Creating a wedding budget
You have come to the right place if you are looking for effortless ways to create a wedding budget that works.
We have many unique, frugal wedding ideas to help cut costs and expenses.
Whether you’ve been planning your big day from age 5 or always thought an Elvis Presley impersonator would announce you hitched, you must create a budget for your wedding.
It’s not always easy either, so we have compiled a few tips on creating a wedding budget for your big day without pulling your hair out.
You are not just creating any budget, but you need to create a wedding budget for your big that works for your fiance and yourself.
Something that you will both be able to manage and stick to.
I always recommend planning a wedding you can afford, not one you see in fancy wedding magazines or on Pinterest.
There are many ways to have an extremely fashionable wedding while keeping the budget to a minimum.
The first step is creating a wedding budget that is functional.
We will show you how to plan a great day even when you are on a budget, using simple ideas that are not too tacky.
Whether you are planning a wedding with a budget of $2,000 or $50,000 is entirely up to you, but if you want to stretch your money, read on for different ways to make a wedding budget that works.
To create a wedding budget that works, you must learn to negotiate, be flexible, and think outside the box.
And the best way to cut wedding costs is to look at your wedding guest list, budget and everything else that entails planning a wedding, such as the time of year you chose to marry.
There are many cheap wedding ideas out there you can use to save extra money.
If you are reading this post, we are going to help with the following:
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Where to get a great wedding budget checklist
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Tips for making a wedding budget that works
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How to create a wedding budget that stretches
Now let’s get into creating a wedding budget that works for you.
No two weddings are the same.
Let’s set a realistic wedding budget you are comfortable with and make your wedding fit those requirements.
And if you have to leave certain things out, then do that.
I recommend you use this No Spend Challenge Planner and these wedding money-saving tracker worksheets to help me stay on track with my wedding budget.
Before creating a wedding budget, please grab this quick wedding budget checklist to help determine if you can afford the wedding of your dreams!
I also recommend grabbing our Ultimate Wedding Budget bundle right now.
It’s the best sample wedding budget for brides that don’t know how to budget.
It’s designed to meet all your wedding planning needs and ensure you cover all your wedding expenses, leaving little to no surprises.
We help couples create wedding budgets because you deserve to marry the person you love without the stress of going into debt.
Please note all our money-saving tips for your wedding, as they will help you save big.
So what are the best tips for setting a wedding budget that is functional?
Before we get started on the tips you can use to create a budget for your wedding, we wanted you to take the time to like our Facebook Page here! We also use affiliate links in our blog posts, meaning we can make a commission if you use any of our affiliate links.
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Don’t forget to check out the printable wedding shop for your wedding planning checklists, worksheets, and freebies.
7 Steps To Create a Wedding Budget
1. What’s In The Bank
Sit down with your partner, have an open and honest talk about what is available in the bank right now, and work from there.
This step is crucial, especially if you are hoping to create a budget for your wedding that you want to stick to.
It’s fair enough saying you want a diamond-encrusted dress and a trained Parrot to follow behind you whilst singing here comes the bride, but if the money just isn’t there it’s not going to happen.
They are great places to get affordable things without blowing the budget.
For example, you don’t have to go to big brands to spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress.
Lulus has an equally beautiful wedding dress collection you can purchase on a budget.
You can also shop for Pre-owned wedding dresses.
For wedding invitations, Minted.com has fantastic deals that work well.
You might also like the following:
2. What’s your wedding style?
Before you set your budget in stone, consider what kind of wedding you want.
Do you want to have a huge wedding with hundreds of guests, an outdoors nature wedding, or maybe you want to go with that Elvis impersonator?
However, if you choose to do your wedding it can play a big part in the wedding budget.
Places like Amazon have amazing wedding decor deals, and Zazzle and Beau-coup have great wedding bargains.
Consider these places when you create a budget for your wedding.
3. Prioritize when it comes to your wedding budget
Before you get stressed out about all the different elements of planning a wedding, sit down with your partner and write down your top 3 must-haves for your wedding.
You might have a live band in there, great food, or you could want your wedding guests to feel relaxed.
Compare your top 3 and work together to complete a must-have top 3 priority list for your wedding.
Prioritizing will help you create a budget for your wedding quickly.
4. Research and reevaluate your options
Do your research!
You might have already put a price on certain things in your head, and when you do the research you realize that your price point might have been wishful thinking.
So before you put that singing Parrot on your list, have a look to see what the actual value of one is.
When it comes to finding great deals for your wedding, research works wonders.
Check out how this bride planned the most efficient wedding.
Join Facebook groups to ask other brides their opinions and see what they have done for their big day.
Here is a great wedding Facebook group for brides that focuses on planning, leaving all the venting posts out.
For wedding decorations, sign up to be a prime member on Amazon and save on wedding decor shipping.
Yes, free shipping.
You can try it out for 30 days for free – check it out here.
Sign up for an Amazon wedding registry and save even more. – They have amazing deals. Sign up here.
5. Look for inspiration
If you don’t know where to start, look online for some “been there done that” blog posts outlining their wedding day budget.
These are great if you need to get a rough feel for what you need to spend and where.
They might even give you some ideas on stretching your budget if needed.
There are many other fantastic wedding blogs where brides have outlined how to create a budget for their wedding.
6. Have a budgeting system
Whether you an old-fashioned pen and a paper gal or a new-aged techie, have a system that works for you.
Worksheets or spreadsheets are a great way to lay out your initial budget and keep them updated on spending as you plan your big day.
It also allows you to look at where you are with your budget at a glance, saving you any big surprises.
Don’t forget to track your spending with this wedding budget checklist!
This app will track all your expenses and also give you cash back.
Another excellent app that will save you money is Digit. It will do all the work for you.
I saved over $300 without lifting a finger with Digit.
The app is free to join, a bonus if you plan a wedding on a budget.
7. Have a “just in case” allowance stashed
No doubt there will be something that you haven’t thought about in your initial planning, so it’s always a good idea to set a “just in case” allowance.
You never know; if you manage to keep that percentage of money in the bank you might get your signing Parrot after all.
The extra money could be used towards your honeymoon.
You can read this post to learn all my tips about planning a honeymoon on a budget.
Honeymoons can run several dollars if you do not plan correctly and within budget.
And that’s it for how to set a realistic wedding budget to help save money.
If you have more ideas perfect for creating a wedding budget, please share them below.
We want to hear all about them!
All budget ideas to save money for your wedding are appreciated.
I recommend grabbing these savings trackers for your wedding and honeymoon savings plans.
And don’t forget to grab this epic Wedding Budget bundle right now to simplify your budgeting needs.
Read next
- 5 Ways to make your budget wedding ideas look beautiful
- 9 Elegant Rustic outdoor wedding ideas on a budget
- 6 DIY Wedding Reception Ideas on a Budget
- How to get wedding decorations on a budget
- How to dress the wedding party when you are on a budget
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