Your wedding can easily be the most expensive day of your life. Over the years, the average cost of a wedding in the UK has crept up to a scarily big £27,000. Although there has been some kickback against excessive wedding spending with the rise of the DIY wedding, it still remains a huge financial strain. Here’s how to stick to your wedding budget, and not go too crazy with the spending.
Make a budget
This is the first and most important step of keeping your finances organised, and it’s one that a terrifying number of couples miss out. In order to control your spending, you need to have a budget. Work out how much you can afford to spend, how much family contributions may add up to and any financing options you have in mind. Before you visit the first venue or look at a single dress, set out your budget! Create your wedding budget here.
Break your budget down into manageable chunks
A total budget is great, but without ring fencing amounts for various parts of your day, it’s easy to blow the whole lot on one aspect, leaving you pinching the pennies for the rest. Divide your budget into sections for venue, attire, food, entertainment and more. Go through your day step by step and make sure you don’t leave anything off the list.
Use a specialist planning tool
Trying to keep your budget organised on scraps of paper or through an unwieldy spreadsheet is tough. Choose a specialist planning tool to track your budget smartly and ensure you don’t leave out anything important. Our budget calculator allows you to keep easy track of your wedding spending allowing you to monitor your costs, quotes, and payments in one simple interface.
Budget by priority
If you are struggling to work out just how much of you budget to allocate to each category, you’re not alone. A great way to work out where to focus your spending is through a priority list. Make a list of all the aspects of your wedding, arranged from the most important through to the least. Focus the main part of your spending at the top of the list and consider DIY or budget alternatives at the bottom.
Avoid impulse spending
This is easy to say and really hard to follow through. Impulse spending is a budget sucker. You see something gorgeous online or in a shop, and all of a sudden your budget is smashed into tiny pieces. If you see something you love that wasn’t part of the plan: step back, look at your budget, see where you can rebalance, and give yourself some time to see if you really need that impulse item. If it’s still important days later, rearrange your budget to accommodate it.
Shop around to get the best deal
As with all things in life, when it comes to wedding services the first option you see may not always be the best. Shopping around is not only important to find a great deal but also to find something or someone you truly love and connect with. Speaking to several suppliers will give you a sense of market value for services and products within the wedding sphere.
Keep a record of every payment
It’s easy to not sweat the small stuff; a few pounds here and there on decorations or accessories that you never officially put through the wedding books. This is a sure way to chip away at your wedding budget without realising it. Put every single purchase through your calculator, no matter how small, and keep a tight hold on those wedding purse strings.
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