Friday, January 29, 2010

Planning a Beautiful Wedding on a Budget

A few tips for planning your beautiful wedding on a budget:

1) Plan your budget – Be realistic and determine how much money you have available for the wedding. This will include your own savings and any gift money from your family. Don’t consider credit cards and money that you don’t have access to right away as part of your budget, otherwise you will find yourself going into debt even before you’re married; that’s not a good way to start off married life. Stick as close as possible to it and track it frequently to see where you’re spending the money. This way you will be able to organize all of the details according to the budget you have set aside and can afford.

2) Use Wedding Planners – Experienced wedding planners will be able to offer support by providing tips and ideas to save money and cut costs on your wedding. With their expertise comes a larger network of contacts and it’s their experience dealing with reputable vendors that helps you to avoid throwing away your money – they will also help you stay on budget and be that voice of rationalization when you want to blow all your money and some.

3) Do your research – As with anything else, do your research, ask family and friends for referrals, take the time to look into your different options before making a final choice for everything from flowers to transportation. Ask questions, make site visits, shop around and get a quote from each vendor making sure to consider and compare the quality, type of service, and determine if there are any hidden costs or exceptions to the pricing. Understand how much things cost and what you get for that price. Shopping around can help you add up the little bit of savings as they will quickly add up making a difference in your overall budget. Be wise in your choices.

4) Prioritize – Determine what your priorities are when it comes to your wedding. Some couples consider the flowers and décor their “must-haves” while others might spend the money on their photographer and food. Since there are so many aspects to a beautiful wedding, the details quickly add up and so does your wedding budget. When planning for the big day, make sure to you decide on your top 3 things where you want to spend more and 3 things you wouldn’t mind spending less. Figure out the areas you want to focus on first and always weigh your options. Weddings are not meant to be cookie-cutter; the best ones are personalized to the couple.

One thing to remember is that the wedding day is for you as a couple. You can’t please your Mom or Aunt and make decisions to please everyone if it isn’t what you want. If you plan, research, prioritize and stay on track, you will be happier with your decisions; this is, at the end of the day, your wedding and your money. Even though you your family and friends are important, you can’t be wasting money to make everyone happy. If it’s not in the budget then let them know but be nice about it…don’t turn bridezilla on everyone. All in all, enjoy the day because you deserve it…Happy Wedding Planning on a Budget!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Welcome 2010!

Another year has come and gone! The holidays are now over and 2010 has officially begun and we're back to the humdrum of work and home. However, for some couples, the holidays this year have been even more special because they got engaged between Christmas and New Year's Day.

What better way to say "I Love You" than to have your love unwrap their (what-they-think-is-another) present which just happens to be a beautiful Diamond Engagement Ring? And then soon after in January of 2010, these same couples are now planning to announce their recent engagement to family and friends but then what?

Although most men will tell you that the marriage proposal is one of the most stressful moments of a man's life, they would also agree that getting engaged over the holidays is both romantic and inspiring at the same time. However, have they even thought of the thousands of details it takes to planning a wedding? Probably not but they will and wedding planning will soon creep up as a good second place on their stress monitor.

Once engaged, wedding planning is something a couple will live and breath for the next while until their wedding day. Not to fear, there is so much guidance and advice posted on the internet and found in all types of wedding magazines and books - from do-it-yourself to comprehensive checklists and templates. Still confused, well here's some interesting posts according to the Knot, "10 Things you need to do first" and "Just Engaged: Your First Wedding Planning To-Dos"

It's hard to remember sometimes that we aren't always able to manage everything in our lives and the added stress of planning your wedding might seem overwhelming. Just remember that there are dedicated planners such as Beyond Events, who can help you stay on track, get it all done, and keep your stress level at a minimum - your wedding is suppose to be a happy celebration and not a great big chore. Even if you choose to do it all yourself, above all, don't forget to do some deep breathing...often!

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year - may your lives be filled with love, laughter and only happy moments...

Congratulations and best wishes on your engagement and good luck on your wedding planning!