Yes, setting your wedding budget can be a Pain. I know you would rather be out cake tasting right now but creating your budget is the most important part of planning a wedding. No matter your budget its best to figure out whats worth splurging and whats not

To get you started on this whole wedding planning process I have set up 6 easy steps for you to follow

Step 1: Figure Out Who's Assisting

when figuring out your budget the first step is to find out who may help you along the way. In some cases it may be just the two of you or your parents and a few family members want to chip in.

Try to gauge how much everyone is willing to spend or what part of the wedding they would like to take care of. (For example) maybe grandma wants to help buy the decorations for the Wedding, but cant afford to do more.

I know having theses conversations can be very difficult, but they are essential to figuring out what your able to do and afford on your wedding day.

Step 2: Total The Numbers

Once those awkward conversations are over you can finally figure out what you can realistically spend

what can you really spend after all your monthly cost to live?

looking at your monthly income whats a reasonable amount that you are capable of saving after expenses?

How much can you pull from an existing saving account?

Once you have answered those questions estimate your personal budget that your able to contribute then add any other that you are confident that you may get. There you have it that`s Step 2

Step 3: Estimate Your Guest Count

Now that you have estimated your budget the next thing to do is estimate your guest count.

Your guest count and cost of your wedding go hand in hand. your guest determine what you will spend on most of your wedding ,let that sink in for a moment.

The amount of guest will determine how big of a venue, how much food and alcohol you will have to provide for your wedding day. Which is two of the biggest wedding expenses you will have.

Thinking about your wedding through a per person expense will help you figure out the cost. Your guest count will produce the amount of items you will need to pay for like cake, table and chairs, invitations and wedding favors.

Being tactical about who you invite to your wedding is the prime way to slim down on your cost from the start.

Step 4: Choose Whats most important!

You and your fiance will most likely have different ideas on what you would like to splurge on. Maybe your man wants a big open bar, but you would rather have a nice gourmet meal with your family and friends.

No matter what you will have to both decide what is the most important thing you would like to spend the extra money on.

Decide what two items are most valuable to you immediately. Once you have decided your top choices, you can spend a bigger percentage of your budget to them. Which in the end will help you know what you will have left for the not so important items.

Step 5: Do Your Research

There are tons of cost some are more obvious than others.

For example, you can't just buy the wedding cake you also have to pay a cutting fee. You don't pay just the venue rental fee; there may be a setup and breakdown charge as well. there is also plenty of vendors you are expected to tip. It's obvious why a lot of weddings go over there budget without realizing it. So, educate yourselves about hidden costs. You will have fewer cost and will be able to stick to your budget.

You will also need to know the prices of things in your area because it differs on location.

its obvious , a wedding in New York City hotel is going to cost more than one in a public park in Sacramento, California and the Same goes for having your wedding on a Saturday in June versus a Wednesday in March. make sure to do your research on when you want your wedding, and be honest does it fit into your budget? if not plan accordingly.

Step 6: Do The Math

After going through all those steps now its time to figure out if you can make this work. Does your budget match the actual cost of your dream wedding?

Once your estimated budget and wedding come close , work on a spreadsheet and put a certain amount towards to each section of the wedding. I recommend using Google Sheets so that you can share it with others including your fiancé, parents, and anyone else who is helping you stay on budget.

Don`t Go Into Debt If you cant afford it then it is not necessary to have.

And trust me when I say, you can definitely have a wonderful wedding on a small budget. Its all about getting more creative.

Tip 1: Put money aside as soon as you get engaged

Tip 2: Use your credit cards wisely or not at all. I know its tempting to rack them up, but it can get you into trouble.

Tip 3: Open up a wedding checking account so yo can see exactly whats going out.

At the end of the day even if you have a tight budget you can still make your wedding beautiful as ever.

Written by Angela Meredith Photography authors and Angela Meredith photography Blog Sacramento & Lincoln Wedding Photographers

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Angela Meredith Photography is the prime Wedding Photography in Sacramento and Lincoln. Our style of wedding photography is photo journalistic and natural