Lately I have had more and more comments about how “lucky” we are and how “wonderful” it must be to have such an enormous budget for our wedding!!!
The conversation usually goes like this …
Friend: “Wow you are so lucky to have such a big budget for your wedding, it must be fun not having to worry about what things cost and just getting what you want”
Me: “huh?...us…. ??? …MONEY!!! ahhhh no, not really”
Friend: “but look at your plans, you are doing so many things, it must be costing a fortune”
Me: “ True enough we will have been engaged almost 2 years when we get married and we have been saving this whole time, but we still have a very reasonable & tight budget. We just make sure we use every cent and try to stick with what we wanted. But we aren’t prepared to spend the equivalent of a home loan deposit on the wedding”
Friend: “I don’t get it, did you forget about ordering food or something?”
Me: “Nope definitely getting everyone food, I promise! We are finding savings everywhere, and all without really compromising the feel we want for the day. It all depends on what you want, just because something looks expensive, doesn’t mean It is”
Friend: "So how are we getting a Disney Wedding and a weekend reception back home?"
Me: "It comes down to three things ……. Planning, Budgeting and Organising"
But seriously, we are very lucky to be having a destination Disney Wedding and a big home reception with all our friends & family who can’t make the trip overseas. For us it really has been, thorough careful Planning, Budgeting and Organising that will hopefully pull it all off and not leave us in debt.
Planning & Budgeting is a big part of getting the balance right between what you want & how much it will cost, so you don’t end up with any nasty surprises or disappointments along the way.
The first thing we did was talk about what we wanted our wedding to be & what was important to us and always keep that in mind. We spend time researching and looking at everything to work out what we liked, and what gave us what we wanted plus what costs were involved.
Set your budget together (after you have spoken with your family if you are asking or expecting them to contribute) and stick to it !!
Always, always ask questions, don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal and be honest about your budget when discussing options with your suppliers/vendors
Being Organised is what will make sure your planning & budget stay on track and make sure you make smart choices with your money.
To be continued...... how we pulled off our dream Disney wedding on a budget
*Tip of the Day*
Taking advantage of sale items only work out cost effective if they were part of your original plan / budget or you can work them in, without additional costs occurring. Make sure you think before making any spontaneous purchases as 50% of 25 large square vases is a great saving but not if flowers weren’t going to be your centerpieces. That being said, don’t always discount something that wasn’t part of your plan, just think about it first.
