CREATING A BUDGET
Your groom just asked you to make him the happiest man in the world. You thought long and hard about it . . .. and said "YES".
Now what?? Who do you call first?? How much does it cost to get married?? How much is dad willing to pay towards his little girls big day? Is it a beer or champagne budget?
It is a fact that most people have no idea what an average wedding in their area costs. According to Realsimple.com the average low end cost of a wedding in Texas is somewhere around the $28,000 range. I believe that in our (Abilene) area it is closer to $20,328 according to The Wedding Report.
So how do you go about creating a budget? Before I start with my suggestions, I must say that I am just a DJ. Not a financial planner, but I do see many brides who spend too much or bust their budget just because they do not prioritize.
Prioritize?? What does that have to do with the budget? EVERYTHING!!!! You have talked to dad, and with some help from your mom, you now know how much your parents are willing to pay. You must now ask. . . . how much are you willing to pay? It is a fact that a larger portion of brides and grooms are taking on part, if not all of the financial burden of weddings. Before you talk to one vendor, or go to one bridal show all brides should do this . . . . Sit down with your groom, and write down the parts that make up a wedding
Ceremony
Reception
now split that into what you think you will need for each. Keep in mind you may add or take off certain things later on according to your budget.
Ceremony:
Venue
Attire
Flowers
Music
Officiant
Reception :
Venue
Entertainment
Food
Cakes
Flowers
Tables
Chairs
Decorations
and so on.
Now you have in front of you a list of what you think you will need for the wedding. Now next to each item on a scale of 1-10 rate each of the items in relevance to how important this particular item is to complete your vision of your perfect day.
So lets say you are a DJ and so for me under Entertainment I would rate is as a 10. Flowers on the other hand would probably rate about a 5 for me. Remember I'm a guy and a DJ.
Now you know exactly what parts of the wedding are very important to you as a couple, and what is just a formality. You should put the most money towards those items that are really important to you. Lets say you , like me, think "I want my guest to leave saying it was the most fun wedding I have ever attended". You should probably do some research and find out who the best wedding DJ or Band in the area is and put more money there. Lets say you want the Venue to be the most jaw dropping place you can afford. You should probably spend more of your budget on the venue.
The reality is that no two couples are the same, and while one couple wants a great time. Another couple may be more interested in making sure that the moments are all documented . Yet another couple may want to share the most incredible meal with their friends and families. So make sure that your budget reflects the items that matter most to you.
So many times I have ran into brides who say "I wish I would have not had to have chair covers and hired you instead" or some derivative of that. This to me is a bride that didn't know her priorities until she had already put down her deposits.
I truly hope that this helps at least one bride.
Don't forget to share this with a bride . . . You will be helping them out.
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