When it comes to budgeting for your wedding, unless you're a wedding expert or have previously had a wedding, it can be difficult to understand how the budget breaks down and how much you should allocate towards each category of spending. Let's face it, you're a beginner in this area and even the most financially savvy couple can find themselves diving into the unknown when it comes to where to start and knowing what to expect. When thousands of dollars are at stake, it can and most likely will be stressful to know where to invest your dollars.
It's important to establish what your top 3 priorties are straight out of the gate before getting started. Though you and your fiance may have different ideas of what is important, determining the non-negotiables is a great place to start. From your wedding dress and the flowers to food and beverage, entertainment and lighting - because trust us, ambiance is important - there's no wrong place to start.
With that said, it's hard to know where you and your guests will see the spend or notice the cutbacks. A few of our wedding experts have shared their wisdom as to what they feel is worth the investment.
"Your floral and catering costs should be your larger budget items. Your guests will always remember a WOW moment, and lush florals paired with an amazing plating will give them something to talk about for years to come."
~ Ashley Lachney, Alston Mayger Events
"Splurge on pre- or post-wedding events centered around meaningful, memorable experiences that reflect you and your chosen destination — whether it be group horseback riding, a spa day, or private day-after brunch."
~ Lindsay Brokowski, Sunriver Resort
"Splurge on Wedding Planners & Full-Service Catering. Wedding planners will help keep you organized, offer options to fulfill your vision and keep your budget on track. They help tremendously with vendor collaboration and taking potential stresses out of the wedding day itself. Invaluable! Full-service catering provides you with so much more than just delicious food and beverage. An experienced and well-rounded caterer will be able to coordinate with your vendor team and anticipate your service needs, allowing you more freedom to enjoy your celebration."
~ Justin Saylor, Vibrant Table Catering & Events
"There is one regret that we hear over and over again. Couples that didn't, wish they had hired a wedding planner. The level of stress when a couple is planning a wedding without professional support is exponentially higher than when they have a planner on their team to manage all the logistics and last-minute changes. Experienced planners are priceless, not only during planning but on the wedding week and wedding day itself! This is a category where you get what you pay for. Skimping on a planner means you will be hiring someone that doesn't have the relationships or vendor connections and might have issues troubleshooting any issues on the wedding day. Also, it is likely a one-person operation so you might be in a bind if he/she/they go on vacation or an emergency makes it impossible for them to be on-site on your wedding day! You pay for experience and expertise so this is an area to splurge!
Splurge on the wow factors! Cut back on the small details that may go unnoticed, but consider your guests and their overall experience."
~ Nora Sheils, Bridal Bliss Event Planning
