Congratulations! Your daughter has just walked in and announced she is getting married. Suddenly your head is spinning with dresses, flower arrangements, dresses, band vs. DJ, dresses. And your financial security is in dire peril.
But there is no need for this. You wouldn’t build a house without a contractor to watch over costs. You would never think to take on a big project without knowing how much it was going to cost. Families, however, do it every day with weddings. This will be one of the biggest expenditures your family will make.
The first thing a family should do after the engagement is announced is meet with a certified wedding consultant to help plan your budget. The average cost for a wedding is $100-$175 per person. She or he should be able to give you an estimate of what your wedding could cost with the ideas you have for the event. But first, she is going to have some questions.
When envisioning a wedding, as with building a house, some basic things have to be decided. What three things are the most important to the bride when it comes to the wedding? These are the three things that, if they are not taken care of, the bride will not attend her own wedding. That is where your budget dollars will go first. This can be anything – flowers, music, food, photography, a horse drawn carriage or invitations to die for.
Next, the bride needs to ask herself what are three things that she would like to have included in her wedding or reception, but she will be there regardless. Your budget dollars will definitely stretch to cover at least a few of these. Maybe she wants a fun favor for the guests or a photo booth at the reception.
Finally, what are three things that if everything were perfect would be included in the wedding? Maybe rose petals for the aisle or a tiara.
I’m sure you’re getting the idea. Imagine building a home where all you know is you want a house. You don’t know if you want brick or stone. Do you want wood or tile floors? Maybe granite countertops? Although, you do know you want a pool and outdoor kitchen. Also, the cute pulls you saw for the drawers would just make everything perfect. You just made your three lists, as the bride should make hers.
Make a budget, with at least a 10-20 percent cushion, and stick to it. You and your financial security will thank you.
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