Tips for The Penny Pinching Bride
Hillary Capes, Nashville Wedding & Event Planner
So you are officially engaged and you are starting the planning process. You have done your research, you have even set a wedding date, but where do you go now? The first thing you should do after you have your wedding date selected and have spread the word about your engagement is to set the budget.
Many websites can provide you with an easy formula to distribute your budget easily once you determine the budget, but how can you determine how much you can spend.
- The first thing to consider is who is contributing to the wedding. Tradition states that the bride’s parents paid for a majority of the wedding with the groom’s side picking up things such as the rehearsal dinner, the brides bouquet, etc. Many brides do not follow this traditional etiquette and many are paying for their own weddings. So talk to family and see who is contributing what.
- Create a best scenario guest list and go off of that. If you know in your area that catering is very expensive, you can expect to spend between $80 and 100 per person. For a 200 person wedding this can be approximately $20,000. If you have a large family and an extended list of friends, you can expect to have a larger budget if you want a full sit down meal.
- How much can you logistically save for your wedding? If you make say $500 a month, you know that you can’t save $1000 and still live. So be realistic about how much you can save.
Once you have created the initial budget you then need to break it down by category.
Here is a breakdown from Bride’s Magazine I love!
This chart is pretty accurate and that’s why I like it! I did make one change and included a portion of the budget for wedding planner. It’s a small portion of the budget to save you a day of hectic and scurry.
With these helpful tips, you are on your way to planning the perfect budget friendly wedding!
