Congratulations you are engaged! This is a huge milestone for you and your soon-to-be hubby or wifey and you should enjoy every step of your journey.
As you prepare to have the wedding of your dreams, you should prioritize the planning as soon as possible.
Your main focus should actually be on the finances; it is what will determine how big you can go.
A great tip that will help you get ready is cutting your coat according to your size. Once you know how much you can part with then the fun part begins.
Here are some tips to help you plan for your big day:
1. Decide on the type of wedding you want
The first thing you need to do is to decide which direction you want to take. Do you want a mini wedding with just a few guests or are you going for something bigger where all your friends and relatives can attend?
Agree on the sort of event you want because this will give you an idea of the venue, catering and other details that will help you have a rough estimate on how much they will cost and how much you will need to set aside.
2. Come up with a realistic budget
The next step is to ask yourself what you want and compare that to what you actually need. The engagement might have gotten you all excited about this grand celebration but at the end of the day, you have to go for what fits into your budget.
Start with the priorities then break everything else down into a defined wedding budget. When you have a budget in place it will guide you on what to include in the celebration and what you can sacrifice for everything to work.
3. Set targets
A wedding is a goal just like any other financial goal. It needs planning and you also need to set targets for you to see how far you have to go before you reach your main target.
Decide whether you would like to break this big goal into daily, weekly or monthly goals. Set manageable targets that you can both hit without feeling too overwhelmed.
If this proves challenging you may ask for some assistance from family and close friends who you can delegate in case you don’t have the time or you are not in the country to do everything by yourself.
4. Adjust your spending
You might also have to change your lifestyle temporarily until after your wedding. The fact that you need to save means you can’t afford to still splurge on everything you want and have the type of wedding that you’re going for at the same time.
If it means making home-cooked meals more often instead of going out for dinner or ordering in every weekend, do that.
Look for creative ways to cut down your monthly spending so you can have more to save.
5. Find short-term side hustles
If you realize that you still won’t be able to handle the wedding you want after saving, you need another plan. A solution that might work for you is picking up a side gig meanwhile.
If this won’t work, you can also try and apply for extra work at your job to increase your income.
Fundraising may sound tempting but not everyone appreciates being on a wedding committee to fund another man’s wedding unless they have offered to do so. Let this be the last option.
