Mrs2Be

 

Wedding Budgets - How to set one and how to break it down

Getting married is an incredibly emotional event and it is understandable that a bride and groom would want it to be 'perfect' and there is no escaping the fact that getting married is a dear do. But how easy is it to avoid the temptation of spending too much on your big day and draw the line knowing that you won't necessarily be able to have everything you want for your big day?

There are many glossy magazines on the shelves showing images of the most beautiful weddings taking place all over the country in stunning venues, wearing gorgeous wedding dresses and it is easy to get drawn into these scenarios and suddenly lose sight of your original vision for your big day, and your budget!

So, how do you handle your wedding budget? Well the advice from the Mrs2Be team would be:

•  Set one! As daft as it sounds, many couples do not do this they simply write down everything they want then add it up but that is not ideal if you know that you do not have an endless pot of money. So, sit down with your other half and decide how much money you are comfortable spending on your big day. If you do need to borrow money, my advice would be not to borrow it for longer than 12 - 18 months and ensure you can meet the repayments comfortably. The last thing you want is to go into married life with the stress of money worries that is a sure recipe for disaster. Money worries put a huge strain on relationships. Check out websites such as www.moneysavingexpert.com for the best rates around and possibly consider using a 0% interest credit card but again be sure to make a plan to pay it off over the 0% period and set up a standing order so that you do it!

•  Once you have set your budget consider the one thing you would not want to compromise on. Is it the venue? Have you had a dream venue in your hearts and minds for some time? Is it to have all of your family and friends there no matter what? If it is the venue, then you could cut back on the number of guests, however, if it is the guests, then you may have to compromise on your venue.

•  Speak to other couples who got married within the last 1 - 2 years and ask them what, if anything, they would have done differently. It is an interesting exercise because it is so easy to get caught up in the moment but very difficult to know how you will feel 12 months after your big day. For example, I know of many brides who having spent thousands of pounds on their dress felt that in fact it was probably not necessary to have spent that much money as there are so many beautiful dresses around for every budget and it is still sitting in the wardrobe, or worse still the dry cleaners!

•  Wedding Photographs - here I would note a word of caution. It is a fact that wedding photography can be very expensive with some photographers charging £5,000 or more. Others will do the whole thing for just a few hundred pounds so what is the difference? Well, chances are there will be a difference so my advice would be to pay as much as you can afford to pay for your wedding photography but rather than go all out and buy all the photos and a fancy album, ask your photographer if you can go for a less expensive album or indeed your own album, and buy a lower number of photographs, but then add to it over the following months as and when you can afford to.

The reason why I would advise couples not to skimp on their wedding photographer is because when the day is over and the months are rushing by the one thing that will help to bring it all back to you is your wedding album! You will get so much pleasure looking back at them over the years with friends, family, children and even possibly grandchildren!

•  Choose a couple of very close friends or family members who you can sit down with and who you know will give you a non-biased, considered opinion. They may not necessarily tell you want you want to hear, but that is a good thing as it will help to keep you focused and on budget! Oh and don't forget to use your Mrs2Be online Wedding Budget tool! Here you can enter an amount you have budgeted, then how much you actual spend, whether or not you have paid the deposit and when balances are due for every element of your big day.

The following guide helps you to break down your overall budget amongst the individual elements of your big day:

Wedding Venue (including Food & Drink) 40%

Photographer 12%

Brides Dress 10%

Bridesmaids Outfits 3%

Entertainment 4.5%

Rings 4%

Transport 3%

Flowers 3%

Gifts 3%

Stationery 2.5%

Venue Decoration 2%

Wedding Cake 2%

Service 2.5%

Hen & Stag Do 1.5%

Grooms Outfit 1.5%

Hair & Beauty 1%

Insurance 0.5%

Contingency 4%

The most important thing is to enjoy it! Enjoy the planning as well as the day itself and the whole experience will be with you for years to come. Don't get too sucked in by the glossy magazines detailing the weddings of the rich and famous, this is your day so do it your way!

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