by– Jewelanee Flores Wedding Planner & Podcaster

One of the most difficult questions that a couple finds hard to answer is: How much is your Wedding Budget? Some couples can give out the exact amount, while most couples ask back; How much do you think it will cost? There are even the couples that are risky enough to say they do not have a maximum budget.

No matter how much you are comfortable spending on your wedding, whether is $2,500 or $250,000, is extremely important to know your number. Ask yourself; How much are you comfortable spending on your wedding day? Once you figure out your number, you are ready to start working on your budget.

Your Wedding budget is an estimated amount of funds you have allocated towards every aspect of your celebration. Budgeting allows you to create a PLAN. Which means that you will have enough money for the services you want on your wedding day and you will be away of overspending. 

Is no secret that money talk is not easy, and they stress out most brides. But, Why is it so stressful? Most of the time brides do not know how much they will need to have the wedding of their dreams. If you do not know how much you will need, most likely you do not know exactly what you want. If you do not have a clear vision and set priorities for your wedding, you will be investing in services you most likely will not even need. Having a set vision and priorities will make easier choosing the services you will really need.

Most brides ask me why is so important to have a budget and monitor it consistently?

1. 1. You will have CONTROL over your money.

2. 2. You will be stress relieved because you will have a clear idea of where your money is going.

3. 3. You will be informed. You will know exactly where the money is coming from, where is it going and how much is still left.

4. 4. You will maximize the use of your money. Since you will establish a maximum cap for each item you will not overspend.

5. 5. You will have an organized expense.

Are you ready to start building your budget? Here are 5 steps to start.

1. 1. Where is money coming from?

   1. a. Yes, you need to have the uncomfortable conversation; Who will be paying? Bride family? Groom’s family? You and your fiancée? Will everyone contribute?

   2. 2. What do you need for the Wedding?

   3. a. Not every wedding has the same services, but the most common are the following.

      4

      • • Ceremony/reception venue

      • • Wedding Planner

      • • Officiant

      • • Photographer

      • • Cake

      • • Food and Beverage

      • • Decoration

      • • Invitations

      • • Stationery

      • • Stylist

      • • Transportation

      • • Wedding Rings

      • • Outfit for bride and groom

   4. b. Choose the top priorities for your wedding. This will not be negotiable and will be the most important for you and your fiancée.

   5. 3. How much will you invest on each item?

   6. a. Assign a separate budget for each item. For example – You could have a budget of $10,000 in total and a venue budget of $3,000.

   7. 4. Where is your money? 

   8. a. Monitoring your budget is the key factor. Write down the cost for each contracted vendor, deposit, and payments. This way you will track your money and will know exactly how much you have spent and what is left.

   9. 5. What if something goes wrong?

   10. a. Do not forget to have an emergency fund. You need to have a set amount for any last minute emergency. Is better to have it and to not need it than to need it and not having it.

   11. The most important thing about budgeting is to keep focus. If you and your partner work as a team and start building up your budget funds you will get to your goal when you least expect it. No matter the type of event or how much you want to spend, with the right tools, good planning, consistency and focus you will achieve your goal.

       Your budget and wedding board are the key to plan a wedding where you feel 100% confident with every decision you make. The best part is that you will be reducing your stress and enjoying every step of the process before walking down the aisle. 

       
       
       

   Jewelanee Flores is a certified Wedding Planner in Orlando, Florida and podcaster. With her Event Planning Firm Joyful Moments Event Planning, LLC she has been able to help brides leave stress behind and enjoy not only the wedding of their dreams but the planning process. With her Podcast in Spanish “Camino al Altar” she helps Latina brides to plan the wedding of their dreams without stressing. Her motto is “Enjoying the process of planning is as important as enjoying your wedding day” She offers Full Planning Service, Parcial Coordination and Wedding Day Management packages. For more information you can contact her at info.jmeventplanning@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram www.instagram.com/joyfulmomentseventplanning ,