Budget, what budget? You mean my wedding is going to cost that much? Yes, it’s the dreaded “b” word in wedding planning, but the most important one. Before you begin to plan all the wonderful things you want for your wedding, you must set a budget!

All the details of your day revolve around this number. It is very easy to get carried away on Pinterest and see all the beautiful things you could have on your day. However, you can’t just spend money on items that you may not need. First, be realistic. Realize you are going to be hiring professionals who are seasoned in their craft. You will be paying them for their experience, reliability and their service. The old saying does hold true, you get what you pay for.

Wedding planning is like building a house. You will need a strong foundation to get started and then you can build upon that. You have not planned a wedding before, so you really don’t know the price points for each vendor. But your wedding planner does, so trust her to guide you and match you to the vendors with the services that fit within your budget.

In setting your budget, identify the two or three things that are of utmost importance to you. Maybe it’s your dress and your flowers, or it’s the band and the venue. Whatever these things are, make them priority in your budget so you can allocate the money for them. You don’t want to find out you have spent your money elsewhere and then you don’t have the means to get the items you really wanted.

Money and emotions go hand in hand. Don’t let either of them get out of control. Make your budget spreadsheet for guidance. This will lead to less stress and better planning. Again, trust your wedding planner, she knows the prices vendors charge. You will hire an average of eight wedding vendors. And all their fees add up! So realize that your wedding may cost more than your originally thought.