Smart Wedding Planning: Budget, Organization & DIY

Planning events can be extremely overwhelming, especially when you are planning an event that celebrates you and your soon-to-be hubby!  I love weddings but they can get financially overwhelming so here are some pointers that may help you plan a spectacular event that will keep you, your fiancé, and your bank account happy… as long as you both shall live!

Budget, Budget, Budget!

You MUST begin figuring your budget. This can be a challenge but you can do it! Ask yourself: Who is contributing? What can they contribute?  How will you pay for your portions?*  Once you have a number you can use the resources below to help you prioritize those funds, and help guide you to understanding how your budget is being spent! 

The Knot:  www.theknot.com — “My Budgeter”

WeddingWire: www.weddingwire.com –  “Wedding Budget”

Organizing your Options

·         Prepare:

-Go to your first local Bridal Show and you will see a lot of vendor options, but it is important to make your options easy to refer back to.

-The “wedding business” is growing and the vendors are thriving!  You say “wedding”, they see $$$. Therefore, feel free to be picky!

-Utilize online wedding community forums by asking questions and getting advice.

·         Organize:

-Have a specific place where you will save all signed contracts/agreements in the same folder, an accordion file would work great for this.

-Create an email account for everything wedding related.  You will thank yourself for this!

·         Schedule:

–Start adding everything to a calendar: due dates (deposits/remaining balances/contracts), appointments, and consultations.  This will help alleviate unnecessary anxiety when you get close to your big day.

 Do It Yourself.

·         Borrow:  

-There are no rules that you can only have one borrowed item, borrow as much as you can! Some examples would be decorations, centerpieces, and linens (if possible). 

·         Coupon Clubs:

-Make sure you are included in on as many preferred customer lists and coupon clubs as you can. 

—Craft and fabric stores are my favorite and pay off when you begin getting crafty.

·         DIY:

-Use the web for great ideas, there are tons of blogs and inspiration boards that will get your creative juices flowing! This can help you cut costs when it comes to making your own invitations, favors, decorations, etc.  Some of my favorite inspirational sites/magazines are:

–          Style Me Pretty Blog: www.stylemepretty.com

–          Martha Stewart Weddings: www.marthastewartweddings.com  

–          Pinterest: www.pinterest.com