Planning a wedding can be expensive, but it all comes to how you decide to spend your wedding budget. In this article, you will find useful information and tips to plan your big day without breaking the bank!
Firstly, it’s important to know how to divide your wedding budget for each supplier. The table on the left is an estimate on the budget percentage per supplier. This is for guidance only and is not set in stone, you are free to balance your budget how you see fit.
The higher costs to expect are for the Venue hire and Reception. By Reception, I mean food and drinks for the entire day. It can also includes equipment hire if you decide to have a Marquee/Tipi wedding.
Everything else can be easily redistributed based on the priority you set for your big day.
Decide on your priorities for your wedding
Sit down with your second half and discuss the priorities when it comes to your wedding. Decide which aspects of your big day are most important to you. Then look at your savings and discuss how much you would like to spend on your day. Based on the priorities you identified, you can allocate your budget accordingly. Feel free to create a table like above and to allocate your percentage per supplier using a quick formula: Your Budget x Each Percentage = Your Estimated Cost Per Category.
Define your Guest List
A wedding with 20 or 200 guests will obviously not cost the same. As mentioned previously, food and drinks are what cost the most at a wedding. Therefore, the more guests you have the more you will have to spend money in food and drinks. To give you an idea, price per head can start from £20 and go up to £100 depending on your choices. Deciding on the amount of guests for your wedding is a crucial decision that will help for the entire planning journey.
Keep track of your expenses
I cannot stress this enough, keeping track of your expenses is very important when planning an event with high costs involved. It helps you to see if you are within the budget you allocated for each supplier and to make adjustment if needed. As wedding planner, we have elaborated a budget spreadsheet to keep track of everything when it comes to your event.
Hire a Wedding Planner
Contrary to what you might think, hiring a wedding planner can actually save you money. We have industry connections, know where to find deals, and can negotiate on your behalf.
Keeping you on budget is one of our priorities when it comes to planning your wedding. When searching for suitable suppliers, we use our knowledge and connections to keep you in your budget. When necessary, we offer suggestion to redistribute your budget.
Time can be money too. When hiring a wedding planner you are saving time and money when it comes to planning your big day.
More reasons why you should consider hiring a wedding planner can be found in this article.
Getting married Off-Season?
Choosing your wedding day will have a tremendous impact on your overall budget. Getting married during the wedding season may come to a certain cost, especially on a weekend. The wedding season is usually from April to October and as you can expect is really busy. Deciding to get married off-season or during a week day could save you a lot of money. Indeed, venues and suppliers tend to offer reduced rates for off-peak dates. It is worth checking out!
DIY Your Wedding
When choosing your venue, you will either have a blank Canva to decorate or your venue will require very little additional decor. If Decor is not part of your wedding priorities, there are a lot of DIY options available to you.
Do not hesitate to ask couples getting married before you if there is any decor you can share and split the costs. Some venue have decor left by previous couple that are available to all.
You may not be the creative one in the family, but maybe one of your guests is and would be happy to help out! Whether it is stationery designing/crafting or table decor, there are a lot of possibilities to save money when you DIY your wedding.
Book your suppliers as early as you can
When possible, book your wedding suppliers as early as you can, even if it is years in advance. Firstly to make sure you have the suppliers you want on your date as availability can go fast. But also to spread the overall costs over the months before the wedding. Some suppliers offer payment schedule options that allow you to pay for your wedding a little by little over the months rather than during the last month before the big day. Additionally, booking your suppliers early may offer you better rates. With cost increasing for everyone, it may be possible that some suppliers increases their costs over the years. Therefore if you book them early, you may secure their cost before a potential increase.
Ask about any hidden fees
For every quote you are receiving from supplier, make sure that there are no hidden fees. By this I mean, VAT fee, travel expenses, cost increase, staffing, minimum spend etc.
When unsure, always ask your supplier for clarification. Better knowing before paying a deposit and being surprised when the final invoice comes.
The art of compromising
One final tip I can give when it comes to spending your wedding budget is to compromise when you can. Based on the budget you set, it may not be possible to have everything you would like to have on your big day. As mentioned above, define your priorities but also define the aspect you would be willing to compromise if you needed to. For example, originally you wanted to have a 5-piece band to entertain your guests, but the budget is now tight therefore you are willing to compromise for a DJ instead. Do not hesitate to ask and negotiate with your suppliers, they will understand that you may need to change the package to reduce the costs. However, be aware that some suppliers have a minimum fee/spend for their service.
Thank you very much for reading the entire article! I hope it will help you with your wedding budget. Do not hesitate to reach out if you wish to hire a Wedding Planner and to book your Free Consultation to discuss your event with me! I look forward to chatting with you! 🙂
Photos Credit: The Caryls, Derek Dunlop, Grant Richie
