The Almighty Dollar

OK, everyone. The time has come –– we only have one year until we tie the knot! It seems as though I’ve been engaged for a few short months, but almost a year has gone by. I am happy to be sharing this information with all of you. It is certainly a pleasure to share what I’m doing in the planning process in the hopes that all of you may use this information for yourselves.

But enough of all that stuff. On to what you guys really want to hear.

Money!

Wait, you didn’t want to talk about your wedding budget? Sorry to break the news, but wedding budgeting is probably the least-acknowledged part of the planning process and one of the most important. Wedding Web sites offer budget calculators, and we are all able to buy books, magazines and the like that give us this information in detailed form, but how many of you find that they just don’t work for what you’re trying to do? I encountered that issue myself and took a few necessary steps to organize this before I began to fall overboard.

First, I used the online wedding budget calculator at theknot.com to find out exactly what percentage of my budget should go toward each factor. Because I already know the price of my reception hall and church, I inputted those numbers and let the calculator do the rest. This way, I was able to see reasonable amounts to spend on flowers and the videographer, both of whom I had not picked yet.

Next, I looked for the total amount spent. This calculator supposed my wedding would be about $36,000 based on average amounts spent in each area. Well … I better start preparing my dad now, right? 

Wrong.

Upon a closer inspection of the list, I found that there were certain factors in this budget that were included in my reception price. For example, music and catering are included in my “facility rental.” So I subtracted the amount this calculator thought I should spend on these items from the total I entered for the reception hall. This brought down my bottom line quite a bit. It also estimated I would spend $1,500 on my dress, but I only spent a small fraction of that amount. I adjusted my calculations a bit –– and voila!  My bottom line dropped by another thousand dollars. After adjusting the numbers a bit, I became confused. Is there an easier way to do this that won’t leave me with dollar amounts I don’t really need?  How do I know that this is exactly what I should assume to spend if there are all types of categories I won’t even be using?

Ladies and gentlemen, introduce yourself to an Excel spreadsheet. They’re customizable for your own needs, and the best thing is that you can email them to parents, fiancés, etc. I can update my mom and dad by attaching the spreadsheet in an e-mail instead of directing them to the Web site and having them log in. If your parents aren’t Excel-savvy, no worries. They don’t need to adjust numbers or columns if they don’t want to –– this may actually be better for you, anyway! 

My only advice is to make sure to enter your numbers into a budget estimator first. This will give you an idea as to how much you can expect to spend by the time all the last-minute details are worked out. Believe me, I was shocked when I realized how much my wedding would cost if I continued spending the way I had been.

After calculating your budget, take a look at your numbers and talk them over with who will be spending the bulk of the money. It’s important to keep them in the loop while you’re the one setting all the plans in motion. Be realistic about the dollars of your big day –– this is hard for me, but I am doing my best to keep things under control. So far, I have spent less than my budgeted amount for every vendor I’ve chosen.

Well…except for flowers, but that’s a whole other story. Stay tuned next month for my afternoon with Brittany Ray’s florist!
 

Digital Sponsors

Become a MyNewOrleans.com sponsor ...

Sign up for our FREE

New Orleans Magazine email newsletter

Get the the best in New Orleans dining, shopping, events and more delivered to your inbox.