How to Avoid The Biggest Wedding Budget Pitfalls

You’ve been dreaming about (and obviously planning) your wedding day since you were a little girl. Thanks to Pinterest, wedding planning is a whole new ballgame these days. However, all these endless ideas can really wreak havoc on your budget. Knowing wedding budget pitfalls and preparing for unforeseen costs is key to avoiding a minor heart attack when being presented with a swoon-inducing bill.
Plan the wedding you’ve always dreamed of without cleaning out your savings account with these tips on how to avoid the biggest wedding budget pitfalls.
- Being unreasonable when setting your budget too low. Sitting down and planning a wedding budget is one of the first things you should do after getting engaged. However, many couples tend to experience sticker shock when they start talking to vendors and realizing how much it actually costs to have their fairytale wedding in the real world.Sound familiar? If this happens to you, make sure you revisit and reassess the budget conversation to be more reasonable. Don’t just start splurging because you think you need to.
- Wedding Parties & Events. When you initially discuss your wedding budget, be sure to specify if that budget include all the other wedding parties and events (engagement party, bridal shower, engagement shoot, rehearsal dinner, etc). Depending on the size of your family and friends, these parties can all add up to almost as much as your wedding!
- Spending too much on extras. Be careful when you’re purchasing extra-nice favors, expensive bridesmaids gifts, jewelry, wedding programs and accessories. Although these extra details can start out as small expenditures, they can really add up to a large amount.
- Bridal Accessories. If you’re a fashionista bride and want to wear Louboutins or Manolo Blahniks as you strut down the aisle, remember that you’ll probably never wear those white shoes again. If you wouldn’t have it any other way, think about at least opting for a nude pair so that you can wear them again after your big day.