How to Plan a Wedding Budget

Before your pick out your fabulous gown or start choosing wedding vendors, you’ll have to plan a wedding budget. The core or backbone of your entire wedding planning and how effective it will be will be based on the wedding budget you set and how much you stick to it. There is simply no way around that. Even those skilled in the use of spreadsheets or other tools can't get around the fact that there are simply a lot of details to track. If they're not tracked accurately, it can cost you a fortune.

The good news is that to carry out your budget effectively only takes consistency and follow through. Taken one step at a time, it is possible to create and keep a budget under control. Just devote a little time every day, or at least once a week to doing what's necessary.

TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE

As with everything else, the best way to plan a free wedding Planner budget is to do it months in advance; the more time, the better. A wedding planned 24months in advance is most likely to flow smoother than the one planned in 6 months. You'll revise the budget many times over the course of that year, but you have to start somewhere

USE TOOLS

There are many tools online, some free which can help you keep track. With the average cost of a wedding at around $27,000 today, things can quickly spiral out of control. Using tools is one way to help prevent that. Considering using an excel spreadsheet to start generating costs.

DIFFERENT BUDGETS?

If you have more than one person helping to pay for the expense of your wedding, it can help to make more than one budget. Different items are traditionally paid for by the bride and her family, and others by the groom and his family. At the same time, it's helpful to be able to combine or merge them to see the overall costs, which is where using excel spreadsheets may come in handy.

WHO PAYS FOR WHAT?

Traditions change and so has the modern couple. The bride's portion usually includes such things as a wedding band and gift for the groom, the wedding venue and reception, the gown, photographs and less costly items. The groom's part typically includes the bride's engagement ring and wedding band, and a gift, along with a tuxedo, gifts for the best man and groomsmen, bride's bouquet, the marriage license fee and blood tests, and the honeymoon. However, in these modern times, when you plan a wedding budget keep in mind that guests may want to chip in to help. You can include some of your expenses such as honeymoon, wedding albums and the like, right in your wedding registry!

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

These are some of the usual figures when you plan a wedding budget. For the bride, 40% of her side's budget can often be taken up by the caterer. Include food and drinks and the figure can run anywhere from $200 to $20,000. Designate about 15% for clothing is not unusual between a gown and a reception dress. For your wedding photographer, allot 5% or more. $1,000-$3,000 is the average. Another 2-3% for wedding invitations has been traditional.

When it comes to your wedding entertainment, it can be anywhere from virtually free - a few music CDs played on a portable or built-in stereo system - to 10% or several thousand for live entertainment. A good 5-piece jazz band, for example, can easily cost $2,000 for the evening and that's a bargain. Good entertainment can be costly.

BUDGET ISSUES?

If you are on a tight budget, it important to consider ways to cut costs when you plan a wedding budget Calculator you will want to entertain ideas such as having a small wedding or having your reception at a relative’s backyard. A cash bar, rather than free unlimited drinks, is one way to cut down. At least one free glass of champagne for everyone should be included, however, to toast the bride and groom. Setting a date for off-season can result in big savings.

BOTTOM LINE

Bottom line when you plan a wedding budget is to be realistic, set a budget you can really work with from start to finish and stick to it. It will save you from tons of stress during the wedding and most importantly, afterwards.

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My Self James i, m Professional Content Writer