Budgeting Your Wedding

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!

I recently did an interview with one of the business magazines in Quebec about how not to go broke getting married!  We're well into February and as you begin to plan your wedding for this year, keep in mind your budget and how much you can afford to spend on this one day.  Here's a general breakdown of the budget you can use as a guide to get started.

Reception	45%
Flowers & Decor	10%
Photographer/Videographer	10%
Attire	8%
Miscellaneous	6%
Music/Entertainment	5%
Ceremony	4%
Wedding Rings	4%
Stationery	3%
Gifts & Favours	2%
Transportation	2%
Cake	1%

Here's more detail on each category:
Reception - Venue Rental, Caterer, Beverage & Alcohol, Tables & Chairs, Linens (if not included with the venue)
Flowers & Decor - Bride & Bridesmaids' bouquets, Boutonnieres, Reception Decor, Centerpieces
Photographer & Videographer - Prints & Albums, Video Copies
Attire & Beauty - Bride & Groom's Attire, Bride's Hair, Bride's Makeup, Accessories
Miscellaneous - Accommodations, Rehearsal Dinner, Unpreventable Crisis
Music & Entertainment - Ceremony & Reception Music, DJ, Entertainers
Ceremony - Location, Officiant, Marriage License
Wedding Rings - Bride's Band, Groom's Band
Stationery - Invitations, Postage, Ceremony Programs, Placecards, Menus, Thank You Cards, Calligrapher
Gifts & Favours - Attendant & Parents' Gifts, Favours for Guests
Transportation - Limo, Family Transportation
Cake - Cake, Cupcakes, Groom's Cake

Discuss with your fiance/fiancee how much you want to spend for the entire wedding.  If your budget is $30,000, here's what each item should cost:

Reception	45%	13,500
Flowers & Decor	10%	3,000
Photographer & Videographer	10%	3,000
Attire & Beauty	8%	2,400
Miscellaneous	6%	1,800
Music & Entertainment	5%	1,500
Ceremony	4%	1,200
Wedding Rings	4%	1,200
Stationery	3%	900
Gifts & Favours	2%	600
Transportation	2%	600
Cake	1%	300

Of course, this is just a general guideline so you know roughly how much to spend for each item.  I suggest you make two more columns and rate each item from 1 to 5, 1 being the most important, a MUST HAVE and 5 being, not so important so things you can DO WITHOUT.  I put together a worksheet in Excel so you can get started right away.   You can download it here.  As you know, a photographer can range from $700 to $5000 and same with a videographer.  If you don't think having your wedding videotaped is as important as having great photos of your wedding, you might want to do without a videographer.  If you think a limo is a waste of money, you can allocate that money towards something else such as the wedding gown that's more important to you.

There's so much more to say regarding budgeting your wedding and it's impossible to say it all in just one post.  Just remember one thing: it's not worth it to go into debt just for this ONE day as you have your whole life after that to spend with your husband/wife!

Happy Wedding Planning!

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