Let’s cut right to the chase – a lot of people’s wedding budgets are now fucked. And even though a lot of things are up in the air right now, like, when will gatherings of your ideal guest count be allowed… there is still a sense of urgency around where to splurge and where to save. We’ve learned a lot from the pandemic so far about what matters to us, so how can we use that knowledge to make your wedding more reflective of you?
Rather than give you ways to slash your budget, I want to tell you which three things you absolutely need to keep in your budget. These are true all the time, but especially right now.
1. The Planner
I’m not going to bury the lead. If you don’t already have a planner (or a coach!), you absolutely need one. A wedding planner is insurance. Rather than looking over your shoulder on your wedding day, making sure everything goes perfectly, have an expert verify the logistics as soon as possible. It might seem like a good idea to have your photographer or your caterer look over your wedding plan, but no matter how many weddings they have done, they are always going to focus on what works best for them. Planners know this, which is why we work very hard to empathize with all of the suppliers and find solutions that work for everybody. Finally, the planner reads over all the other vendor contracts and makes sure you’re covered – something we now understand is paramount, if we didn’t before 2020’s force majeure.
If you're having the auxiliary events, and buying a bunch of white dresses seems nuts to you, renting them from a company like Ocurent, who made the TikTok above, is the smartest, most budget-friendly (and eco-friendly!) option.
2. The Auxiliary Events
If you had a budget for these events pre-pandemic, and have gone/are going virtual, and thus saving that money, that’s awesome. But keep in mind that an abundance mindset is better than a scarcity one, and use that part of your budget as an investment into your couple’s future: into your home, into your business, into something that will make your life together more blissful. The point is, don’t give it to Jeff Bezos because you saw something shiny. Start off as you mean to continue – making investments into your new family life.
3. The Thing that is the is Most Important to You
I always ask my couples what they are most excited about planning for the wedding, and what they are least excited about. Remember that this wedding is about you, and your values, and that both your partner and you have a lot of memories and dreams associated with this milestone. If an amazing, late-night party is the dream, then the top-notch DJ stays in the budget. If it’s an amazing meal, make that the priority, and work everything around it. The goal is to figure out exactly what you want. Then, every other puzzle piece slips into place.
Your wedding can still reflect your couple and your values. I have always said that you can have a wedding for any budget. And now I am saying: you can have a wedding with any number of guests, and without ostracizing all of the people who love you, so long as you can get really clear about what matters to you. Sound impossible? Hit me up, friend! That is exactly what this coach does.