Perhaps the most dominating factor of wedding planning is the budget. All weddings require money, whether it is a quaint gathering where the only expense is the marriage license and a box of Duncan Hines or a more extravagant ceremony topped of with a $10,000 catered meal. One of the first things the bride-to-be should decide upon is how much money she is willing to spend and what she is willing to spend it on.
One of the best ways to set a budget is to put a ceiling on the amount of money you are willing to spend. After setting your maximum amount, make a list of all expenses and assign a dollar amount to each one. It is critical that every dollar has a name before any money is spent. By doing so, whoever is planning the wedding has a set amount of what they can spend on each item and it reduces the stress in the long run. An example of a well-planned budget is as follows:
Maximum Budget: $10,000
Venue: $2,000
Cake: $1,500
Flowers: $1,500
Dress: $1,500
Food for Ceremony: $1,000
Music: $500
Officiant: $100
Centerpieces: $900
Chairs: $300
Tables/Table cloths: $400
Disposable Plates/Cups/Cutlery: $200
Guest Favors: $100

Now apply this to your specific wedding with your budget. When you are finished, sit back and relax because you deserve it. You are officially now a bride with a budget!

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine your perfect wedding-yes that one. The wedding of your dreams. The one where everything is exactly the way you want it to be. Ahh yes…Bridal bliss.
Now, let’s snap back to reality. Is the wedding of your dreams the wedding that you are planning? Or is your eventual wedding so far off track that you don’t seem to enjoy your planning any longer?
Your wedding day is one that is supposed to be entirely about you, from your dress to your cake to your groom. So why is it that brides so often sacrifice what they want to make those around them happy? One of the most important things about planning a wedding is being true to yourself and what you want. Don’t let other persuade you into ideas that you aren’t crazy about. It’s time to stop worrying about what others want. And yes, that means even shrugging off what your mother has all planned out for your big day.
Every bride deserves to be able to nostalgically look back at her wedding day years down the road without any regrets, and the only way to do that is to have your wedding the way that YOU want it. It’s time for brides to stop asking for the opinions of her maid-of-honor. It’s time to stop planning your wedding solely around the latest trends. It’s time to stand up against your mother-in-law-to-be. Start planning this wedding for the ones to whom this day will mean the most: the happy couple getting married.