Sara's Getting Married! Part II
You know that feeling when you’re fully aware that you really shouldn’t do something and then all of a sudden, you find yourself doing that exact thing? Well my fiancé, Rob and I ended up doing just that. When it came time for the wedding budget conversation, we just threw out a number without really digging into what that really meant. While hammering out budget details is not anywhere near as exciting as choosing florals and décor, it’s an essential first step that will make the rest of the planning process go much smoother.Here’s how we redeemed ourselves:
Step 1: Determine Your Priorities
Before we dove into the numbers, we took time to consider our wedding as a whole and what elements were truly important to us. Our top priorities were a unique Downtown DC venue and great food. We ended up allocating 50% of our budget to these two items. We balanced this with removing items that were less of a priority for us. For instance, we chose to do an electronic Save the Date and send a postcard for our invitations, which saved on stationary and shipping costs.Additional savings were realized through prioritizing sustainability. When selecting the ceremony venue, reception venue and hotel, we chose venues that were all accessible via public transportation as well as within walking distance to each other. This eliminated transportation costs and reduced our carbon footprint.
Step 2: Do the Research (split-up)
Next, we put real proposals behind these numbers and got 2-3 bids for each of the main vendors. This allowed us to understand exactly what we could get for our money. We decided to divide-and-concur the vendor list to keep things manageable.Another element that these bids help illuminate is your per person cost (food, drinks, rentals, etc.). One of the most effective ways to control wedding costs is by controlling the number of people invited.
Step 3: Come Back and Review Budget Together
Rob and I are both very invested in the details of the wedding as well as keeping the budget on track. When we received the bids, we reviewed them line by line together so we both understood what was behind each line item.
Step 4: Keep Readjusting
Once the research was complete, we created an initial budget framework. As we’ve continued planning, we keep adjusting the budget as costs are finalized and reallocating savings or deficits to other line items to keep us on track. Now if that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is!
#exercise in compromise
GREEN WEDDING TIP: Are china and glassware not in the budget? Disposables have come a long way in terms of aesthetics and can be a great alternative. Talk to your caterer about compostable or recyclable options. The most important thing to confirm, however, is that your caterer or whomever is taking your waste at the end of the event can process them at the end of the day. If you go with compostables but your caterer isn’t able to compost the items, they will still end up in a landfill.