Simple Steps to Create a Wedding Budget

When you start writing your wedding budget, you might feel a little overwhelmed at first. There are so many things to spend money on that you might not even know where to start writing entries in the budget. You can however, write and keep to a successful budget if you follow these simple steps.

Where to begin

Before you even start crunching numbers, writing down the things that are crucial for your wedding. Talk with your boyfriend because he may have different ideas from you and you want to find out the best way to merge your styles before you write a budget.

Talk to your boyfriend about what your perfect wedding would be the same, and hear him talk about her perfect wedding. If you come from opposite ends of the spectrum, figure out how to meet in the middle and agree on a theme or look you both love.

Next, how much can you spend?

This is a pretty important step, of course. The best place to start is usually with your parents. You may want to contribute a lump sum to your wedding plans, or they may have a few certain things in mind that they will pay for. The money your parents help, plus any wedding money you have saved can be dedicated to your wedding budget.

Do not use credit or loans to accelerate the pace of your wedding budget. Even if you have little to work with, will add debt only stress you and your husband-to-be out, especially at the beginning of your marriage.

You may want to open a bank account or a credit card specifically for your wedding because it will help you track each payment. Every month until the big day, you can look over an account ledger to find out how much you have spent. (If you decide to go the credit card route, find one with a 0% introductory interest rate and pay it off each month. You will not interest rolled into your wedding budget!)

Use all your resources

If you know people who would make excellent photographers, drivers, invitation makers, dress makers, or anything else you need on your wedding day, make a list.

Your friends and family members will most likely be elated to help on your wedding day. Plus, using the talents of people you know will make your wedding both more specific and more affordable.

Make a guest list

Create a rough list of how many guests you will invite. It's really easy for your parents and his parents to add the extended family members and out-of-town friends to this list, so be careful here.

You really should not invite people to your wedding if you do not want them there or know them well, so here are a few ideas to help you cut down on the list

not invite people you work with, just friends

only include relatives up to first cousins

have an adults only wedding

Paring down the guest list is difficult, but necessary, and you'll have to include your boyfriend and his family and to your family, they may want to add people you had not thought of.

Total up the high cost

With an approximate number of guests will help you find out some of your major costs such as catering, venues, and drink, and you can include these in your budget plan now.

You can start getting more specific, call the vendors you like. See if they are available first, and then get the estimated costs for the many guests you have. It would be easy to see how far suppliers fit into your budget so you can move quickly and ask for more specific offers from the cheapest suppliers.

Add up total costs less

Begin to fill a spreadsheet with the lower cost of decorations and favors. Team sheets are updated as you find out the exact cost for everything.

Over budget?

If the rough budget that you have written now, is too high, you need to consider your priorities. Maybe you need a small cake, or a DJ instead of a live band.

Decide how you and your fiancé will splurge and what you can afford to save. You can make your own invitations, so you get extra money for a designer dress. It is really important that you prioritize and stay on budget, as it goes beyond the budget will be very stressful.

If you simply do not have enough money saved to create the wedding you want, you might want to move your date back a few months and give you time to save that extra cash.

The little things

When it comes to your wedding budget, it would not be expensive items to throw your budget out, but small. It can be easy to save money on big ticket items, but the little things can really start adding to your budget. So watch yourself when it comes to small things and keep all your receipts so you can update your wedding budget at all times.