The Top 7 Tips to Keep

Your Wedding Budget From Falling Apart

One of the fi rst decisions that you will have to make while planning your wedding is your budget. You will update your budget throughout your wedding and most importantly, you need to stick to it! There are many things that you may not really think about or had not anticipated and before you know it, you’re over budget, which we DON’T want to happen. Here are a 7 things that if you are not aware of or don’t account for, could destroy your budget.

Tip #1: The Date/Day of Your Wedding

Couples choose their month and day to get married on for various reasons; some choose the day because it is the anniversary of the day they met, or maybe the month is chosen because it is the Groom’s birthday.

When choosing when to get married, remember that will infl uence your budget as well. A Saturday evening in June is premium. June is the most popular and busiest month

for weddings. Everyone wants to be a June bride. I will say it again. Everyone wants to be a June bride. So what does that mean? The law of supply and demand kicks in pretty heavily, meaning that the supply is great; therefore, so is the price! The same holds for having an evening wedding. Many couples want to dance the night away and have a formal sit down dinner.

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eddings.comDo you really have to get married on a Saturday evening? If you really want an evening wedding, why not Friday night? Just making that one small change has a GREAT impact on your wedding budget. Sometimes as much as 30% or even more! Now you can use that money on your fabulous wedding dress, your honeymoon, down payment for your new home, or whatever you like!

If you still want a Saturday wedding, why not a fabulous breakfast buffet or brunch? It would be a wonderful change for your guests and think of the wonderful party favors you could have or how great would it look for your bridesmaids to walk down the aisle with pink parasols at an outside morning wedding?

Depending on where you live, a winter wedding is so beautiful. A winter wonderland is very beautiful as well, but remember that beauty does not have to put a big dent in your pocket either.

Tip #2: Using “Going to Have” Money

Once you fi nish relishing in your engagement, it is time to sit down, focus and plan a wedding budget with your Fiancé. You will have to determine who will contribute to your budget. Will you and your Fiancé cover the bill? Are parents, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents going to help? It is important to determine who is going to help and how much they will contribute.

Although it is a diffi cult conversation to have, it is important

to have a conversation with those that have said they would help out to determine how they will help, how much they are contributing, and when you will receive the money. Invite them to a nice dinner to discuss this to help with the ease of the discussion.

If those contributing are unable to give you specifi cs, the when, where, how, and how much, then do not count the money. Assume that they will not be able to assist you as originally thought. Although they may be able to help you at a later point, or just don’t know they specifi cs yet, for your budgeting purposes, you should not include their contribution.

When I meet with my couples to map out their budget, one of the most important I say to them is that we are going to create their budget based on the money they KNOW they have. Planning your wedding based on the “going to have money” is a recipe for disaster.

Do you want to book the limo for the wedding party because your parents are “going to” pay for the award winning photographer you wanted only to fi nd out at the last minute that they are no longer able to contribute? Now you have to cancel the limo and lose your deposit for something that you were never able to afford in the beginning.

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eddings.comTip #3: The Guest List

The guest list is sometimes a tug-of-war between the bride and groom and both sets of parents. Everyone wants to make sure that their friends are invited and that family is not forgotten because you do not want anyone to have hurt feelings or have them feel as if you do not want them to be a part of your special day.

Yes, you would like to invite everyone you know to watch you marry the one you have chosen to spend your life with, but unless you have an unlimited budget, this is not feasible. Start with four guest lists. Yes. I said four. That was not a misprint. The bride, groom, parents of the bride, and parents of the groom should all have their own lists. The bride and groom should sit down together to compare their lists. Many times you all have

mutual friends so your lists will have a lot of duplicates. Once you have combined your lists, you should sit down with each set of parents to remove any duplicates as well.

You need to be able to categorize your guest list. #1: Immediate family (brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, and fi rst cousins), category #2: Not so immediate family, category #3: friends, category #4: co-workers.

Is this a diffi cult task? Yes, but it is essential if you want to make sure that you stay within your budget. Once you can place everyone into a category, it will make things easier. Think about whom you really and truly want to share your day with; if you get stuck, ask yourself the question, “If ______ was not there, I would really miss them.”

Everyone on your list does not need an invitation. Ask yourself, “Is this person being sent an invitation just because I want them to know that I am getting married?” If the answer to this question is “yes,” then send an announcement, which would be sent after you have gotten married. You are still letting them know about your big day!

So take a look at your guest list; and think, look over, think and look over again. How important is it that you invite a childhood friend that you have not seen since 6th grade and talk to twice a year?

Tip #4: Not Prioritizing

There are several components to a wedding, and where you have to spread your dollars. A wedding of course as we know is a very personal event. What may be wonderful and fabulous to you may be awful to another bride. Because there are so many components to a wedding, it can be diffi cult to not want to have EVERYTHING and have the BEST of everything. Best does not always mean most expensive, but often times it does. Decide one or two things that are very important to you and then stick with it. For example, photographs, which will be with you from

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eddings.comnow until your 50th wedding anniversary and beyond. So you choose to go with the award winning photographer that will eat up 30% of your budget so you choose to spend the morning with your wedding guests and have an early morning reception. Or your priority

may be that your guests have a really good time, that the reception be one BIG fabulous party so you choose to splurge on liquor and you have a late cocktail reception.

Know that you will have to make some choices and stick to those choices. Unless you have an unlimited budget, you are not going to be able to have the Vera Wang dress, the award winning Photographer, and splurge on liquor for your reception.

Tip #5: Your Wedding Attire

All brides think about searching for THAT dress. The one that when you try it on, makes you feel like no other. This is the dress that you will walk down the aisle with your escort (Dad, brother, uncle) and all eyes will be on you. When you think about walking down the aisle, you want to see your husband-to-be to think “Wow!”

Most brides as they envision themselves walking down the aisle never think, “I feel so great in my dress that I had to have altered.” It is rare that your dress will fi t you perfectly. Having a hem raised here, or a side taken in there can add

up and it is an expense that is often forgotten about. Having your wedding dress altered isn’t like taking in the sides of a dress you wear everyday that cost $20 at the cleaners.

Tip#6: Everything Must Go with your Invitation

You have to let guests know the when and where of your wedding, but a common mistake is that there has to be several inserts or that everything must be included when mailing your invitations. Wedding websites are a great way to let your guests know all that is happening during the wedding planning process as well as the when, where, and activities surrounding your wedding. Your mailing can consist of the invitation and the response cards; maps, timelines, accommodation information, etc., can all be placed on your wedding website.

Postage is often a forgotten cost. The postage to mail invitations is often forgotten, but can become very costly. Remember that postage is based on weight and size. The weight can be reduced as stated above; don’t include

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eddings.coma lot of inserts with the invitation. Also, as much as you may love those large oversized invitations, they cost money; the more folds, the higher the cost; and oversized invitations require more postage. Square invitations require additional postage as well. Take an envelope, completely assembled to the post offi ce to determine how much it will cost to mail.

Order your extra invitations when you place your original order, most companies sell them in additional 25’s; if extras are needed, you will already have them. It is much cheaper to order them now, then to order them on their own.

Rather than having guests send back reply cards (which will require another stamp on an envelope…another .44) include a reply postcard. Postcard postage starts at .28 for a standard size post card. That is almost half!

Tip #7: A Few Costs That Probably REALLY Never Crossed Your Mind

TaxesYou may be surprised that I say taxes. We live in the US where there is a tax on everything so why should a wedding be any different? I can’t tell you the surprise I see on faces when looking at quotes from various vendors and there is a line item for taxes.

Delivery FeesTo have what you have ordered delivered, more often than not, there will be a delivery fee from you Florist and Baker in particular.

Vendor MealsYour vendors work long and hard on

your wedding day to make sure it goes off without a hitch and you and your guests have a night to remember. Wedding days are long for you and your guests and even longer for your vendors. Your reception may start at 6pm and last until 11pm, but your DJ has been there since 4pm setting up and doing sound checks and won’t leave until midnight, long after you and your guests are gone. That’s an 8-hour day and even longer for some of the other vendors.

Some vendors require that you provide a mean for them in their contract. You are not obligated to do so; however it is a nice gesture. Imagine how you feel after not eating for 8 hours! Also know that most Caterers provide vendor meals at a reduced cost for the same meal or a different meal.

Requirements of Your VenueVenues have the right to require you have certain services for your wedding. For instance, if you are having a Winter wedding, a venue may require that you have a cost check. Some venues provide the attendant(s) for you, while others make you fi nd someone.

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eddings.comBased on the number of guests, you may be required to have a valet(s) to direct traffi c or park cars to make sure things do not get out of hand.

I just love candles! Who doesn’t? They create a wonderful mood and ambiance to any room. It truly is amazes me how lighting can transform a room. If you have candles, make sure that you do not have to have a fi re permit for that lovely ambiance.

Remember that you don’t have to choose between having the wedding of your dreams and staying within your budget. You can have both!

Happy Planning!

Lynn White, MBA Your Happiness Consultant-Specializing in BridesHeels Above Weddings congratulations@heelsaboveplanning.com www.heelsaboveweddings.com

ABOUT LYNN WHITE, MBA

Event Planning entrepreneur, Lynn White, MBA, owner of Heels Above Weddings, a division of Heels Above Event Planning, LLC realized her true passion after planning weddings and events for friends, family, co-workers, and past positions. She has held positions in various industries, but these positions did not give her the joy and fulfi llment she has when planning.

Having been the Maid of Honor and the Bridesmaid in several friends’ weddings, She was happy to play such an important role in such a big day in their lives, but the one thing she noticed was that many of them were not able to have the wedding they wanted or the planning process left them stressed out, crying, and just plain unhappy. It was sad that such a joyous, memorable occasion left them so unhappy.

“I make sure that my Brides are able to relax and enjoy the planning process. If I can hear the words, I feel so much better, or my nightmares have stopped about something not being done! From a Bride, to me that is one of the biggest compliments that I can receive. Regardless of a Bride’s budget, her wedding day should be magical.”

Lynn has a Masters in business Administration and received her event and wedding planner certifi cations from US Event Guide. She has been featured on News Channel 8’s “Let’s Talk Live” for her creative decorating ideas.

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eddings.comHere are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...“A friend of mine referred me to Lynn as my search for a well-rounded wedding planner left me frustrated and unsatisfi ed. Lynn was super responsive from the beginning and has continued to impress me with her eagerness to please me. She goes above and beyond to offer ideas and advice that is usually spot on to what I’m looking for at my wedding. Lynn has a great work ethic and stays in close contact with me even though my wedding is still months away. I would say that Lynn is an expert in the fi eld because of how many resources she has to offer. If you have had any trouble fi nding the right wedding vendor for you, call Lynn! She has endless amounts of knowledge and loads of contacts in the wedding industry. I can honestly say that I am a picky bride, but Lynn has exceeded my expectations. My only complaint is that I hadn’t found her sooner!” ~Desiree, VA “Heels Above is a wonderful business. Would highly recommend her. Very professional and friendly.” ~Renee, MD

“Thorough, punctual and very attentive makes Lynn one of the best Event Planners in the Washington, DC area. I will recommend her to everyone I know.” ~Eric, MD

“You have been a pleasure to work with and I’m grateful that you were able to work within my budget. I appreciate your ability to listen to my ideas and bring them to fruition. The outcome was wonderful! Your personal sense of style paired with my general "feel" for the gathering created an amazing atmosphere - it was the perfect party. My guests are still raving about it! You defi nitely exceeded my expectations. I wish you much continued success in the future.~Andrea, VA