Taking Your First Steps to a Wedding Budget

He asked her to marry him. She said yes. They got married, and lived happily ever after.

Sounds easy enough? Wrong! There are much daunting tasks to be done before getting married. But before thinking of the motif, the venue, the songs that the band will play, and other stuff, there’s one thing that you should consider before anything else—the wedding budget.

We bet your stress level is getting higher now. And we feel you! There may be tons of questions running in your mind just hearing the words ‘wedding budget’. But we’re here to help you out! In fact, we’ve answered some of those questions to help you in taking the first steps on planning your wedding budget. So, relax. And take a deep breath.

Let’s begin, shall we?

FIRST FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN MAKING YOUR WEDDING BUDGET

Always the first things first. Before even thinking of getting a pen and paper and write what will seem like a checklist of to-do’s for your wedding budget plan, what should be the first thing on your mind?

To help us answer that question, we’ve invited Ms. Ana Marie Tueres, owner of Solutions Events and a professional events planner, and asked for her advice. She said that the wedding budget should be realistic. Before coming up with an amount, it’s important that the couple asks their married friends on how much they will probably need to spend.

When you’re considering a budget, you should consider your earnings too. This is also important because you can’t always expect your parents or the parents of your soon-to-be wife or husband to help you out.

IDEAL METHOD FOR MAKING A WEDDING BUDGET PLAN

For Ms. Ana, it’s important that in making your wedding budget plan, the couple should make two separate work sheets for two kinds of elements in the wedding—the essentials and the additional.

“First, you have to identify what are the essentials—venue, church, then the food. Followed by the attires—the gown, the barong, etc. Then the wedding ring, your photographer, your videographer, and then your invitation. Kailangan ma-identify mo muna what are the essential needs of your wedding. Ang ilalagay mo dun sa work sheet mo yung mga items na hindi p’wedeng mawala. Especially if you’re in a budgeted wedding, you need to keep the essentials. The other thrills of the wedding would come later if you have excess.”

Finding a platform to use for your wedding budget plan is also essential. You need to keep your plan somewhere clean, organized, and easy to find. Whether you’re a traditional person who prefers to keep it all printed or a tech-savvy who’s more comfortable to keep the plan on your laptop or tablet, always make sure that it’s safe and accessible.

MOST IDEAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO GET MARRIED

“Never on a December. Never on a January. Never also on a February kasi mahal ang bulaklak.” Including the months of May to June, these are usually the famous months for weddings. We’d say that the most ideal time to get married is during the off-peak months. This is the time when wedding suppliers might offer good deals and discounts. And since it is off-peak season, suppliers tend to have more time to focus for your wedding because of the low demand for wedding services.

“Kailangan ma-identify mo muna what are the essential needs of your wedding. Ang ilalagay mo dun sa work sheet mo yung mga items na hindi p’wedeng mawala. Especially if you’re in a budgeted wedding, you need to keep the essentials. The other thrills of the wedding would come later if you have excess.”

“I would really advise the couple not to get lured and attracted easily with those freebies and promos in bridal fairs.”

“It’s like a training ground for the couple that in their wedding, their budgeting and cash management are the first steps to their training ground in handling their finances.”

ATTENDING BRIDAL FAIRS

A bridal show/bridal convention/bridal fair is usually a showcase of offerings by different vendors who are involved in producing a wedding.

There are many bridal fairs in the Philippines all throughout the year, both grand and small. It’s the best time for couples to scout for their ideal wedding suppliers. Usually these suppliers offer good deals and freebies at this kind of event and they are eager to book for clients. On the other hand, if the suppliers get to book many clients on that day aside from you, think about what it might do to the quality of their service when your event comes.

Ms. Ana advises, “I would really advise the couple not to get lured and attracted easily with those freebies and promos in bridal fairs.”

WEDDING ELEMENTS THAT COUPLES COULD SPLURGE ON

Yes, there are just elements in a wedding that are not ideal to compromise its quality. At the top of Ms. Ana’s list is—of course—the food. People’s standards are getting up a notch when it comes to the quality of food considering many good restaurants are much more accessible and affordable nowadays. “I always tell my clients, ‘wag mo i-compromise ang food,” says Ms. Ana.

WEDDING ELEMENTS THAT COUPLES COULD FIND CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE FOR

Almost all of the wedding elements have cheaper alternatives without the compromise of its quality. For instance, an elegant and charming venue can do without a grand amount of flowers.

We believe that all elements of the wedding are equally important, but it all depends on the priorities of the couple.

ASKING THE PARENTS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

It’s impossible not to consider this, especially if the couple is not yet well off on their own. So we asked Ms. Ana what’s her take on this and she said that it all depends on the status of the ones getting married. “Huwag ka nang mag-asam ng kasal kung alam mong wala naman ang magulang mo. Magipon ka, ‘wag ka umasa. Pero kung well off naman yung parents, magtutulungan.”

ADDITIONAL TIPS!

Managing financial resources could make or ruin a good relationship. A bride envisions her dream wedding, but at the same time, the couple has to be realistic. According to Ms. Ana, the wedding budget should be well-defined. “It’s like a training ground for the couple that in their wedding, their budgeting and cash management are the first steps to their training ground in handling their finances.” Establish the amount of the budget and stick to it at all costs.

Additional piece of advice for the groom: “’Wag pumasok ng alanganin. ‘Wag papadala sa gusto ng bride. Kung ito lang ang kaya mo, ito lang.”

Your first steps into planning your wedding are the first steps towards a beautiful wedding and eventually a good marriage. Prepare for your wedding budget and manage it well. At the same time, enjoy the process. After all, it’s one of your first steps on the road to forever.

SOURCE: Ms. Ana Marie Tueres is a professional event planner and the owner of Solutions Events. Solutions Events is an events and production company established since 2000. They handle a wide variety of events like weddings, social events, corporate events, and others.

Disclaimer: We do not take credit for the photos that were used in this blog post.