Way back in the day, the tradition was that the parents paid for everything for their child’s wedding. But times have changed and so have the traditions. Today’s etiquette of who will pay for the wedding is ever-changing. These days even the couple themselves find themselves paying for some or all of the wedding expenses. And weddings today are expensive, right!?

So who does pay for the wedding? And what will the budget be? It is all a matter of personal choice. Today most couples find that several people are contributing to the budget, parents, grandparents, stepparents as well as themselves! Everyone is pitching in and that is great.

This leads to the next item that needs to be addressed – if you are receiving money towards your wedding does the giver have a say in the vendors or venue you book? Well, this really depends on your relationship with the giver. They may tell you straight out that they want a certain band and they are willing to pay for it. Or they may say, here is x amount of money, do with it whatever you want. If you don’t use it all you can keep it for a honeymoon or house. That sounds great, but now couples are not having money left over, they are now shelling out more money to cover the basic wedding costs.

The wedding budget is just that – a budget! It is an estimated cost for each wedding vendor. It is very fluid and it will change each time a wedding vendor is booked. That is why it is so important that you choose the areas that are of utmost importance to you and then you will devote a larger portion of your budget to those items. Plan smartly, you know the venue will be your largest expense. A planning pitfall many couples make is when they choose a very expensive venue and go over budget. And then they do not have enough in the budget to cover the items that they really want! Many couples find themselves “Venue Poor”. One way to avoid this is to hire your wedding planner first before your book your venue. Your wedding planner has the experience and knows what is included with each venue and if it is a good fit for you and your budget. What do you do if you have already booked your venue and you are feeling stressed about the money? Don’t book another vendor until you hire a professional wedding planner who can give you realistic budget advice and recommend vendors at your price point!

Wedding planning is emotional in and of itself. Add in talking about money and budgets, which is also very emotional, and when the two come together it can be very overwhelming. So what do you do to set a realistic wedding budget? You search online, but not all the sources are in sync with the pricing of vendors. The pricing may not be realistic in your area of the country. Venues are all so different so it is hard to compare apples to apples. Some include tables and chairs, some do not. Catering and flowers have also seen their prices rise. That budget number that you set when you got engaged is getting stretched thinner and thinner. How can you get back on track? How do you plan your dream wedding day when the vendors you wish to hire are out of your price range? Is your budget realistic to begin with? We are here to provide some advice to help you!

Keep it simple, and ask yourself these three questions:

1. What are the three areas I care about most? The dress, the flowers, the food, the photos, the music? Choose what those are of utmost importance to you and spend your money there.

2. What are the three areas I care least about? The cake? The invitations? These areas are where you can be a bit more creative and cut back on costs.

3. Do I want it or do I need it? Instagram, Ticktok, and Pinterest all have great ideas, but are they realistic for your budget? Pretty is nice but it comes with a cost! Decide what is important for your guests. What is it that you want your guests to experience and remember?

If you are feeling stressed about the budget and need guidance, reach out to a professional wedding planner who can provide you with very realistic budget advice. Remember wedding planning should be exciting and fun, not a chore. Having a professional to help you make good decisions and offer suggestions throughout the planning process will result in less stress, and save you time and money. With a wedding professional working with you, you can still have your dream day without breaking the bank!

Click the link below to contact us today and we can help you get back on track to plan your dream wedding day!

Click here to for budget help! http://www.gloriaschulzevents.com/contact

Venue Guardian Works, Atlanta, Georgia

Florals by Bloomin’ Bouquets