BUDGET & SAVING TIPS!

Resist temptation to visit your dream wedding venue as soon as you are engaged, as without knowing your resources could lead to a deflated wedding dream and believe me, you do not want to start your married life in debt! Like most of the Brides to Be, you probably dreamed of your special day since you are five years old so every little details must be perfect, and you are right it should be, but here are some tips and advice that will not break the bank and you will still have the perfect wedding day.

First and foremost, it would be a good idea to know who is contributing to the wedding? It used to be the Bride’s parents paying for the whole celebration, however, because of economic conditions and generations have changed, it is now more common to have the Bride & Groom paying for their special day! So, start by sitting down with your Fiancé to discuss budget and work out how much you want to spend and how much you can afford. This will allow you to have an idea already on the type of venue you can hire and number of guests.

Once you have established how much you want to spend, draw up a list of what are your priorities, i.e is the venue the most important thing in your wedding or is having a great entertainment is top of the top? Depending on what your preferences are, it will define how much you can spend for each element so start writing down all services of the wedding you want included and put an approximate figure beside them. To give you an idea, here is an average of what is spent.

• Reception (Food, Beverages, Rentals, and Site):40 % to 50 %
• Flowers:10 %
• Photography/Videography:10 %
• Bride’s and groom’s attire:5 % to 10 %
• Music:5 % to 10 %
• Planner or Coordinator:10 % to 15 %
• Miscellaneous (Favors, Transportation, Etc.):10 %
• Cushion:5 % to 15 %

A wedding is the best day of your life but try not to be carried over by every little cute things or ideas from wedding blogs, magazines, tv shows…stick to the agreed budget and resist the urge to spend more than you had planned in one area, unless you can cut that cost in another area. Don’t forget to count absolutely everything: from the stamps on the invitation and RSVPs to the basket for the Flower Girls to the alterations for your attires, photographer & videographer meals, hair & make-up, honeymoon outfits, gifts for Bridal party…

This is undoubtedly the hardest task when it comes to planning a wedding: stay within budget! Here are few ideas on how to budget and save money for your big day:

• Be realistic with your budget, if you have only €5000 to spend in total then it will be torture to look at 5* Castle venues!
• Be cautious about agreeing to any upgrades without first asking if there is a cost involved (colored table linens, fancy chair covers…)
• If stylish, color themed invitations are not the most important element of your wedding, why not considering electronic Invitations & Thank You Notes? It saves money, it’s eco-friendly and it will avoid being thrown in the bin as soon as it arrives in the post! There are plenty of free electronic wedding invitations website so you are sure to get a style you like.
• Think of your wedding date, most locations have a cut-off season so you will save a lot of money if you consider the season and day of week to get married (weekend weddings are generally more expensive than midweek weddings!)
• Review your guestlist: Is that necessary to invite your parents’ friends? or long lost uncle leaving abroad and that you hardly speak to? or even your entire office colleagues?
• Most of the budget goes into the reception, so you may consider a fixe menu instead of choice menu to reduce cost, choose local & seasonal food and why not skipping dessert for your Wedding cake instead, having a B&B or buffet style or rustic sharing plates instead of sit-down meal…
• Less Bridesmaids & Groomsmen saves money on attire and flowers!
• Flowers, here again, this is one of the biggest spending so to cut down on cost, ask the florist if you could maybe use the same floral arrangements from ceremony to décor the reception. Also, instead of giving bridesmaids costly bouquets to carry, why not just pin one beautiful blossom on each of them, original & fashionable!
• Photographer cost can be reduced by getting a Disc only package instead of a full package; you can always do your album at a later date!
• Friends or family can help save money by helping with decorations, or if one of them has a vintage car to transport the Bride….
• Honeymoon is also a big factor to consider, so unless you really want presents and money as gifts, why not creating a Honeymoon Registry instead and your guests can contribute towards your Honeymoon so it could reduce your cost