometimes, your food will be all included in the reception. But not always. Maybe you want to use an independent caterer? Or offer different options for the evening? Then this is a cost that can suddenly creep up.
The Flowers
There’s also the flowers to think about. Maybe you want them to decorate your venue, but you may also want them for the ceremony too. And then there’s the bridal party flowers to think about and the bouquet. It’s important to get quotes here, because the flowers can often cost more than you’d think.
The Honeymoon
And finally, you’ve got the honeymoon to think about. Now, everyone will have their own preference for this, but if you’d love to jet off to somewhere fantastic, your choice of honeymoon destination could take up a large portion of your budget. But maybe you want to keep it simple, so it may not. However, there’s also the idea of waiting to book your honeymoon until after the wedding is finished, because sometimes people will give you money as a gift, and you can then book your honeymoon with that as a funding option.
