Congratulations! You’re engaged! This is such an exciting time in your life, so make sure to take the time to soak it all in.
The number one question you will get asked the most once you become engaged is…
When’s the big day?
Even if you have been engaged for one day, people will still ask this question. So this might be one of the first questions you need to answer for you and your partner.
I say might because it is tied with this other important question…
What is your budget?
I say this because, you might have your heart set on getting married at the peak of “wedding season”, but your budget may not agree with that.
Budget Tip:
Getting married in “the off-season” , January, February and March, can save you a good bit of money. Because it is not the busy season, to encourage business, many vendors offer some kind of discount for their services during this time. This is especially true for venues.
Sitting down and coming up with a realistic budget is so very important to do as soon as possible. Even if you are equipped with a beautiful Pinterest board of wedding ideas, if you try to start planning too much without your budget planned, you can set yourself up for disappointment when you can’t afford your perfect Pinterest wedding.
Set aside time to sit down with your partner and possibly your families to discuss who can contribute how much to the wedding fund. Be realistic. If you want a small, intimate event, you can expect to pay less than if you want to invite everyone you know to an elegant ballroom. Educate yourself on what the average wedding in your area might cost.
According to Real Simple, “The national average cost of a wedding in the US comes in at $29,200.”
This brings me to another. very important question:
What are your priorities?
Once you have decided on a general budget, it makes sense that you choose what you HAVE to spend it on. What are the things you cannot live without. There are lots of little things that can be a part of a wedding that can be left out and be opportunities to cut costs, but some of these things are must haves for other people.
Do you have to wear your dream wedding dress?
Do you have your heart set on having your favorite restaurant cater?
Photo by Ashton Imagery
Do you need to hire a photographer or videographer that you trust?
Do you need a great DJ to keep everyone out on the dance floor?
Photo by Ashton Imagery
Do you want to order a beautiful lace garter off of Etsy or do you want to skip that whole tradition?
There are many more questions you can ask yourself, but these just show some to consider.
Hopefully this post can help you start your thought process or prepare you for wedding planning that may lie ahead!