Often the wedding is the first significant financial strain of a couple starting together. Therefore, when planning a wedding, finances should be considered, and planning should be within the means of the couple and whoever else is springing for the wedding.
With the awareness of the importance of getting off to a good start, here is some excellent advice from Melissa Morales, general manager of Argentarium, inspired by the lessons learned from the planning of her ceremony.
- The wedding is only one day. The first and most crucial task is defining the household budget and short-, long- and medium-term goals with your partner. After you get married, you will have many more financial responsibilities. If you plan your household finances before the union occurs, it will be easier to know how much money you can spend on the wedding.
- Before planning your wedding, you must make a detailed budget with what you can spend in this event and commit to being rigorous with its compliance. As it is an event that we plan with much emotion, we are often tempted to do the opposite: plan and then look for the money. This would be a mistake with essential effects on the marriage pocket. Remember: first determine how much you can spend and, from there, make plans.
- Define priorities. Some things may not be so essential for your wedding. Do you need an orchestra or stage that acts as a dance floor? It is convenient to define, from the beginning, which things are so vital that they are not negotiable and then several levels of priority so that it is easier to make cuts in case the quotations exceed the budget.
- Do not pond with the opinion of a single supplier. Look for several opinions and compare until you find what best fits your budget. Some experts recommend analyzing between three and six quotes, at least in the most expensive services.
- Selecting services well in advance will help you find a better price. In addition, in some cases, you have the option of paying in installments as the wedding approaches, or you get discounts for paying in advance.
- Eye with this. Never think about financing your wedding! If you do not have enough money to make an expensive event, you can choose to do something familiar and straightforward and postpone the celebration “in style” or be open to more guests.
- If you buy something or hire a service, it must be because you want it, and you need it. During the planning, many will think and tell you that this or that thing is a good option, that it is at a reasonable price, that it was incredibly good at the wedding of The Mangano’s. Avoid falling into the temptation of incorporating elements that, initially, you were not interested in including in your link ceremony.
- Look for the opinions of friends who have already been married. They are great experts, especially if they have recently remarried. Take into account the initial budgets they had better if they are like yours. They will guide you on almost everything you need.
- Be careful with the guest list. This is one of the most challenging parts of organizing a wedding. On the one hand, you have a limited budget and, on the other hand, many people that you would like to invite to the celebration or with which you feel committed.
In this case, it also turns out to establish categories: first the guests and essential guests that you want to be present at your wedding; then, those with whom you and your partner feel that they must “look good” and, finally, those with whom your parents, uncles, brothers, brothers-in-law, and cousins think that you must “look good.” It will never be easy to cut out invitations, but at least you will know where to start.
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