The decision has been made, you are getting married and you have family and friends to help with your big day; this is a great blessing. But, if you have a game plan, this is in actual fact very advantageous as weddings can be stressful and huge money lures. Doing a few things well in advance will mean you can have a relaxing and affordable day. Some of the things you can do are
List the ‘Must Have’ Elements for the Big Day
Most people have a mental picture of their wedding that they carry around with them until the moment arrives when this image can be shared. Before you tell everyone else you and your future partner need to decide what is best and important for the 2 of you. Decide what is essential to make this event special for you both.
Do you want a quick civil ceremony only or do you want the religious follow up too, how many people do you want there, is a limo service necessary, are the number of maids and grooms important, is the type of location a deal maker or breaker and so on.
When you decide what is absolutely necessary and which elements of a wedding celebration are the most meaningful and worth doing; make a list. This list that the 2 of you will decide on will be the reference point when it comes to doing the numbers (budget and invitees).
Decide on When It Will Happen
Not just a vague date in the future but an actual day and month of the year. Before you do choose a date; know that there are some months that hotels and party venues are very busy and not readily available. Also some periods of the year room rates and banqueting halls are a little on the high side. Steer clear of months with national holidays and annual celebrations like Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Trade Shows, and Independence Day to mention the obvious. Avoiding choosing these dates could be a great stress reliever and sometimes a money saving move.
Discuss the Amounts
There are always those weddings that seem to grow legs of their own and run amok exceeding their budget and those that just haphazardly happen lacking any type of plan or budget. Do not let your wedding run away with you.
Be realistic and decide how much money can and should be spent on the wedding and all the other traditional events surrounding the event. How much money can you both put in the pot? How much money can you family/crowd fund realistically?
For your big day to succeed you need to have a good grasp of the amounts involved and your budget as early as possible.
Open an Account
This is why it is crucial to decide on a date as quickly as possible so that you can open an account as early as possible. By the time the family and friends are donating to your event if you go that way then you have a secure place to put the money. And, it will be easier to turn the pledges into cash as quickly as possible if people have an account number they can pay into. Also, it will be easier to account for later.
Be Ruthless With the Guest List
This will make or break your day as every person listed will translate into a number that will impact your budget. Make sure that you invite people that you really want to be at your wedding. Keep an eye on both sides of the family and give them a threshold. If the final list is far too long; be ruthless and whittle it down to a number that will correspond to the number of tables, the amount of food, drink, invitation cards and the predictable ‘last minute’ guests that your budget will meet.
Date with a Mission
Every chance you get and on your dates, visit assorted venues and take a look at their facilities and menus. Visit suppliers and compare event packages (you might be pleasantly surprised). Take a look at their portfolios and ask as many questions as you can so that you can learn as much as you can together. About, the different avenues you can take to hosting a wedding and about how much each package costs. Decide together so that you pay the price you will both be comfortable with for the happy day.
