Wedding Budget Checklist
Creating a Wedding Budget Checklist
Being unorganized when you’re trying to plan a wedding can leave you feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders—which is why I recommend putting together a simple wedding budget checklist. I know lists seem like more of an old-fashioned thing to do, but a structured list of costs will help you visually see where the money in the budget is going and whether you have enough to cover all the things you want. The beauty about a wedding budget checklist is that you don’t have to sit around with notebook paper and a calculator anymore (although that works better for some). In these wonderful days of technology, Excel or a similar spreadsheet program is all you need to help you balance your budget and keep track of respective wedding costs.
Before you sit down to start listing the seemingly never-ending wedding expenses, you need to first determine what your budget is and where it is coming from. Is the couple covering the costs of their own wedding? Does the bride’s family insist on tradition and paying all costs themselves? The best way to figure this out is to talk to everyone separately and ask their feelings on the matter. It’s natural for parents to want to help their children in any way they can, especially with such an important occasion. Not even being asked how they feel about the wedding preparations may make them feel left out. Talk to both sides of the family and if they both show a desire to help out with wedding costs, suggest a three-way or two-way split. Once you know where the money is coming from, you can inquire as to what your budget will be. Although some people prefer to have a list of wedding costs drafted up before addressing how much they have to spend, I think it’s much easier to know your budget before you jump into the planning. You could spend countless hours researching the perfect dress only to find that it simply can’t be afforded.
Now it’s time to draft up your wedding budget checklist—starting first by listing the necessary items, then the non-essentials. This will help you decide whether you have enough for all or whether you might have to cut a few things out. The more comprehensive your list is, the better idea you will have as to exactly how your budget is being spent. Some of the must-haves include: Ceremony Fees (venue, officiant, guestbook, accessories for ring bearer and flower girl), Wedding Clothes (bride’s dress and accessories, groom’s clothing and accessories, manicure/pedicure, makeup, hair, and dress/tux alterations), Photography (video/camera hire, portrait and video fees, copies), Invitations and Thank You Notes, Ceremony Music, Reception (venue, DJ/band, food/catering service, alcohol/bar fee, party favors and rice, valet, and gift attendant), Flowers and Décor (bouquets, arrangements, reception tables and chairs, table and various decorations), Cakes (wedding and groom’s cakes, cake topper(s), delivery fee, toast glasses, knife and server, and dinnerware), Rehearsal Dinner, Marriage License Filing Fee, Bridesmaid and Groomsmen’s gifts. After this basic list, simply add on or take away any items you feel necessary.
Located next to each item should be a box for “Estimated Cost” and “Actual Cost”. It’s best if you can overestimate by a little just to leave yourself a little breathing room in the budget. Once you have a grand total added up, you can simply subtract that amount from your total budget to determine how much you have left over. In the event that you don’t have enough in your budget to cover the expenses, you can either attempt to scrape up the extra cash if the amount isn’t too great, or you may have to remove items or spend less on others to make up the difference.
Best of luck with your wedding planning!