Weddings these days come in all shapes, sizes, styles and price tags. As Charleston Wedding Planners, one of the greatest misconceptions is that couples think we are going to run away with their money. On the contrary my friends. Beside the actual planning, our number one job as wedding planners is to make sure you stay in budget! We do this by making recommendations within the couples set budget and are happy to be the ‘bad guys’ when a couple builds a beer budget on champagne taste. To help you avoid making some of these common wedding budget mistakes, we have put together a top ten list of tips and tricks to help guide your planning journey down the most cost-efficient path.

Photo Credit: Shelby Stewart Photography

Make a top 10 list of your priorities first and give yourself plenty of time to plan. Build your wedding budget around your list of priorities. For instance, if food and bar are at the top of your list and music is at the bottom, re-allocate some of the money you set aside for a band, go with a DJ instead and put that extra money towards the premium bar and menu of your choice. Stay true to yourself when making your wedding priority list, these are meant to be components that make you happy, not things that will impress judgey Aunt Alice.

Photo Credit: Shelby Stewart Photography
Choose the right wedding venue for your budget. If you are reading this prior to booking your ceremony and/or reception venue consider these points before signing on the dotted line. Will this venue eat up the majority of your budget? Does this venue require use of specific vendors such as exclusive caterers or bars? Do they have a food and beverage minimum? Does the venue fee include any rentals such as tables and chairs? Do they have strict start and end times or noise ordinances? Of course, your wedding venue selection will set the pace for the rest of your planning marathon. Therefore read through the contracts carefully because the place you choose to get married trickles down and affects ever vendor there after!

Photo Credit: Leigh Hayward Photography
Set your budget before you begin booking vendors. Things in the wedding world often cost more than couples realize, so doing some wedding market research and price shopping is a wise idea. This often requires a bit of patients as you wait to hear back from all the vendors you reached out to but trust us, it could cost you a lot more than a touch of patients if you book the first company to get back to you.

Photo Credit: Leigh Hayward Photography
Pad your wedding budget. Make sure you add in room for inflation and often forgotten wedding costs such as delivery, postage, gratuities, impact fees and other items that generally aren’t included when researching on google. An experienced Charleston wedding planner can help you keep track of these extra charges.

Photo Credit: Dandy Mae Photography Photo Credit: Wild Cotton Photography
Choose an “off-season” date in the Summer/Winter or a weekday for your wedding. At Charleston wedding venues these months usually include: July-August and December-February. As for ‘off’ days those would include Monday-Friday and some Sundays. Saturdays are the most popular wedding days and is often the most expensive day to get married.
Hire a Wedding Planner! Although a wedding planner is an additional expense, it is often one that can save you money in the long run. Charleston wedding planners will know the industry inside and out. With this in mind, wedding planners tend to work with the same vendors and will make sure you hire the vendors that will fit your budget, be professional and help you avoid overspending.

Photo Credit: Wild Cotton Photography Photo Credit: Leigh Hayward Photography
Pay for the big-ticket items first. There is nothing worst than getting to the end of your wedding planning journey and realizing you’ve run out of money for something you can’t do without… like ceremony chairs or a bridal bouquet. Some of these things are impossible to purchase up front. However, if that is the case and you’ve taken your wedding planner’s advice by already budgeting appropriately, under no circumstance are you to dip into one fund to pay for another. You don’t NEED that 10-foot arbor that you liked when scrolling Pinterest at 4 in the morning but you do need to mic your ceremony for 200 guests.

Photo Credit: Dandy Mae Photography
Be conscious of the size of your bridal party. It’s great that you have 25 friends you’ve stay in touch with from high-school, that’s pretty rare but if you are on a budget, and they are truly your friends they will understand why you’re keeping your wedding party small.

Photo Credit: Leigh Hayward Photography
Be conservative with your guest list. No need to invite your neighbor’s cousin and all your co-workers. As a rule of thumb we ask, would you invite them if you didn’t work with them anymore or you didn’t live next to that person? If your answer is no… there you have it.

Photo Credit: Shelby Stewart Photography
If you find you are still going over budget here are some other places where you can cut back:
1. Go for a DJ instead of a Band
2. Think about a Beer and Wine bar
3. Simplify your Space- if your venue is large and spread out, consider bringing it all closer together so you aren’t looking at increased costs in décor, flowers and other rentals to fill the space.
  
  Photo Credit: MCG Photography

Let’s end with a disclaimer fact I found, “According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, 54% of couples spent more than they’d planned by an average of $7,100. Some high spenders even blew past their already lofty limits by over $20,000. While some of this may have to do with inflation, going over budget on a wedding is nothing new.” –The Knot

Photo Credit: Chelsea Paige Photography

To all the newly engaged couples out there who are worried about going over budget, stick to these guidelines, hire your local wedding planner, Engaging Events Charleston, and remember, if you can’t have everything you want, you’re marrying your best friend and that’s what’s important!