This is an excerpt from Chapter 6: “Budgeting Blunders: Avoiding & Overcoming Them” by Desiree M. Mondesir, in the ebook Insider’s Know How–Planning Your Perfect Wedding. Find it on Amazon, for Kindle here, or on the publisher’s website in other ebook formats, plus audio.
Here’s Desiree…
One of the simplest and foremost truths to understand when planning a wedding is this: your wedding is, arguably, the biggest day of your life, but your marriage is the biggest commitment. You must budget with both of these thoughts in mind. And no matter your economic status, no matter your nuptial dreams, a realistic budget must be set in place. In this chapter, we will help you to identify and avoid some of the obvious and not-so-obvious blunders of bridal budgeting.
Not Setting a Budget
This is probably the most obvious budget blunder to identify. Everyone needs a budget to play with…Creating a budget involves you sitting down with your fiancé and seeing what you two can realistically afford to spend on your wedding. This may also include talking with your respective parents about how much money they are willing or able to contribute to the cause. Whatever budget you collectively come up with, create a realistic plan to achieve your goal, and then stick to it.
Not Allowing Enough Time to Budget & Save
When it comes to budgeting, you have to be honest with yourself and with your fiancé about how much time you both need to truly save for and plan the wedding of your dreams.
Ignoring the Budget
Now, setting a budget is great, but what sense does it make to set a budget, than forget it? None. You’ve got to keep track of your expenditures.
Budgeting Only for the Wedding
Remember the opening statement of this chapter: your wedding is for a day, but marriage is for a life-time. Therefore, you must budget accordingly…It’s just not good sense to exclude budgeting for your future while simultaneously planning your wedding.
Borrowing Money
Plan a wedding that is within your realistic financial limits….If you plan things correctly, then you can have an expensive-looking wedding on an inexpensive budget.
Not Budgeting with Priorities in Mind
You and your fiancé have to sit down together and decide what’s most important to both of you. And don’t ignore his wishes, especially since he’s most likely not half as involved in the planning process as you are. Without priorities (i.e. what’s most, somewhat, and least important), your planning and budgeting can easily go awry…So what tops your list? The dress? The venue? The honeymoon? The flowers? Whatever it is, keep those in mind because you can have what you want if you remain open-minded and willing to cut down on things that are less important to you as a couple…
Nicole goes on to give a total of 11 budgeting blunders you can avoid when planning your wedding. To get the entire ebook–which includes not only Nicole’s chapter, but 21 more chapters from professionals in the wedding industry, look for Insider’s Know How: Planning Your Perfect Wedding for the Kindle on Amazon ($5) here and for other ebook formats, plus audio, at the publisher, here.
About Desiree M. Mondesir
Desiree is an experienced freelancer who has recently committed to the world of weddings. Currently she authors Desired Assistance Weddings blog (DA Weddings for short), and spends her time providing relevant and cutting edge information for all of her brides-to-be on an international level. Desiree also runs Desired Assistance, a virtual freelancing company started in 2010. Check her blog out as well as her Facebook page and learn about “all things wedding”.