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How to track and managed your wedding budget?
A wedding budget is the most important and the very first thing all brides and grooms-to-be should do for your wedding planning. Some happily married couples found that after their wedding ceremony that they have grossly overspent and their lives turned into a nightmare. Having a ready and handy wedding budget worksheet will: 1. Enable you to speak to all your suppliers and vendors with confidence. They know what you come prepared and know what you want. It is a psychological mind set that you set and chances are, they will not try to push or hard sell you unnecessary items that you don't need for your wedding. 2. Compliment your wedding planning checklist. It allows to you decide what to delete and what to add with the overall budget and percentage points you and your fiance have agreed on each item. 3. It allows you to negotiate and note all the estimated and actual costs and allow for you to readjust your budget on other less needy items instantly. 4. Allows you to track all expenses and ensuring that you have purchase or ordered the various wedding items. 5. Do stick strictly to your agreed wedding budget checklist and avoid making too many changes without thorough and careful thought. Always go back to the drawing board, in this case, the wedding budget list and discuss alternatives with your significant other. Make sure that you both agreed on the new budget before anyone sign any contracts or bought any additional wedding items. You may also use the wedding budget checklist as a guide for negotiation, it is a definite confidence booster for all your bargaining sessions. The service providers know that you have come prepared, they will not attempt to hard sell what you do not wish to purchase or cannot afford. They will recommend items that is within your budget which you can refer to from time to time during your negotiation. For example your wedding florist will not proposed costly flowers that are not in season knowing you are armed with a budget. They may offer you in season flowers or cheaper alternatives that works just as well. It is a win-win situation because you can stick to your budget and still get the items that you wanted. I have attached a sample wedding budget worksheet below. You may choose to print it and put it together with your wedding planning checklist and notebook. Take it out, add or delete items along the way, this will come in handy when you meet your wedding suppliers or while you are shopping. Estimated/Actual Cost Items Fees ____________________ 1. Marriage License ____________________ 2. Ceremony ____________________ 3. Reception ____________________ 4. Rentals ____________________ 5. Wedding Planner ____________________ 6. Marriage Officiant/Clergy ____________________ Sub total Printing & Creative fees ____________________ 6. Wedding Invitations & Reply ____________________ 7. Announcement Advertisement ____________________ 8. Thank you cards ____________________ 9. Announcement Advertisement ____________________ 10. Wedding Programs ____________________ 11. Power point slides for songs ____________________ Sub total Wedding Flowers ____________________ 12. Bride's Bouquet ____________________ 13. Throw Bouquet ____________________ 14. Decorations ____________________ 15. Bridesmaids' Flowers ____________________ 16. Boutonnieres/Corsages ____________________ 17. Car/limo decorations ____________________ 18. Flower petals and baskets ____________________ Sub total Wedding Outfits/Attire/Accessories ____________________ 19. Bridal Gown and Veil ____________________ 20. Bridal Shoes and Accessories ____________________ 21. Bridal Underwear/lingerie ____________________ 22. Evening Gowns ____________________ 23. Groom's Tuxedo ____________________ 24. Groom's Accessories ____________________ 25. Bridesmaids' Dresses ____________________ 26. Flower girl's dress and basket ____________________ 27. Page boy's tuxedo ____________________ Sub total Pre-Wedding Parties ____________________ 28. Engagement Party ____________________ 29. Bachelor Party ____________________ 30. Wedding Party's luncheon ____________________ 31. Rehearsal Dinner ____________________ Sub total Gifts ____________________ 33. Bridesmaids ____________________ 34. Groomsmen ____________________ 35. Ushers ____________________ 36. Wedding Favors ____________________ Sub total Entertainment ____________________ 37. DJ / MC ____________________ 38. Live Band ____________________ 39. Entertainers ____________________ 40. Music - CDs etc ____________________ Sub total
Wedding Preparations ____________________ 41. Health programs - gym etc ____________________ 42. Beauty & spa sessions ____________________ 43. Hair & Makeup packages ____________________ 44. New contact lenses (if any) ____________________ Sub total Photography ____________________ 45. Wedding Photographer ____________________ 46. Wedding Videographer ____________________ Sub total Food and Beverages/Venue ____________________ 47. Venue - Hotel with food ____________________ 48. Venue - Hotel without food ____________________ 49. Venue - Home with food ____________________ 50. Venue - Non hotel with food ____________________ 51. Venue - Non hotel without food ____________________ 52. Caterer ____________________ 53. Wedding Cake ____________________ 54. Groom's cake ____________________ 55. Beverages/Bar ____________________ Sub total Jewelry ____________________ 56. Wedding Rings ____________________ 57. Engagement Rings ____________________ 58. Bride's Necklace ____________________ 59. Bride's bracelet ____________________ Sub total Honeymoon ____________________ 60. Tour package ____________________ 61. Hotel Accommodation ____________________ 62. Air Tickets
Transportation ____________________ 63. Limos/cars for bridesmaids etc ____________________ 64. Parking fees ____________________ 65. Petrol/Gas ____________________ Sub total
Miscellaneous ____________________ 66. Tips ____________________ 67. Wedding Rings Pillow ____________________ 68. Lighting, sound etc ____________________ 69. Unexpected Costs ____________________ Sub total ____________________ GRAND TOTAL
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