| Your Wedding Budget |
| Wedding Loco Help for your wedding! Advice, products and hand holding! |
into categories of wedding expenses. Most experts will tell you to budget $100 per wedding guest with
half of that amount going toward the reception, the other $50 going into your other categories. If you
have savings in one category, you can roll the money into another category.
This is a basic breakdown by category of what you can expect to budget for your wedding expenses:
- Ceremony: Officiant fees, church or licence rental fees, music 2%-3% of your wedding budget.
- Reception: Reception location, food, beverage, food and drink taxes, tips, wedding cake, and
any reception rentals such as chair covers, etc. 48%-50% of your wedding budget.
- Flowers: Ceremony and reception flowers and centerpieces, brides bouquet and bridesmaid
bouquets, corsages, boutonnières, flower girl flowers or loose petals 8%-10% of your wedding
budget.
- DJ, Music & Entertainment: Entertainment, music and DJ for the reception and cocktail hour.
Some DJ's will include cocktail music or dinner music in their fees so you don't have to hire
individual entertainers. 8%-10% of your wedding budget.
- Photography/Videography: Photographer or videographer fees, wedding album, individual
photo prints, disposable cameras, 10%-12% of your wedding budget.
- Invitations, Save the Date, Thank You & Postage: All wedding stationery, 2%-3% of your
wedding budget.
- Wedding Rings: his and her wedding rings, 2%-3% of your wedding budget.
- Transportation: Transportation for the wedding party, any guest shuttles to and from the
parking lot to the ceremony or reception, valet parking fees, 2%-3% of your wedding budget.
- Gifts for the bridal party, parents and small snack baskets for out of town guests, 2%-3% of your
wedding budget.
- Wedding Attire: Wedding dress, veil, tiara or headpiece, shoes, undergarments, jewelry, hair
and makeup, grooms complete tux rental 8%-10% of your wedding budget.
- Miscellaneous: Any unexpected extras, emergency fund for incidentals, 8% of your wedding
budget.
Free wedding budget worksheet, click here.
This tool is free and it will be a lifesaver for you!
The Money To Pay For Our Wedding?
For most couples, this is the million dollar question, which is why it is important NOT to assume your
parents will pick up the tab on the wedding. You'll need to have a talk with both sets of parents to see
if they are willing OR able to pay for a part of the wedding. In order to avoid conflict, stress and
confusion, find out in advance what money is available before you sit down and sign contracts. All
signed contracts are legal and must be accompanied by a deposit. You need to be sure you aren't in
over your head and you are able to pay for what you want.
Traditionally, the brides' parents picked up the tab for most of the wedding and reception. They
bought the bride's attire, paid for the wedding ceremony and reception, the photographer, invitations,
and most of the flowers. The groom's family traditionally paid and hosted the rehearsal dinner.
Today's bride and grooms are statistically older than in the past, with an established job and income.
They are expected to save and pay for some of their wedding expenses. Some couples host the
entire wedding themselves, but most get a set amount from the parents. Some parents may also
elect to pay for certain things in the wedding, relieving the couple of the
The new trend is for the grooms family to assist or pay for the alcohol at the reception, the
photographer and the music. The brides family pays for the flowers, the reception, the stationery and
the bride's attire. This is all open to discussion, there are no hard and fast rules anymore.
The easiest way is to ask both sets of parents if they are able to help and if they can contribute a set
amount of money to put toward wedding expenses. Once you have those figures, you can see what
you as a couple are able to contribute to the wedding costs. Add it up, there's your wedding budget.
Spend your wedding money wisely. Trust a professional for the most important day of your life., don't
hire an amateur. There are numerous sites on the Internet that will give you tips on how to save
money on your wedding. Some tips are good and useful, some are ridiculous. Use your own
discretion when reading the sites, you just may hit upon a great idea!
If you just have to have something that isn't in your budget, cut something in another category to pay
for the "just gotta have it" item. If you save money in one category, roll the money into another
category. That way, if you just gotta have it, its yours!
Your wedding isn't a competition to have the best wedding, to trump your friends' weddings or to
impress your family. Your wedding is a celebration of the your marriage. The focus needs to be on
the marriage and less than the wedding party. The reception is just a really big party to celebrate
your wedding and it can be anything you want it to be.
You can have a fabulous wedding on any budget with some common sense spending, ingenuity
and creativity. If you can't afford it, then you probably don't need it. There are all sorts of little things
that can be cut from the budget and no one will notice.
Don't go into debt at the start of your marriage to pay for your wedding. Have the wedding YOU can
afford and make it fabulous!
| The Hot List Wedding Budget Tips Don't assume your parents of family will finance your wedding. You need to have a money talk with them to avoid misunderstandings. Use a budget organizer to keep track of your wedding expenses. Keep all contracts and receipts in one file so you know what is paid, and what needs paid and the dates the final payment is due. Use creative ideas to get more cash to pay wedding expenses. Sell unwanted things on eBay, get a part time job and put the money into a wedding fund. Forgo the expensive daily latte , brown bag your lunches and put the money you've saved into the account. Other ways to cut back include doing your own manicures, staying home and watching movies with the fiancé instead of clubbing and drinking on weekends. Watch the sports games at home instead of at the stadium. Invite your friends over for dinner instead of going out for an expensive night out. Just by cutting back on some entertainment, you can find extra cash for the wedding! |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
I Now Pronounce You Paid In Full: Who Pays for What During the Wedding Celebrations
There’s no two ways about it: weddings are expensive. Paying for every detail is enough to drain any family’s financial coffers and – even worse – leave them wrestling with debt. Especially for new couples paying their own way during the wedding, the expenses quickly add up. The following is a traditional guide to dividing expenses equally and fairly among the four major participants in planning the four main parts of the wedding celebration: rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. These are guidelines more than rules, and are intended to show tradition more than carved-in-stone etiquette.
The Bride’s Family
There’s a popular misconception among the unmarried of the world that the bride’s family foots the
entire bill. That’s not entirely true, though unfortunately it may feel that way for the father of the
bride! Traditionally, the bride’s family finances the reception dinner with all its facets: the food,
drink, venue, service staff (including tips), flower arrangements, wedding favors, and any other miscellany.
The bride’s family also pays for many of the necessities leading up to the ceremony: these usually include
the bridal gown, the wedding
invitations and save-the-date reminders, as well as the engagement and wedding photographs.
Finally (!) the wedding ceremony costs, the photographer and videographer fees, the cost of the ring bearer
and flower girl accessories, the transportation costs and bridesmaids bouquets are all picked up by the
bride’s family. Honestly… if you’re the parent of a young girl, start saving right now.
The Bride
Compared to her family, the bride gets off relatively easy. Brides traditionally pay for the
groom’s wedding band, gifts for her
bridesmaids, the bridesmaids’ luncheon, her blood test fees, and the wedding day lingerie. In the
strictest traditional sense, the bride should also pay for her out-of-town bridesmaids accommodations.
The Groom
Okay, guys. Time to pony up. Following the engagement ring (that two-month’s salary guideline is passé, by
the way) you’ve still got a few things left to buy. You’ll pay for the honeymoon, the marriage license, and
gifts for your groomsmen. The gentleman
groom, however, also pays for the bridal bouquet and corsages for your mother and your new mother-in-law.
You’ll also pick up the boutonnieres, ties, and accessories for the groomsmen, and finally the bride’s
wedding ring. Gifts for the ushers and for your parents go the extra distance to showing your class. You
should also pay the honorarium for the judge, justice of the peace, or clergyman who officiates the
ceremony, too.
The Groom’s Family
Besides their own attire, the groom’s family is responsible for the rehearsal dinner and all its
details.
The Maid of Honor
Bachelorette parties and wedding
showers are the responsibility of the maid of honor. This includes all the details, top to bottom.
The Best Man
The best man is master of ceremonies and godfather of the bachelor party, from the planning to the
execution to pouring all the guests into cabs at the end of the night. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got
to do it.
The Groomsmen and Bridesmaids
Most of the attire – for example, the tuxedo rental and costs of the gown – are the responsibility
of the individual wedding party member. They also give a gift to the newlyweds. Groomsmen arriving from
out-of-town are also expected to pay for their accommodations.
My Wedding Favors has a complete selection of elegant yet inexpensive wedding favors to fit any taste and style. We also carry a complete selection of groomsmen and bridesmaids gifts. Visit us online at www.myweddingfavors.com to browse our complete catalog.
10 Ways To Find Extra Money to Pay For Your Wedding
It is unreasonable in today's economy to expect your parents to foot the bill for an over the top
wedding. If you are working and on your own, you'll need to come up with ways to find some extra
cash to help pay for your wedding. It CAN be done and it can be done without a lot of sacrifice.
Set up a wedding fund with your fiance and both of you add to it on a weekly basis. Discuss ways you
both can cut expenses and find extra money to put into your wedding fund. All good things come with
some form of sacrifice, but these suggestions really won't hurt. Bonus, you are working together
towards a common goal, spending the rest of your life together!
Cut the fat from your daily expenses. This means forgoing the daily double latte frappachino from your
local coffeehouse and brewing your own coffee at home. You can easily save up to $5 a day by doing
it yourself. That's an extra $150 a month into the wedding fund per person.
Use coupons when you go grocery shopping and for personal care items you buy at your local
pharmacy. Put the savings in the fund.
Drive less, carpool or take public transportation to save on gas and car expenses.
Save on energy costs at home by changing your light bulbs to CF L's., winterizing your home, lowering
your thermostat in winter and learn to cut energy costs.
Rent a movie and pop your own popcorn.. Savings around $35.00. Bonus, you get to snuggle with
your honey on the sofa.
Stay away from the bars on your night out. Savings can go up to $200 per night. Invite friends over to
your house to play cards and have dinner instead. Or rotate houses with your friends, have a potluck
dinner and and BYOB drinks. You may be surprised to see that your friends enjoy these nights in
more than hitting the clubs.
Eat dinner at home and brown bag your lunch at work. Savings will mount up. Plan a once a month
splurge by buying a pizza or eating out at an inexpensive family restaurant.
Sell your clothes, purses, shoes, electronics and other unused things on eBay or have a garage sale
to get rid of things you don't want or don't fit into your new lifestyle.
Get a part time job or get paid for a skill you already have. If you can design web sites, offer your
services to small businesses. If you have friends who need a babysitter on weekends, offer to babysit
for a fee. Are there senior citizens who need to be driven to the grocery store? Start a service with your
fiance to help seniors on the weekends. Clean their house, mow their lawn, help them do home
repairs, drive them to the doctor, grocery store, beauty parlor or pharmacy. Make phone calls for them,
help them write checks or take them to the bank. Its a way to feel good about yourself and make
some extra cash and they'll be so appreciative. Can you entertain children? Organize children's
birthday parties for working parents. Use your imagination and fatten up your wedding fund.
Cut back on your manicures and pedicures. Beauty expenses can add up fast. A trip to the salon can
easily blow $100 without much effort. And that doesn't count buying the salon products. You'll save if
you do them yourself at home and it will add cash to your fund. Splurge before the wedding on your
beauty regimen because you deserve it on your wedding day!
