Your wedding: Can you afford it?
April 9, 2008
Nearly every little girl dreams of her wedding day. Along with dreams of a beautiful dress, a handsome groom, an impressive hall and a fun party comes the reality of paying for that dream.
Unfortunately most of us don’t think about the cost in that childhood dream.
Once you actually start planning a wedding reality hits … big time.
I know because I’m in the midst of planning, and paying for, my wedding.
From one who is on the front lines of wedding finances, I’d like to offer some advice.
First, decide what you can realistically afford to pay for a wedding. If you are counting on money from your parents or in-laws, make sure you know how much money they will be contributing. You don’t have to be rude or demand money, just make sure you know where your finances stand.
Here are some typical things you might need to include in your budget:
· Invitations
· Photographer
· Videographer
· Church musicians
· Contribution to your church or officiate
· Reception expenses (Including food, beverages and any other fees)
· Transportation, such as limo service
· Gifts for attendants
Once you have a budget in mind, then begin looking at locations and vendors. Most places have price lists available online, so you can get an idea of what your costs will be.
Don’t be afraid to tell vendors what your budget is because many can work with you. My fiancé and I were able to tell our florist how much we could afford to put towards flowers, and she worked with us to come up with something that we loved and that fit within our budget.
When you start to try on gowns, be upfront with your consultant about how much money you can afford to spend. Make sure to include all alterations, your veil, undergarments, shoes and accessories into your cost. Your $600 gown could easily end up costing you double that much by the time you factor in the other costs.
If you are on a very tight budget, consider looking for clearance sales or dresses that were designed for a bridesmaid or as a prom gown. These dresses are often beautiful and appropriate for a fraction of the cost of a more traditional wedding gown.
I would recommend only planning a wedding that you can afford to pay for in cash. The last thing you want to do is start your new life as a couple mired in debt. This may mean making some tough decisions. For example, we’ve decided to forgo a professional videographer and get family to take home movies of the day because we were determined to stay within our budget
If your dream wedding is more than you can afford and you’re not willing to scale back, take a look at how long it would take you to save up enough money. Wouldn’t it be better to push your wedding date back a few months to save up more money than it would be to wrack up debt that will cost you interest and could take years to pay off?
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Great tips! The wedding gown is a great tip–I bought a brides maid dress and ordered it in white for my wedding gown. It was only $150 and I got a ton of compliments on it!