Behind a gorgeous and successful wedding is excellent budgeting. With a lot of things to attend to while planning a wedding, it’s very important to set a reasonable budget and make the most out of it. Through doing so, you can set priorities and focus on what’s more important. You can also easily see what can be moved around and prevent you from going overboard.

Since weddings are one of the greatest milestones one can experience, it’s always best to approach this smartly and avoid unnecessary stress. With that in mind, VintageBash prepared a short but sweet wedding budget planner. Though concise, we focused on having everything essential laid out first then worked on the add-ons through the end.

What’s the budget?

Firstly, the couple must determine the total working budget they have for the wedding. Why is this the first step? It’s because one can only plan best how to allocate per vendor or detail if the budget is already established beforehand. This will allow you both to see how much room you can wiggle around to have the wedding of your dreams.

Consider how much you and your partner have ready for the wedding. Most of the time, the couple’s family also extends their fair share for the couple’s wedding. You can also take these into account and add to see the total working budget.

Groom’s Family + Bride’s Family + Groom and Bride’s Budget = Total Working Wedding Budget

Now that everything is on the table, let’s start working around the important categories to include in a wedding budget planner. The categories are listed according to each’s significance so go through each with caution and remember to allocate smartly.

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The Complete Bride Wedding Budget Planner

1. Ceremony

This will cover all necessary expenses for the ceremony venue, licenses, and more. The ceremony expense covers the following but please take note that there may be other fees needed to be settled along the way. It may still vary.

Location Fee (Church, Beach, Outdoor, and more)
Church Donation
Marriage License

2. Reception

Wedding Catering Service from Kace Catering.

After the ceremony, this is the next most important part of the wedding. This is where the fun is – from food and drinks to everything included in the program! It’s best to secure a final guest list so you can account for how many people are coming.

Reception Site Fee (Studios, Museums, Parks, and more)
Cake
Food (Buffet, Chinese, European, Filipino, and other cuisines)
Beverage (Cocktails Bar may be considered too!)
Rentals (Tables and Chairs, Stage and Backdrop Setup, and more)

3. Music

Setting the mood right, inviting a musician or DJ for your wedding is a good idea. Go with what best fits your budget and preference as a couple. Also, remember to let them know of your wedding theme song too!

Ceremony Musicians
Cocktail Musicians
Reception Band
DJ

4. Flowers and Decorations

Wedding floral arrangements and decorations from Floral Bash and Vintage Bash.

Now that we got the ceremony and reception venues decided, we can now work on the deets! Go through floral options and decorations that fit your wedding theme. You may either go big or play it simple depending on your wedding budget. This is also the most fluid part where the budget can be moved around.

Ceremony Floral Arrangements
Ceremony Decorations
Bride’s Bouquet
Bridesmaids Bouquets
Flower Girl Buds and Basket
Corsages
Boutonnieres
Guest Book
Reception Centrepieces
Reception Decorations
Reception Activities (Photobooth, etc)
Lighting

5. Transportation

Halfway through the list, we are now going to finalize transportation arrangements. Go over each of the following and set a hierarchy per item below.

Premium Car (Bride and Father to Ceremony, and Bride and Groom to Reception)
Car for Bridemaids to church
Car for Groomsmen to church
Car for Parents to church
Van for the guests from the church to the reception

6. Attire

Now that the wedding is almost ready, we can now proceed with the attire and preparations for the couple and their wedding party! Make the budget count here and ensure that each follows or at least aligns with the wedding motif.

Wedding Dress
Headpiece
Veil
Wedding Shoes
Lingerie
Bridal Accessories
Hair
Makeup
Groom Suits
Groom Shoes
Groom Accessories
Bridesmaid Dresses
Groomsman Suit

7. Rings

Of course, THE RINGS! Ensure to have these prepared and well-fitted. We wouldn’t want to have mishaps and forget these!

Bride’s Ring
Groom’s Ring

8. Photography and Videography

Wedding photography and videography by Emblaze Photography.

Since this event happens only once in a lifetime for a couple, it’s best to work with reliable photographers and videographers. Work with a wedding photography checklist as well to ensure that everything is covered.

Engagement
Wedding Day
Wedding Album
Wedding Prints
Videography

9. Favours and Gifts

Of course, giveaways and wedding favours are a must. Allocate budget for dainty but remarkable wedding favours and gifts to show gratitude to the guests who made the time to attend your big day.

Wedding Favours
Parents’ Gifts
Wedding Party Gifts
Wedding Gifts for Out of Town Guests

10. Stationery

Last but never least in this wedding budget planner, stationeries are as important too. have these designed and printed with possibly a single vendor to at least save up for bulk orders. You can also personalize these to have more of you and your partner’s personality.

Save The Dates
Engagement Announcements
Ceremony Programmes
Place Cards, Menu Cards, etc
Thank You Cards
Calligraphy

More than anything, planning a wedding will undoubtedly require your resources from time, money, and effort. As a piece of advice, remember to plan smartly. Do your research diligently and prepare budgets along with checklists – especially for DIY brides!

References:

The Complete Bride Wedding Budget Planner

What’s the budget?

Heartfelt congratulations on your engagement! The thrilling adventure of planning your momentous occasion awaits.