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Planning
Your Wedding and Maintaining a Budget
He
proposed, and you said yes! Or perhaps you proposed and he said
yes.
Now what?!
Getting
engaged is an extremely exciting time for every couple. Your
wedding will be one of the few events in life that will leave
you physically and emotionally elated and financially exhausted.
All weddings
differ in size, style, theme, location and tradition, but there
is one common factor - the importance of establishing and managing
a Budget.
Regardless
of whether you dreamed of having a traditional white wedding,
with the Cinderella gown, horse drawn carriage and 300 of your
"closest" friends or you'd prefer to exchange vows with your
beloved in a fire engine red cocktail dress at your favourite
site in the Muskokas, it all costs money.
Years ago,
(when women were expected to emulate "June Cleaver"), a bride's
parents paid for the entire wedding. Typically, the bride and
her mother would plan the wedding, her father would pay the
bills and the groom paid for the honeymoon, had the option of
paying for the flowers and was expected to "show up on time
and say I do." Fortunately, times have changed, and while some
couples opt to stick with tradition, more and more couples are
paying for their own weddings, either on their own, or with
the assistance of their parents.
Truth
Be Told, Weddings are Expensive!
Establishing
a budget is important regardless of your situation. Judy and
Darsi have asked me to share the following ideas, in hopes that
it will help one or more of you get started, and hopefully have
the wedding you always dreamed of.
Who
Pays for What?
Before you
begin to plan the "nitty-gritty" details of your wedding, you
need to determine how much you have to spend and where the money
is going to come from.
Every couple's
circumstances are different. For example, your parents may not
be able to afford to assist you financially, you may choose
to cover the cost of your wedding on your own or your fiancé's
parents may be better able to afford to assist you financially
whereas your parents may not. Whatever the case, you need to
discuss these issues early in the planning stages.
Finances
can be a very sensitive subject regardless of the occasion.
If you choose to ask your respective parents for financial support,
choose your words carefully. As a matter of fact, I suggest
that you broach the subject with your parents, and encourage
your fiancé to broach the subject with his.
Once you
have determined how much you can afford, and the source of this
money, it's time to think about the type of wedding you would
like (and can realistically afford).
Getting
Started
Make a list
of all the elements of wedding planning and determine approximately
how much of your total budget you'd like to spend on each. And
which of these elements will apply to your wedding. It would
be a good idea to start researching cost through resources like
frugalbride.com, to obtain a realistic estimate. Also, you should
prepare a rough guest list to determine how many people you
can afford to include in your special day.
Here's a
list to get you started.
Ceremony
- Officiant's
fee
- Marriage
license
- Musicians/soloist
(if you choose)
Bridal
Attire
- Gown
- Headpiece
& Veil
- Crinoline
- Shoes
- Undergarments
including pantyhose or stockings
- Jewelry
- Misc.
Groom's
Attire
- Tuxedo
(purchase or rental)
- Shirt
- Underwear
including socks and undershirt
- Shoes
- Misc.
Stationery
- Invitations
includes printing & envelopes
- Postage
Ceremony programs
- Menu
Cards
- Announcements
(if you choose)
- At Home
cards (if you choose)
- Thank
you cards. (You need postage for these too.)
- Misc.
Reception
- Venue
rental fee
- Food
and beverage pricing
- Catering
fee (if applicable)
- Additional
fees and levies (check with your venue)
- Liquor
permit (if necessary)
- Table
and chair rentals (if necessary)
- Linen
rentals (if necessary)
- Catering
equipment including plates glasses, cutlery etc. (if necessary)
- 15% gratuity
if applicable
- Decorations
(if necessary)
- Wedding
cake
- Groom's
cake (if necessary)
- Disc
Jockey
- Gratuity
for DJ
Photography
and/or Videography
- Remember
to account for framing and albums as some vendors include
in the fine print of their contract that you have to use their
stock
- Photo
site permit (if necessary)
Flowers
- Church
(altar flowers etc.)
- Pew bows
- Aisle
runner (if necessary)
- Pedestals
for arrangements (if necessary)
- Attendants
bouquets
- Groom's
boutonnières
- Attendants
boutonnières
- Boutonnières
for VIP's (fathers of the bride and groom etc.)
- Corsages
Floral arrangements for the head table
- Centrepieces
for the reception
- Misc.
Transportation
- Limo,
coach or car rentals
Honeymoon
- Fee for
new passports (if necessary)
Misc.
- Engagement
ring(s)
- Wedding
rings
- Gifts
for attendants
- Rehearsal
dinner
- New clothes
for the honeymoon (if necessary)
- Other
items that creep up during the various planning stages
Depending
on how much thought you have given to the type of wedding you
want, it may be too early in the planning stage for you to determine
the cost of some of these elements. However, you should still
keep them in mind to avoid any surprises later.
Maintaining
Your Budget
For you
"techno-savvy" individuals, develop a budget template to help
you keep track of your spending. For those of you who don't
have access to a PC at home, perhaps the following will be of
help.
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