Q&A

Q. How do I establish and stay within a budget?

A. First budgets don’t just happen. Whether you have $5,000 or $50,000 to spend there is generally some analysis of how you came to that number. Starter questions; Who’s paying? How much? For what? Weddings are paid for in many ways. Today’s couples aren’t always following the old fashion rules of brides parents host the wedding, grooms parents host the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon. Sometimes it’s a 3 way split, sometime everybody just does what they financially can and the funds are pooled together, sometimes it’s all paid for by the couple. So the first place to start is talking with everyone and deciding what you have to spend. They expect the conversation – don’t procrastinate! Be honest with them; ask them to be honest with you.

Once you have set your total, start with your priorities. The first thing I have a client do is rate the following eliminate of their wedding:

Please rank the following with a 1-5 with 1 being "nice but not expensive", 5 being "I'll spend whatever to have the best" (NA means you are not using):

Decide what is most important to you and your fiancé and start getting pricing. Remember you are not always comparing apples to apples, sometimes its apples to oranges because of packaging, style, quality. If something is really cheap compared to others there might be a reason, some cases your willing to over look this flaw or difference for the cost savings. Remember that just because it’s the most expensive doesn’t mean its top quality, either. Judge by your gut and if it’s not the right price and you’re not feeling it, check out more.

Here is just an idea – EVERY and I mean EVERY wedding is different. But because I know you aren't planning these everyday like us you may not even know where to start. Here is what to expect in the St. Louis area, by my experience…no national survey, no online resource, just my experience with over 350 weddings. And my disclaimer continues…obviously these numbers can vary based on location, needs, time of year, etc, etc, etc.

Ceremony Location: $0 - $2500
Ceremony Music:  $0 - $800
Stationary: $500 - $2500 (postage alone can cost you $150)
Your Dress: $500 - $5000
BM Dress(es): $100 - $250
Hair & Make-Up: $75 - $180 per person
Flowers: $500 - $5000 (average size wedding, average needs expect around $2500)
Transportation: $0 - $1500 (couple and wedding party only)
Photographer: $1500 - $5500 (make sure to get the time you need and walk away with an album)
Videographer: $500 - $4000
Reception Location: Venue $500 - $2500 (average $2000)
Food & Alcohol: Dinner $20 - $150 (average - $50), Beverage $10 - $25 (average $16)
Reception Music: $500 - $2500
Cake: $500-$1000
Decorations: $500 - $5000
Accommodations: $125 - $500
Setting aside $500-$1000 for miscellaneous.

How could I forget - Wedding Coordinator: $500-$5000

Shameless plug – remember a wedding coordinator can help tremendously with getting the right cost, balancing your wants and needs, and maybe even a few repeat business discounts with vendors. Proposing Dreams also offers budget analysis to be added to one of the smaller packages if your budget doesn’t allow full or partial planning.

Good Luck!! Sabrina