Wedding Planning Begins with the Budget

Wedding planning is the process of designing, budgeting, and planning. Although these details can be stressful, planning should be met with excitement. This is one of the most important days of your life, after all. The best way to ensure that everything goes as planned is to give yourself lots of time, have a sense of humor, and be firm with your budget.

When Should You Start Planning?

Wedding planning begins with an engagement. Sure, there are those girls who have everything planned out in middle school, but the real planning shouldn’t start until there’s a ring on your finger. Most former brides, and professional wedding planners, recommend giving yourself at least a year from the date of engagement. This length of time should be sufficient for budgeting, establishing vendors, and acquiring all manner of dress, and detail.

How Do You Budget?

Budgeting is one of the most important aspects of wedding planning. Having a reliable budget is going to ensure that you don’t overspend on unimportant details, and end up shorting yourself on the major ones. You wouldn’t want to end up with thirty extra wedding favors, but not enough centerpieces.

The first thing you should do is write down how much money you have to spend. Then, make a list of everything you need for your wedding. This list should include flowers, catering, the venue, the officiant, entertainment, rings, and more. Once you have your full list, you can begin allocating funds.

Where Does the Money Come From? Traditionally, a bride’s parents pay for a wedding. If her parents are divorced, the father typically pays. In modern times, bride and grooms often pay for their own weddings. Sometimes, families all pitch in, and many of the costs are split. These days, both the bride, and groom’s, families pay for the wedding.

It’s really up to the bride, and groom, how they’re going to cover the expenses of their wedding. There’s no rule saying you have to be traditional, and many extended family members relish the opportunity to be involved. For example, a bride’s grandmother may offer to cover the cost of the cake. The most important detail is being tactful, when inquiring if a family member would like to be financially involved.