Set Your Wedding Budget
The very first thing every engaged couple should do when planning a wedding is set their budget. This will determine everything else about your big day. Sit down together, review your finances, savings, and decide how much you can reasonably afford to spend on the wedding. Be very honest here – going into debt for your wedding is never a good idea.
A good rule of thumb is to spend no more than 5% of your annual household income on the wedding. If your budget is tight, aim for an intimate wedding with just your nearest and dearest rather than a huge guest list. Focus more on the ceremony than extravagant reception details. The most important thing is being together with your loved ones.
Choose Your Wedding Date and Venue
Once you’ve set your budget, the next step is to decide when and where you’ll get married. Weekends in summer are usually the most expensive and difficult to book. Opt for an off-peak time like fall or spring instead. January through March are the cheapest months for weddings.
As for the venue, parks, gardens, and community centers tend to be budget-friendly options. Or have the ceremony and reception at an all-inclusive venue to simplify planning. The earlier you book, the better – popular venues fill up fast! Locking this in early allows you to plan everything else around it within your set budget.
Create Your Guest List
Your wedding guest list has a big impact on costs for catering, rentals, and more. Make this early on and be ruthless – invite only your nearest and dearest within your budget/venue capacity.
As a rule of thumb, plan on 70% attendance. Create an Excel spreadsheet organized by households with columns for names, addresses, RSVP status, meal choices, and any other notes. This will come in handy later for tasks like addressing invitations.
Hire a Wedding Planner or Accept Help
Planning a wedding on a budget can be stressful. Consider hiring a budget wedding planner to help guide you or delegate tasks to willing and creative family/friends. This allows you to focus on high-level decision making while getting assistance with time-consuming details.
A month-of wedding coordinator can take over final preparations like vendor communications, setup/teardown, and troubleshooting so you can relax and enjoy every moment. If hiring a planner isn’t feasible, create a shared online checklist guests can access to claim specific planning tasks.
Book Your Wedding Photographer/Videographer
Photography and videography often rank as top budget priorities for couples. After all, these preserve your memories forever! Research affordable options online and through word-of-mouth referrals.
Consider hiring an aspiring photographer looking to build their portfolio. Or ask a friend with photography skills to shoot your wedding as their gift. Only pay for the basics like a few hours of shooting time, limited printed photos, and digital image files. Add videography later if it fits into your budget.
Order Your Wedding Attire
Your wedding day style helps set the visual tone for the event. Order your wedding dress/suit early to allow plenty of time for alterations. Look at consignment shops, sample sales, Etsy, or even your own/family closets for unique pieces at non-retail prices.
For bridesmaids’ dresses, let everyone choose their own affordable dress in a shared color scheme. Consider different silhouettes, fabrics, sleeve lengths, etc. to suit their individual style and budget. This offers more size flexibility too. Look at Azazie and other budget-friendly bridesmaid dress brands.
Make Your Initial Wedding Decor Decisions
Nail down your wedding color scheme, style theme, and major decorative elements early since these impact many other planning decisions. Having a clear visual direction makes it easier to find flower, linen, stationery, and other rentals that all coordinate together nicely within budget.
Focus spending on 1-2 focal areas like dramatic florals on the sweetheart/head tables or a floral ceremony archway. Save money on guest tables with inexpensive bud vases, candles, etc. Use what your venue already offers before renting additional items.
Book Wedding Rentals and Catering
Once you have guest count, venue, and decor details decided, start researching event rental and catering options. Provide vendors with specifics like headcount, menu requests, rental needs, and your budget upfront to get accurate quotes.
Ask what is included in the proposal and where there may be wiggle room to save more money. For example, limiting catering to 1-2 entree choices or a buffet vs plated meal can help lower food and service costs. Just be transparent about your budget from the start.
Order Your Wedding Cake
The wedding cake is one detail couples get understandably excited about! Just be careful not to blow your budget on elaborate fondant designs and complex flavors. Focus more on form than excessive details – ask your baker for recommendations.
Consider a small cutting cake for photos supplemented by inexpensive sheet cake to feed guests. Or have a dessert table with donuts, cookies, and other budget-friendly bites instead of a traditional cake. No matter what, order early so you get the baker you want!
Make Your Wedding Website
Every couple needs a wedding website these days to share all the important details with guests. The best part – this can be done for free! Use a simple template site from The Knot, Zola, WithJoy or similar.
Your website acts as a hub for your registry, RSVPs, accommodation links, directions, schedules, photographs, and more. It keeps guests informed and organized leading up to the big day so you don’t have to field as many questions. This is clutch for staying on budget!
