Wedding budgets are often so hard for couples to put together for many reasons. Most of the time it is your first time (and hopefully only time) getting married so you have no idea what things cost or even what it is you actually need. It is never fun facing the reality of your available budget versus the Pinterest wedding you have been dreaming about. However, a realistic wedding budget is vitally important as spending can quickly spiral out of control. Let me break it down for you….

Firstly we are going to identify the top 6 vendors that would be a priority for your wedding:

The Venue  – The venue often determines the atmosphere, guest count, logistics and even your décor style. It is usually one of the largest expenses, so securing the right venue is essential.

Catering – Food…. Food always makes an impression. Don’t get me wrong, your wedding is not about impressing but let’s be honest, a great meal is far more memorable than a run of the mill average meal. There are ways here that you can be creative with budget, your chef and wedding coordinator can help you here. Your chef can create some amazing canapes served during pre-drinks followed by a two course meal should your budget not be able to cover a three course meal.

Photography – Long after the flowers have gone, cake has been cut and the candles blown out, your photographs are what remain. The photographs capture your memories. When you look at them, they will take you back in time when the photo was being taken. If photography matters deeply to you, allocate budget here first rather than trying to upgrade it later.

Marriage Officer – Yes, this is an obvious priority but if you are not a member of a church and have a Pastor to marry you, this service comes at a cost. Marriage Officers tend to book up just as quickly as the popular venues so you do want to get onto this and not leave it too late so that you can book the person you feel comfortable with and who will be able to conduct a memorable and relatable ceremony.

Flowers & Décor – Ooooh boy, can this line item get out of hand rather quickly. We all love our Pinterest board and they are so helpful when looking for inspiration, but please can we take a minute to remember that it is just that… Inspiration. Your pins and boards will be a great way to assist you in obtaining quotes as it will give the vendors an idea of what you have in mind, this is always a starting point, we can always make changes to keep the look and feel but perhaps in a more budget friendly way.

Your Attire – So in my household, my kids know weddings as Princess Day and a more accurate description I cannot give. It is the one day, as a bride, you dress up like a princess, you feel like a princess.. The grooms… just the same, they may not admit it but come on… they have to want to feel like Prince Charming at least once. My point, set aside budget for this. It is not just the wedding dress and the suit that is required; it is your hair accessories, jewellery, shoes, socks/hosiery etc.

After addressing these main areas we can look at entertainment, stationery, gift favours, guest registry and other thoughtful touches.

I always advise my couples that this is a good time to pour a glass of wine, grab a pen and paper and start making lists, three lists to be specific. This will help you prioritise your spending. List One, this list is your list of non-negotiables. I am not talking about a broad list of what we need, I am talking details. If your venue has to have a mountain backdrop or a river running through it or a stone chapel… details. Another example, if there is perhaps a certain photographer whose work you absolutely love and is an absolute must to book; they might be a high end photographer so this will affect your budget allocations.

List Two, now we start talking about the peripheral details. These are things you would like to have at your wedding but happy to compromise on the look, feel, concept and or execution. For example, due to booking this certain photographer you do not have budget to buy dyed blue roses so we compromise and bring in the colour blue by using an alternative flower which is naturally blue in colour/shade and in season.

List Three, this is an easy one.  This list is the nice-to-haves but not essential and you don’t mind if you have them or not.

The key thing to remember when planning your wedding is that there are only 3 things your guests talk about after the wedding (unless you have one AMAZING wow factor). The food, the service, the vibe/music and if you get the thoughtfulness right you (and your guests) will be blessed enough to remember the small personal touches too.

At the end of the day, your wedding should feel like you. Prioritise elements that matter most to the two of you and let go of the pressure to do everything. A meaningful, thoughtfully planned wedding will always feel more memorable than one built purely for aesthetics.

If you have any further questions or would like help planning your special day, feel free to view all our package options here.