Crunching your wedding budget and making it work

Photo from Martha Stewart

Budgets, budgets, budgets. Yes, Brides and Grooms To Be, I know you hate this part of planning. I get it. But as soon as that ring is on it needs to be discussed. Can I tell you how many couples come to me and Karissa without a realistic thought to the cost of the wedding. "I want my dream wedding, but I want to keep the cost down." or my favorite "We don't really have a budget". Darling, even Donald Trump has a Budget! So what are wanting to spend on this dream wedding? To some it's $30,000 others $100,000 and still others couldn't imagine spending more than $15,000. As a professional Wedding Planner, I have to remind myself that my clients have no idea what a party of this magnitude will cost. So the first thing we do, except for with our "Month of" client, is crunch those numbers. We want them to see on paper the "average" spent on each part of the event. Below is an example of where the money will go. This is a very generic example, but one that you can plug your numbers into to get an idea of how much you can spend on your reception- site, rentals, caterer, or your photographer.

Ceremony                              $500.00               5.00%
Fashion                                  $1,000.00            10.00%
Flowers                                 $500.00                5.00%
Hotels/Transportation             $300.00               3.00%
Miscellaneous                        $500.00                5.00%
Music                                    $500.00                5.00%
Photography/Videography     $1,000.00             10.00%
Reception                              $4,000.00             40.00%
Stationery                              $200.00                2.00%
Wedding/Event Planner         $1,500.00             15.00%

Totals: $10,000.00

We have our own software, but if you aren't a client of ours a great resource for planning documents such as a budget template is- http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-planning/wedding-budget.html

OK, so now you have an idea of what you can spend. But lets say you have $20,000 and 300 guests. You fall in love with a site with a site fee of $3000 which leaves you with $5000 for the rest of your reception costs. You soon realize that the sit down dinner you envisioned is never going to happen. What to do? Here is my advice. GET REAL! 33 guests- $20,000 is not going to equal a traditional sit down dinner with a big cake and an open bar. Those insanely beautiful centerpieces you saw on your favorite wedding blog are going to cost 3x what you can afford. But you say you have to have it? You have to have what? What that Bride had and this Bride had. It is your wedding. You have your own personality, taste, style and yes- Budget. So listen up Bride's and Groom's to be! Sit down and make a list of what you really want on your wedding day. Pretty flowers, yummy food, a photo booth, a garden ceremony.... whatever. Then crunch the numbers. What you want is way over your budget? Consider some of these suggestions-

-Have a cocktail or dessert reception. No one says you have to feed your guests dinner (except maybe your Mom, but it is your wedding not hers).
-Have your wedding at Home, or at a friend or family member's home. Saves you the site fee and gives your wedding a more intimate feel.
-Have your Wedding off season, or on any day but a Saturday.
-Have a small destination wedding with just your family and closest friends.
and my biggest suggestion-

CUT YOUR GUEST LIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't afford your wedding with 300 guests? Cut that list to 150 of the people you really know and love and Viola! That wedding is starting to look doable. Get out there and get creative. Make your wedding feel like the two of you, take care of guest comfort, and be REAL! It's your wedding, not the girl who's wedding was featured on that favorite wedding bog today.

Related Site

-Becoming a Wedding Planner

-Cheap Wedding Favors

Related Videos :below I show related videos and not so related to this article.

Title: please stop crunching your chips.

Title: Enter Shikari-No Sssweat (parody)

Made this becasue i was oh so bored! dunno how funny people will find it :/ lyrics below so you can understand it more :)
Dont for get to rate and sub you enjoyed it!
Lyrics:
Where's your respect? (Where's your respect?)
Why bite the hand that feeds you
It's not over yet(not over yet)
Plenty more fingers for you to nibble
I'd like to see you get your teeth round this
I'm sure your jaw will sorely be missed

Not even salt can make your hands taste good
I'm still crunching your lifeline
Not even salt can make your hands taste good
I'm still crunching your lifeline

You do this every fucking time
No sweat (no tears) no guilt

You do this every fucking time
No sweat (no tears) no guilt

Not even salt can make your hands taste good
I'm still crunching your lifeline

Lifeline, lifeline, lifeline,
Blood fills your palms,
Lifeline, lifeline, lifeline
Blood fills your palms,
Lifeline, lifeline, lifeline
Blood fills your palms,

Where's your respect? (Where's your respect?)
Why bite the hand that feeds you
It's not over yet(not over yet)
Plenty more fingers for you to nibble
I'd like to see you get your teeth round this
I'm sure your jaw will sorely be missed

Not even salt can make your hands taste good
I'm still crunching your lifeline
Not even salt can make your hands taste good
I'm still crunching your lifeline

You do this every fucking time
No sweat (no tears) no guilt

You do this every fucking time
No sweat (no tears) no guilt

Do this one more time and I'll bite your fucking fingers off!!