Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/162483
In the long run, planning a wedding that's within your means will be far less stressful Write It Down Your wedding is probably the biggest, most complicated event you'll ever have to organize, so it can be a daunting task to create a comprehensive budget from scratch. Luckily, you can find useful checklists from numerous sources, including our own Real Weddings budget worksheet (download from realweddings.ca). It itemizes everything from invitation printing to marriage license fees, to ensure you remember to account for every expense. To fill in estimated costs for your budget, you'll of course need to do your homework. Comparing the offerings and fees of different vendors can be time consuming, but it's well worth the effort to make sure you're getting exactly what you want, at a price you can afford. But keep in mind that in order to get accurate estimates from vendors such as caterers and reception venues, you'll need a good idea of how many guests you'll be inviting, so give that number serious thought early in your planning process. Numbers Don't Lie Setting up a separate savings account for your nuptials can be enormously helpful, says Dunsworth. Otherwise, she explains, "It's really easy to just get excited about wedding favours and parties and a lot of different things and have all that coming out of your paycheque. But it's all putting you into debt instead of coming out of a planned budget." Unless you're fond of spreadsheets, Dunsworth suggests using mint.com, a handy online tool for monitoring everyday household budgets, as well as dedicated budgets for special expenses — like weddings, of course. Mint.com offers an easy way to track your discretionary spending (how much goes towards entertainment, meals out, clothes, cosmetics, etc.) by pulling all your debit-card and credit-card transactions into one online aggregator. "Real numbers don't lie," says Dunsworth. "You'll get a real picture of what you're spending. You'll only have to do it for a couple of months to see where your money is going and how much you can free up." Set up your wedding budget on the same website and you'll have one quick online source where you can keep an eye on all your spending. Make a Wish List For many couples, certain elements top the list as must-haves, such as a beautiful venue, a gorgeous new dress, elegant food and wine, and custom floral arrangements. "But the reality is, if you can only carve out a few thousand dollars for a wedding," says Dunsworth, "you're limited in how many people you can have at your wedding, or what you can offer them." Dunsworth recommends creating a wish list for your wedding, and numbering your priorities from 1 to about 20. Compromises may be in order, but if you establish at the outset what's most important to you, you can still hold the wedding of your dreams. You may simply need to get a bit creative. For example, if an extravagant wedding cake isn't critical for you, a dessert buffet could be a less pricey alternative. Or, if paying for an open bar seems out of reach, limiting the selection to a signature cocktail and a few chosen wines could be a smart compromise. Stick to Your Budget Once you've worked out what you can afford, how do you resist temptation and not splurge on that R E AL WE D D I N G S . CA p22-29_Real Advice.indd 25 25 4/24/12 2:50:50 PM