So you just got engaged, huh? Does the word fiance feel palatable on your tongue yet? Want to know what sounds even thick? The word “Budget.”
A lot of people do not like to hear this word when it comes to their wedding plans. After all, it is the bridge between having your dream wedding, something closer to it, or totally different. Either way, there’s no way around it. You are going to come face to face with it and deal with it whether you are financially stable or not. The budget is meant to be made and absolutely strictly followed.
You have to plan out the process with your partner, know your sources and count down on costs as well. Where do you even get started? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. As wedding planners, the budget is the elephant in the room that we have to deal with. After understanding our client’s vision, we have to find vendors and other variables that will deliver quality service within the stipulated budget.
But it’s not just us making the final decisions: clients love to have the top most control and call the shots when planning their wedding, and as professional planners, our role is to present them with the best service providers (giving them options), advise them on each (pros & cons), and help them make informed decisions.
But we understand that most people may not be in a position to hire a wedding planner, so I am hoping we can guide you in creating a feasible wedding budget.
In this article, I will be sharing what the starting point of creating your budget looks like as well as ways to spend less and maintain a healthy expenditure. It’s called “The Pro-Max wedding budget guide.”
Beginner Steps To Creating Your Wedding Budget
Where do you begin?
Discussion of vision
While some dream of their wedding day since childhood, others begin to visualize what they really want only after the question has been popped. Regardless of when the process begins for you, the vision has to be discussed thoroughly with your partner. You both have to develop a common idea. This is also a healthy bonding process for you and your fiancé and lays a foundation for the life you hope to build together. Communication is key after all.
Counting Money
“All I really wanna see is the money,” Cardi B once sang. Once you have discussed your vision, then comes the question of finances. How much is each of you willing to contribute towards the wedding (that’s if you are in this together)? State how much you are able to contribute, add up the sums, and note down the amount. Don’t feel obligated to place all your money into the wedding. Being broke is no good way to start married life, trust me.
Your wedding is just an aspect of the new life you will be creating, so you can’t spend too much on it( unless, of course, you can afford to). You have to equally divide your finances into quarters to know where they will be allocated.
Contributing parties
One of the events that lead up to your wedding is a Wedding launch. This is mostly organized to source funds for a couple’s wedding budget. And in most cases, people who genuinely wish the couple well are willing to contribute. In this meeting, they discuss how much each party is willing to contribute towards the wedding budget. It may turn out to be a little more awkward than you would expect, but well, it’s a necessity. In Africa, it is quite common for people to contribute towards the wedding as well as the additional traditional ceremonies that go hand in hand with it. Sometimes this opportunity is also used to discuss other payment factors like bride price and so on. It’s better to deal with this gathering earlier on to prevent any hustles or problems.
Note; at times family members who contribute towards your wedding feel the need to dictate what and how things should be done on the wedding; “I want it to be on this date because of this…” “I want this food served…” “I want this music played…” “I want to bring such and such a number of people and don’t want these ones to attend.” It may feel awkward because you feel the need to cater to them because of their contribution, but you have to remember that this is your special day. Respectfully thank them for their help but also ask them to respect the decisions you make when it comes to this day. Point out how strict the budget following will be as well as your vision for the day. You can sneak in other factors like a certain food or musician they enjoy being in attendance to win their favor and not make them feel totally left out.
If all fails, this is where your wedding planner comes to your rescue. At Parties en Events, we are always facing family conflicts during the planning process and at the d-day. As a planner, my biggest role is to ensure I shield my clients from such conflicts and emotional damage. So I usually advise my clients “Blame it all on me.” Tell her, “Our planner has already chosen this vendor, or he has advised this way” or “he has already taken this decision.”
Having planned a number of weddings, I usually come across couples that are willing to “foot” the entire bill single-handedly for reasons as the above or others. These types of individuals usually disregard holding fundraising or wedding launch meetings. Their excuse usually goes like “I do not want to bother people by asking them to contribute to my wedding. I am paying everything myself.”
While this category of people may sound flamboyant, they actually have a point. I mean, why marry if you can’t afford it?
But that’s a debate for another day.
My response to these kinds of people is, “I understand where you are coming from but in Africa, we do things like weddings as family. If you do not hold meetings, you will most likely get misunderstood by your friends and family who might take you for a show-off or an egotistical. If you do not want to hold fundraising meetings, you can opt for committee meetings with a select few. And you can just have two or three meetings two or one month to your wedding date.” It is human to be vulnerable and accept gifts. Even the president accepts them.
Discuss with your wedding planner.
A wedding planner is as important to your wedding as roots are to a tree. They are told your vision and help you with the other activities that will lead to your dream day; budgeting, concept development, hiring and coordinating the vendors, accessing a suitable venue, hiring extra help, coordinating your wedding day, etcetera etcetera etcetera. They take about 10% of your budget and plan for everything else for you. Quite useful, right? If you are busy with your 9 to 5 job, you can ask your planner to single-handedly do everything on their own but if you have time on your hands and want to be part of every step of the process, your planner should involve you in every detail. Essentially, your planner is your hands, feet, and eyes.
They should also be able to keep you in the constant know of any changes or additional costs that may have not been expected.
Monitor spending
You, in coordination with your wedding planner, have to plan your spending well. Just because something is very expensive doesn’t mean that it is worth having. Da Vinci once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Keep this in mind as you make your decisions.
You can create a spreadsheet that shows the allocation of your money and how everything is being utilized. Change it when a change happens to stay on track.
The Unseen.
Keep a portion of money for unseen circumstances. You really never know what could happen in the span of time before your wedding. An accident? Destruction of a venue? More guests than expected at dinner? Vendors demanding more money for your vision?
You need that “safety” net money to always fall back on.
Find ways to save
Sometimes some things are literally very useless when it comes to your day.
- You could forgo the band and whatnot. You can stick with a simple DJ and still get all the music you desire to have.
- Edit the guest list. Are some people really necessary to your day? Okay, so you are going to invite your cousin’s friend that you only met a few times? Hell no, that’s just extra spending. With a plate of food costing UGX100,000, this isn’t the right time to play nice.
- Combine ceremonies (which is becoming quite popular in Africa). Combine your church and reception so you won’t need bridal cars, leave the Kukyala and instead do the introduction.
- Say no to upgrades that is when you are offered a better-looking combo of something like the meal because all that means is more spending.
Other pointers.
- Declare a maximum spend.
- Decide your maximum save.
- Discuss expectations and timing.
- Tally up final figures.
- Focus on what really matters.
With these ladies and gentlemen, you will have the pro-Max wedding budget guaranteed to keep you in check while enjoying the greatest day of your life. Happy planning.
If you need professional help, call +256779118148
