by Rosalia Dimatteo

Created on: April 28, 2009

The average wedding costs $26,000 dollars. This is more than the cost of a car, a boat, a dream vacation or even a down payment on a home. Weddings are expensive and it is important to make sure that you enter the wedding world with a clear head. Sometimes the excitment and overwhelming things can overtake common sense. Once you enter this world of weddings you can get loured by the beauty and often your budget gets put on the back burner. Sticking to your budget is equally as important as creating it.

Create Your Budget

1. Make a list of vendors and everything that you will need to make your dream wedding happen. Venues, flowers, photography, cake, DJ, guest favours, invitations, postage, ceremony costs, transportation, bridal party gifts, rentals, accessories, apparel, rings, insurance...EVERYTHING. This list should include everything you think you will need.

2. Figure out the total amount of money you are recieving as contributions from family (if applicable) then asses how much you are willing to and can realistically afford to contribute.

3. Look around for average costs of each item on your budget from the cheapest to the most expensive. You should also highlight what you have in mind and how much you think it will cost.

4. Allocate your funds throughout your list and see where the money lies.

5. Rank items in terms of importance. This will come in handy when this budget gets tweaked and if things come up. This allows you to pepare for compromise and decide what you are willing to compromise and where you will be willing to cut costs if other things take precedence. For instance if you allocated $500 dollars for your wedding dress but the dress of your dreams is $2000, how important is your dress in terms of everything together and where are you willing to take that money from.

6. Save money for incidentals. Make sure you keep a percentage of your budget for unexpected costs and issues that may arise.

Sticking To Your Budget

Now that you have made a comprehensive and perfect budget for your wedding sticking to it should be a peice of cake.

1. Ranking the items which is what you did when you created your budget will also help you stick to it because it can show you where you can make compromises and having some wiggle room.

2. Although you budget changes in terms of monetary allocation the initial cost that you came up with should not change. That is where people get in trouble, they change allocations but forget to make sure the calculations still equal up. This leads to shock when they end up over budget.

3. Make sure that the costs you agree on are put on paper so that these costs do not change. Account for taxes and service fees and make sure that the initial number you are given is the one you pay in the end.

4. Saving that incidental money will come in handy and will help you stick to your budget. Even if it happens that you are perfectly self controlled and you dont use the incidental money thats great news because now you can put it towards something else or go out and splurge. After all you deserve it for being so controlled and frugle!

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