Want to make sure your marriage doesn’t end up on the rocks before you get to the chapel? Then set a realistic wedding budget — and stick to it.
In the process of planning a wedding, budget concerns often is a source of disagreement for a couple. They may have different ideas about what kind of wedding they want, and about what they can afford. To make the wedding a truly happy occasion, it is important that the couple discusses financial constraints early.
Set A Budget And Save For It
The first tip is — discuss finances before the wedding plans begin. Everyone involved in the decision-making process needs to understand exactly how much money is available for the wedding.
To maximize that budget, you should start saving early for your wedding. Advance planning and saving will allow you to maintain or even exceed your budget, comfortably. And that will make wedding planning easier and more fun.
Get Everyone On-Board
Once your wedding budget has been established, set it aside for a few days and then review it again. This gives everyone a chance to let the information sink in. The budget review after this waiting period gives the participants a chance to verify that they understand and agree to the budget. This is vitally important, because someone who does not agree with the budget may overspend in 1 area, leaving the rest of the budget in jeopardy.
Budget Line Items
When you’ve decided exactly how much money is available for your wedding, the next step is to divide the total into budget categories, such as the venue, food and drink, bride’s attire, groom’s attire, transportation, entertainment, photography, favors, centerpieces, and gifts. It is also advisable to set aside money for unforeseen expenses.
Who Pays
Part of establishing a budget is to be clear on who will pay for what.
Shopping And Negotiating
You will need to negotiate contracts for services, and so you must know the budget for each area of the wedding. If you have allotted $250 for entertainment, look for a DJ whose rate is approximately that amount, then negotiate to ensure that you remain under budget.
It’s wise to shop around and compare prices for services. A company may come highly recommended, but if they are outside your price range, let them know why you are going to have to choose another company. You may be surprised at how willing they will be to give you a better offer.
Substitute Creativity For Cash
Doing things on your own is another way to stay under budget. Homemade invitations or making your own favors or centerpieces can greatly reduce the wedding cost, freeing up funds for other areas of the wedding.
Do not fall into the trap of viewing your budget as restrictive. Instead of thinking about what you can’t afford, focus on how you can make your wedding and reception truly unique. You will be inspired to create a wonderful, memorable wedding regardless of your budget constraints.
Anticipate The Unforeseen
Realize that there are bound to be snags along the way. If you go over budget in 1 area, you will need to cut the budget in another area. As long as you stay aware of your spending and realize the ramifications of all your actions, you can roll with the punches and alter your plans to accommodate any needed changes.
Make It A Wonderful Memory
A wedding budget can cause emotional strain on a couple and their relationship. It is important for them to discuss their finances and establish a clear budget for their wedding plans. Doing this early in the wedding planning process can help the couple to avoid conflict during the planning phase of the wedding. It can also make the wedding more fun for everyone, and start out the marriage on a positive note.
After all, working together is what a marriage is all about.
Visit Wedding Ideas to learn more. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.
“The Date to Mate trap is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. OK, so it doesn’t quite fit, but it’s close enough.” David Steele, author of Conscious Dating, Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World.
The Date to Mate Trap is one that is easy to fall into when you are looking for a serious relationship and not just dating for fun. I have a client who called me over the weekend, very upset with the man she has been seeing for just over 3 weeks. “We went to a party on Saturday and it just didn’t feel right. He said he was tired and wanted to leave around 11. He’s been staying over the last few times we’ve been out and this time he said no he was going home! I was really upset because I was expecting him to stay over. But there are other things that bother me too. He just isn’t opening himself up to me the way I want. He’s not interested in my work, which is very important to me and he’s not interested in any kind of spirituality either. I feel like I have to drag stuff out of him. The conversation is so superficial. I’m really frustrated with this relationship!”
She had clearly fallen into the Date to Mate Trap! The Date to Mate Trap happens when you meet someone and within a short period of time, 2-3 weeks, become a couple. You start sleeping together and it becomes almost assumed that you will spend weekends together and connect several times in between. In other words, it’s like a relationship!
But the problem is you don’t really know this person well enough yet for a real relationship to have developed naturally. Because you want a committed relationship, you get into one with everyone you go out with who you like, or have some things in common. This can result in needing to solve unsolveable problems. An unsolveable problem is when one of your requirements or needs cannot be met in this relationship. Yet you have already, prematurely, decided to make this relationship work. This results in a lot of frustration for both people and usually leads to relationship failure.
In my Soulmate Success Training, I help you identify your requirements, needs and wants very clearly. When you uncover what’s usually hidden, that is, what are those things that really allow you to be your best self and feel loved and cared for in a relationship, when you know that, you can then use that information to test a potential partner while you are dating, before you actually get into an relationship. Then you will not be tempted to try and form a relationship with everyone you go out with to see if it works. You have a method, a system that allows you to date consciously and avoid the heartache and frustration of trying to make a relationship work.
Karen, my client, had taken Soulmate Success Training, so I asked her which one of her requirements was she ignoring in an effort to make this relationship work. She was stunned! She hadn’t realized that she was doing that! I also asked her how she had managed to let herself get carried away so quickly after only a few weeks. It turned out that the Chemistry Trap was playing here too.
As we talked, Karen began to see that John did not fit all her requirements. He fit most of them and many of her needs and quite a few of her wants, which were just icing on the cake, but without all her requirements in place she was running up against some unsolveable problems which were causing her a lot of anguish.
Now that she saw what was happening, it was easy to decide what to do. She realized that John was not a fit long term. She could date him for fun, which means not be exclusive and probably forego the sleepovers, or she could let him go and move on, thereby being available for the one who would fit all her requirements. Either way she knew she had to talk with him and let him know what was going on for her. That’s what being a conscious dater is all about. The other person is not wrong for not being able to meet your requirements and needs and you are not wrong for having those particular requirements and needs. It just isn’t a fit.
Deb Melton, Singles Coach and Certified Fearless Living Coach lives in Denver and coaches singles all over the country to help them find their soulmate. Deb’s philosophy is, “It’s never too late to find the love of your life and live the life you love! Deb also offers teleclasses and seminars on a variety of subjects for singles of all ages. Whether you have never been married or you are recently divorced, Deb’s coaching and classes are interactive, fun and full of helpful information. Go to her website to learn more http://www.denversinglescoach.com