engaged! now what? {part two}

How’s it been going since you said “yes”? Still staring at your ring and doodling your future last name on every writing surface possible? Last week, we started a series for those of you that just started planning your wedding.

Have you decided on your wedding style yet? Great job! Today, we focus on your budget. We’re sure most of you just let out a big groan, because, let’s face it, this is often the most stressful part of planning a wedding. Good news- once we give you some pointers, you’ll be well on your way and thinking, “That wasn’t so bad at all!”

Let’s begin.

{What are the 3 most important things to you on your wedding day?}

Why’s this important, you ask? Good question. Once you and that fiancé of yours are on the same page as to what’s most important to you, then you’ll find it easier to agree on where to spend and where to save. So, let’s start by answering these questions:

Rate the following in order of importance 1-10:

___Food
___Liquor
___Apparel
___Aesthetics/Appearance (flowers, decorations, centerpieces, ambiance)
___Music
___Convenience
___Spirituality
___Photography
___Family and Friends

When I look back on our wedding, I want to most remember: (choose 1)

___How exciting everything was
___How romantic it was
___How beautiful it was
___How proper everything was
___How smoothly and easily everything went
___How happy my parents and family were

Now, check out this basic budget worksheet so you can get an idea of some of the things you’d need to include in your wedding budget.

{Who’s paying for the wedding?}

Will you be paying for the wedding entirely by yourselves, or will your family/s be helping out? Sometimes, couple’s family/s offer to pay for specific items, like the attire or catering.

{Set a budget.}

Factoring in who will be paying for the wedding, how much are you willing to spend?

___$30,000-$40,000

___$40,000-$50,000

___$50,000-$60,000

___$60,000-$70,000

___$70,000-$80,000

___$80,000-$90,000

___$90,000-$100,000

___more than $100,000

Also, if you check out these wedding budget no-no’s, you’ll be smooth sailing all the way to your big day. 

That’s it. Yes, really. Now that you know what your budget is, you can take a deep breath and get back to daydreaming about your special day. Next up, we’ll be walking you through your guest list. What do you do about Great Aunt Betty who you haven’t seen since you were 3 but your parents insist on inviting? We’ll give you some ideas next week.

{Images via: All Things Elegant, Piccsy , Style Me Pretty}