Cents and Sensibilities

Cents and Sensibilities

by Lorna Lee
Wedding Consultant
Email: lorna@signetique.com

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Unless you are a millionaire, or your family has a backyard that prints money, chances are, some form of budgeting is necessary when planning for your wedding. Even millionaires have a budget.

So, for the rest of us, we will definitely need to prioritize. First, decide on the kind of wedding you want. You will have to device a budget based on your priorities using available resources. Do you need a "big" formal wedding? Or would it be possible to trim away some of the frills?

Below, is a list of items that are commonly needed for a wedding. Of course, feel free to add or delete any of the items, for different people of different locale and culture would have different needs and preferences:

Items	Budget
Stationery Wedding Cards:
Legal & Business Matters Blood Test: Marriage License:
Formal Wear Groom’s Attire: Bride’s Attire:
Photography Studio: On-Site (Actual Day): Video Recording:
Music Live Band, CD, Cassette Music
Reception Location Community Hall, Restaurant,Hotel Function/ Banquet Room, etc. Caterer Fee or Restaurant Charges:
Ceremony Religious Building,Community Hall, etc. Officiant’s Fee:
Flowers Ceremony Location: Reception: Members of Bridal Party:
Decorations Ceremony Location: Reception Location:
Gifts for Groom’s Attendants: Bride’s Attendants:
Guests Accommodation (for out-of-town guests): Transportation:
Honeymoon:
Additional Expenses

This list is by no means exhaustive. However, it should give you an idea as to the amount of money you will want to allocate for each item. For example, if your budget is really tight, would it be possible to have one of your friends or relatives do the photography or videography? Hiring a professional will bring better results, naturally, but it is costly. Ask around, you might just know someone who has a real knack for photography. What about invitation cards? Depending on your budget, you could either have a printer do it for you or you could depend on your trusty color bubble-jet printer to do the job for you. Get quality paper if you like, but you will definitely save a lot doing it yourself.

Honeymooning? You could either opt for a honeymoon in a foreign land or you could save by checking out some place nearer home. Finding a nice beach near home with a reasonably priced hotel would most likely suffice if you have a tight budget.

So the conclusion of the matter is this: decide how much you are willing and are able to spend on your wedding. The wedding is simply a nice beginning to a long and lasting relationship, do not let it begin badly by unwise spending. Be indebted to your spouse, not your bankers.