I’m not going to lie, usually when we start talking budget people’s eyes get really big and I can see the “oh crap, that is going to cost what?” look on their face.  I had when I was planning my wedding, heck, I had it when we bought our house!  The truth is, weddings are expensive, almost overwhelmingly expensive.  It is not very often in your personal life you drop that kind of money on anything.

I think at times it can seem frivolous, but weddings are absolutely beautiful.  It is more than just a big dinner, some cake and some dancing.  It is an artistic celebration of the decision you are making to become husband and wife.  A celebration with the people you love who are there to stand in your commitment to each other and to your vows.  Do you need matching paper goods? No, but they sure are fun!  I think the key is sitting down and coming up with a great budget, knowing what your budget will get you and making your wedding as meaningful as possible within those means.  This can be done whether your budget is $5,000 or $50,000, it will just look a little different.  The memories, the people you love, the vows, those things will be there and if you budget accordingly you will feel better after writing all those checks!

I usually suggest coming up with your top three, the three most important aspects of the wedding day.  If that is amazing band, incredible food and stunning photos, then those are the three places you should start with and fill in the other thing later. If that means you want to wow your guests with linens, flowers and desserts, start there.  It will look different for every couple but by starting with your top three you make sure you budget accordingly or those and don’t spend all your money on the extras before you get there.

We have a guest post today from Jenny Creno, a contributing writer for The Insider.  She worked with other bloggers to create this adorable info graphic about budgeting for your wedding day.  I think it is a great little tool.  Naturally, I have to put in my two cents (I’ll try to keep it only at two cents).

I agree with all the advice except for the first one that says you should ask for discounts from your wedding vendors.  I won’t stand too high on my soapbox and Lauren from Every Last Detail said it really well here.  Long story short, the prices of wedding vendors seems high for what a lot of people believe is just for “one day”.  Your vendors put a lot of love into their product and sometimes we put 80 or more hours into a wedding (heck the one day alone is usually an 18-hour day.)  We LOVE what we do and want to make sure your wedding is executed not only the way you want it but in a professional manner.  That being said, if they offer it, take them up on it!  Go into a meeting with your budget in mind, you can even tell them what your budget is and if they can work within your budget, great, if not, you can find someone who can.