Tips for Determining Your Wedding Priorities (and Budget)

There are hundreds of decisions to make before the wedding day. The easiest YES is obviously when your finance popped the questions and you said yes (or when you asked and they said yes). But once you’ve decided to have a wedding, the questions inevitably begin tumbling out of the mouths of your family, friends, co-workers and even strangers! So, after the shock, awe and excitement settle, you’re faced with A LOT of decisions. Sure, the budget is a big one. The guest list is really important too. The when and where is obvious. But the top question to ask yourself is…

What kind of wedding do we want?

From there, determining your top priorities will help everything fall into place. Do you want:

• An epic party?
• An intimate gathering?
• A memorable weekend-long celebration?
• A dreamy destination?
• A personalized soiree?
• A simple, straightforward wedding?
• A casual gathering?
• A lavish, luxury, immersive experience?

Knowing the “vibe” of the day will help you begin to craft a guest list and choose a venue. When planning a wedding, I recommend choosing THREE top priorities. For example:

• Fashion-forward Attire, Killer Food, Epic Party
• Stunning Decor, Live Music, Romantic Experience
• Personal Details, Unlimited Beverages, Low-Key Elegance
• Lots of Flowers, Soft + Romantic Setting, Sustainability

Asking yourself what you want and what you want to feel when the day is done, will help you create a budget that supports those goals. While there are “industry standards” for allotting percentages of your budget, if you aren’t a flower person, a 10-15% budget may seem outrageous. Or, if you really don’t care about the food, perhaps 50-60% of your budget is out of the question (a brunch is a great option here!). If pretty paper products are a passion, you’ll want to take that into consideration with your design budget. If you’ve dreamed of a grand venue with first-class service, understanding what that means for your budget should be your first step. If having a huge cake with all the embellishments and trimmings is on your radar, the recommendation of 1-2% isn’t going to cut it! If you want a dress that people can’t stop talking about, 10% might be enough… or you might need to trim a little off of your entertainment.

I often meet couples that have unrealistic budget ideas not because they didn’t do their research, but instead, listened to advice that was designed for a broader audience, without taking into consideration the priorities each individual will have for the wedding day. This leads to disappointment when they realize they can’t have “all the things.” Keeping your eye on the most important things will help the stress of decisions outside of those things, at a minimum.

Generalizations are the downfall of many a budget conversation, but because I’m a realist, I want to share with you the numbers many couples are presented with when they begin their initial research (tip: hire your planner ASAP so they can help you make sense of the numbers!):

• Venue and Catering: 40 percent of your budget
• Photography and Videography: 15 percent of your budget
• Wedding Attire and Beauty: 5 percent of your budget
• Music/Entertainment: 10 percent of your budget
• Flowers: 10 percent of your budget
• Favors and Gifts: 2 percent of your budget
• Transportation: 3 percent of your budget
• Stationery: 3 percent of your budget
• Cake: 2 percent of your budget
• Décor: 10 percent of your budget

These numbers come from Brides.com. Again, while there is nothing wrong with them, they might not be right for you!

Ready to talk about your priorities and how to budget for them? Contact me about planning your Atlanta wedding!