The cost of a wedding can be HUGE!  I have helped numerous clients fork out huge sums from their investments to fund their child’s wedding, and according to Hitched.co.uk, the average UK wedding in April 2019 costs £32,273.

It is therefore very important to first consider what will make the BIG day special for you. Whatever the budget, there are always going to be compromises to make. For me and my husband we decided that the most important thing for us was that people had a huge amount of fun and that there was a party atmosphere. To provide a free bar, we compromised on food and ditched the posh canapes.

What Is Important to Me?

What are my top 5 priorities?

 

 

  

 
What are the 5 things that aren’t important to me?

 

  
What has been the things I have liked most at other people’s weddings

 

  
What have I not liked at other people’s weddings

 

  
What traditions are not important/are important to me?

 

  

 

Don’t forget that this a joint decision so perhaps you and your partner could  fill out a version each to make sure that you prioritise the things that are important to you both. You never know, learning to compromise and to meet in the middle might be the skill that you learn through this exercise that contributes to having a very successful, long and happy marriage.

Planning and budgeting for a wedding and honeymoon

The first thing to work out is what you can afford to spend on a wedding. How does this expenditure impact other financial goals? Would you rather have a smaller wedding and a bigger house deposit for example?

Have THE chat! Will your parents help out? If so, how much, and as when we discussed in the last chapter, does going to the Bank of Mum and Dad come with any conditions/ criteria?

Once you know what you have to spend and know how long you have to save, fill out a wedding budget planner (see below), and allocate a number to each expenditure using your best guess. This will help you to keep track of what you are over/underspending on and you can work out easily what you can cut back on if you are overspending on a particular area that is important to you.

Final hints – don’t forget to add an emergency buffer to take care of any last minute emergencies that may crop up.

Here are my Top Wedding Planning Tips:

  • When you are saving money for your wedding, put it away in a separate account so that it can’t get accidentally mixed in with your day to day spending.
  • Make sure that you pick a wedding date that you know you can manage to have all your finances in place for.
  • Have a contingency/secret slack in your budget where possible.
  • Don’t forget why you are doing this and what’s important – before bridezilla sets in!
  • Be prepared to rethink your ideas and potentially ditch or downgrade some elements .
  • Shop around for the best deals and don’t be scared to negotiate or ask for cheaper alternatives.
  • Speak to your married friends about what they spent. This will give you a real feel for what things cost in your area.
  • Be ready to accept help from family and friends who are talented in certain areas. Perhaps they could offer their services instead of a wedding present?
  • Watch the small spends as these can really add up e.g. candles, wedding favours and sugared almonds.
  • Opt for flowers that have a large head to reduce the amount you need.
  • Don’t forget the costs related to registering your marriage – currently £46
  • Don’t over cater – 1/5th of all wedding food is thrown away!
  • A simple way to keep the cost down is to only invite people who are genuinely close to you and that you like!! Keep the guest list down to these important to you.
  • Research the different prices at different time of year – it can still rain in August you know!!

Wishing you an amazing day!!

Please pass this on to anyone who you know is getting married!

Lots of Love

Miss Lolly xx