How to Budget for Your Wedding

Budgeting for your wedding does not have to be a nightmare. Oh, it’s going to be scary at first because you are in uncharted waters. Even though you have been to a few weddings before. You are still not totally sure about what to expect now that you’re the bride!

Each wedding has basically 5 areas that concern it. Each dramatically impacts the cost. You can control your budget by taking a look at each one of them individually.

The venue

With literally thousands of wedding venues in Las Vegas, the costs involved are all over the road. Marrying at the Gucci penthouse suite atop a mega resort is of course pricier than a location off The Strip. Where you choose to marry makes a difference. Look at your budget and determine just what you are willing to spend.

We all know from our business dealings or life experiences that when it comes down to handling big projects the easiest way to accomplish them is to break things down into achievable sub-steps. The old cliché about, ”How do you eat a dinosaur (big meal!)? One spoonful at a time” holds true when budgeting for your wedding.

Are you extravagant or cost-conscious? Are you into a major event statement or something more subdued? Are you looking for an off-the-hook life experience such as a skydiving ceremony or a more traditional experience?

Once you have decided on a venue, book it as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more likely the venue you sell out from under you.

The Invitations

Wedding invitations can be huge expenses especially if they’re customized and unique. Some brides and grooms have been known to have couriers deliver invitations to prospective guests consisting of mini wedding cakes, sprigs of flowers, and a scroll-written invitation. Others have opted to drop handmade invites in the mail. Your invitations are going to fall somewhere between these two polar opposites, so decide what you prefer. And please, while most people grasp the hard costs of their invitations, a few fail to take into consideration the cost of delivering them. Please do not forget that because mailing a few hundred invitations can unexpectedly add up.

The accouterments

Accouterments are the things you want to have for your wedding. The type and quality of each one affect your budget. Keeping track of these can become quite involved, so we recommend you use a computer to make a list or an Excel spreadsheet to track them. Add a few other things to this and you have a nice wedding checklist to use over the duration of your planning. Simply block out what you want to do in the months leading up to the occasion. Control your costs by deciding what you must have and what is expendable.

• officiant
• gowns
• tuxes
• hair and makeup
• jewelry and accessories
• flowers
• unity candle, knot tying, etc.
• music and songs
  design and layout
• decorations
• wedding party gift
• guest gifts
• centerpieces
• reception line
• video/photography
• audio/visual equipment
• lighting
• staging
• streaming
• transportation
• ceremony
• cake
• catering
• entertainment
• rooms
• thank you notes

The number of guests

Obviously, the more people attending your wedding the higher the costs. More people means more invitations have to be made and sent, a bigger venue is needed, more catered food has to be served, and so on. This is the one criterion that jams up marrying couples and creates the most arguments between them because it trickles over into the guestlist. Sometimes difficult decisions must be made about how many and who to invite or not invite. The battle rages between “the more the merrier” and “what we can afford.”

The timing

When you choose to get married, such as during the peak of the wedding season or on specialty days such as Valentine’s Day or New Year’s will affect your cost. During high-priority times, expect to pay a lot more for virtually everything. Venues are priced higher. Florists are backed up. Bakers and caterers are running full tilt and have no breathing room. And speaking of rooms, your guests will pay top dollar for hotels.

The date and time when you get married affect your costs. For example, marrying at sunrise, though eventful and often spectacular, means special prior arrangements have to be made and those are often more costly. For example, personnel has to show up before dawn to deliver, set up, and staff things. There will no doubt be surcharges for operating well outside of normal hours.

Many couples choosing to marry in Las Vegas keep things simple and affordable by contacting the Royal Wedding Chapel. They have special packages, and you can customize anything you wish to fit your budget. Call 702.780-0555 or go online to Royalweddingchapel.com

Download Wedding Planning Checklist