8 Hard Truths About Your Wedding Budget

We wanted to begin by delving deeper into a topic we spoke about a while back on our Instagram feed, as our audience seemed to eat it up: hard truths about your wedding budget. Through our years of experience working intentionally with couples, we’ve gained the wisdom we have on this subject. We’re excited to hopefully stoke some thoughtful conversations between you and your partner with these truths we’ve learned! After we share these ways to reframe your mindset for success, will we dive into our favorite ways to plan a budget-savvy wedding.

Start Talking About Money with Your Partner

Money can be a challenging topic to broach, but it's essential to have open and honest conversations with your partner about your wedding budget. Whether you've discussed finances before or are just beginning, now is the time to prioritize these discussions.

Don’t be afraid to share your worries, your fears, and your nerves. Embrace transparency and support each other as you navigate this financial journey together. Allow them to support you just as you support them, and get in the habit of financial transparency.

Accept That Some Inspirations May Be Out of Reach

Know right off the bat that, at one point or another, you will find inspiration that you love, but is outside of your budget—and be okay with that! We know it can be difficult to find a dress, a venue, a florist you adore, only to realize there’s no possible way to make your budget work. Especially when social media does a phenomenal job of making it look like everyone else is getting their absolute dream wedding.

That is not reality and it’s okay that not everything will be accessible to you.

If you can get comfortable with that fact, you’ll be setting yourself up for immense success and can focus on cultivating desire for what you can afford, rather than trying to unrealistically stretch your budget for what you can’t.

We’ve been a part of so many amazing weddings where the budget was smaller than others. These weddings were filled with intention and so much love. We wrote a blog post all about How to Plan a Budget Savvy Wedding (without cutting corners). It’s meant to encourage you to find your budget, stick to it, and plan the wedding of your dreams.

Don't Expect Loved Ones to Fill Budget Gaps

This one might be a little controversial, but we’re sticking to it! As a team of planners with over 10 years of experience, we have witnessed many couples turning to their loved ones or other vendors when they are unwilling or unable to pay for a service. They often expect these individuals to fill the role for little to no compensation. This may look like running out of room in your budget for a planner and expecting the photographer to fill that gap or turning to a family member who loves to do arts & crafts and expecting them to aid with DIY decor.

We believe that your wedding will be most authentic and honest when you keep your friends as friends, your family as family, and your vendors as vendors; expecting more from your guests can put a damper on their experience as well as yours. Allow everyone (including you!) to be present at your celebration by prioritizing professional vendors who can deliver the quality you desire, and let the rest go—or be okay DIY’ing it yourselves.

Prioritize Experiences and Connection Over Aesthetics

We always encourage couples to value experiences and connection over material things, aesthetics, and expectations. Don’t get us wrong—we love incorporating beauty and artistic elements into weddings, and we believe that’s an incredible way to help your unique love story and individual personalities shine! However, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of prioritizing the aesthetic of your day to be more important than anything else. We’ll touch on this more in the next section of this blog post, discussing ways to plan a budget-savvy wedding.

Take control of your budget and get the support you need.

Wedding Budget Guide

Trends Come and Go; Stick to What Resonates With You

It’s as simple as that, friend.

We know it can be attractive to spend your money on things like popular design trends—but those things will fade over time. Being in line with your values means you’re not spending money on something solely because it’s trending or because you can name-drop to get a fun reaction from your guests.

When you find yourself attracted to a particular trend or brand, take a step back and ask yourself if there is indeed an element that resonates with you and your dreams for your wedding or if you’re only drawn to it because of its popularity.

Stay Accountable by Tracking Your Expenses

Knowledge is power—and if you’re unaware of every dollar you’re spending and where it’s going, your control over your event will slowly disappear.

While it's important to go with the flow for certain parts of your wedding and stay in touch with your emotions and intuition, having at least a little bit of structure and discipline provides the most freedom. With a structured approach, you can confidently make decisions, knowing exactly where your money is going.

When planning a wedding, it's crucial to find a method for tracking expenses that suits your needs. This can be as simple as jotting down notes in a shared notes app, or going so far as to do a complex google doc! This will help prevent unexpected debt and ensure you understand all the costs of creating your dream day.

Seek Professionalism, Not Perfectionism, From Vendors

Hiring vendors who never make mistakes and help you craft a perfectly executed, flawless day would be fantastic. However, it is unrealistic to expect perfection from the people you hire. You are paying for professionalism, not perfectionism.

The sooner you can get yourselves into that frame of mind rather than expecting every element of your celebration to go off without a hitch, the sooner you’ll find true joy and happiness in the wedding planning process, no matter what happens. Your vendors will do their damnedest to provide you with a seamless experience from top to bottom, but ultimately, we are all humans, too, and there is no such thing as perfection.

We also can't predict what will happen on the wedding day or the days leading up to it. Remember when the entire wedding industry (and the world) got thrown for a loop by a pandemic a few years ago? We sure do, and we remember that nobody knew what to do—but everybody was doing their best.

Your priority should not be perfection when hiring your vendors; it should be making sure you hire folks you wholeheartedly connect with and can trust to serve you as best they can, no matter the circumstances.

Be Prepared to Compromise When Necessary

While we all wish we had endless pools of money to design our dream weddings, reality often requires compromise. If your ideal guest count, dream venue, and realistic budget aren’t lining up, it’s time to make some tough decisions. So, here are some options to help narrow the focus:

Prioritizing Your Venue

Choosing a venue is essential, but it might not always be your first choice. Consider selecting your second favorite venue or downsizing your guest list to afford your dream location. Remember, it’s about creating a beautiful and meaningful celebration within your means.

Creative Cost-Saving Strategies

Think outside the box to reduce costs without sacrificing your vision. Decrease the time you rent the venue—enough for the ceremony and initial festivities—and consider relocating to a more affordable spot for the reception. Nearby restaurants, Airbnbs, or private rentals can offer charming alternatives.

Embrace Compromise

You don’t have to choose between the wedding of your dreams and a realistic budget. There are plenty of ways to find a middle ground that satisfies both. Trust that third-party perspectives and professional guidance can provide invaluable support in making these decisions.