You’ve dreamed about the dress. You have a vision for the flowers. But there’s one MAJOR element you need to think about before you get too carried away: The BUDGET.

If that word triggers you, we get it. Budgeting can often be a “chicken or egg” situation, and it can be hard to know what to determine first: the amount of money you can spend, or the type of event you want. But not to fear! We’re going to break it ALL down in this newsletter and make all of this feel a little less daunting.

There are only two correct ways to establish an accurate budget for your wedding:

1. You set a specific dollar amount and we will tell you what we can accomplish within that budget, OR
2. You tell us what vision you want to accomplish – and we’ll tell you how much it’s going to cost.

Our first piece of advice is to think about the things that matter most to you.

If a view of the NYC skyline or a Malibu Beach sunset is a non-negotiable for your wedding venue – great! We can make that happen. But depending on budget, you may need to be prepared for a smaller guest list to accommodate for the cost of a venue with the view you’re after.

Alternatively, if your priority is having 200+ of your closest friends & family members at your wedding, then you may need to be flexible on things like location, catering, and formality, to account for the cost of a larger guest list.

However you land on your wedding budget, keep in mind that the cost of the venue (which includes the location, food, and drink) shouldn’t eat up more than 40% of your entire wedding budget — otherwise you’re likely going to feel strapped in other areas of wedding planning.

And while we’re talking about wedding budgets, we’ve found there are SO. MANY. MYTHS. about this topic that seem to come up over and over again. So let’s set the record straight, shall we?

Backyard weddings are cheaper than traditional venue weddings: FALSE!

Believe it or not, oftentimes backyard weddings can be more expensive. Think about it – you’re literally building a venue! You need to bring in a tent, a dance floor, coffee cups, chairs, bathrooms, power sources – you get the idea. Yes you may get charged $250/person at a wedding venue, but it includes all of those things (and more)!

Vendor rates are negotiable: FALSE!

Vendor pricing is based on many factors – their knowledge, their track record of success and proven history of happy clients, and of course, their professional expertise. Any vendor who offers to change their prices to fit your budget is a red flag. It either means they aren’t experienced enough to know the value of their own work, or they have an empty schedule. Our team of wedding planning experts can help you choose vendors that deliver high quality work within your budget parameters.

I don’t need a budget for rentals: FALSE! 

While traditional wedding venues offer things like glassware, linens, and chairs as part of the cost, the included options are often very basic. We highly suggest leaving room in the budget for elevated rentals, which can be anything from specialty dance floors, lounge furniture, higher quality fabrics for linens & chairs, charger plates, fine china, crystal glassware, etc. You’d be surprised at how much swapping a few basic items for elevated rentals can transform the entire vibe of your wedding, so keep an open mind (and some room in the budget)!

Candles are cheap: FALSE!
We can’t tell you how many brides and grooms have come to us thinking that buying candles in bulk to set the ambience will be cheaper than investing in tons of flowers. And while that can be true, there are some definite caveats.

First of all, you will need a LOT of candles in order to get the impact you’re after – and 99% of venues will require having candles in enclosed glassware. So now we’re not only talking about the cost of the candles, but the glass hurricanes as well. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of compensating your florist and planner for all the work that goes into ordering, delivering, unloading, setting up, etc. – so things can start to really add up. Communicate your vision to your planner, and they’ll help you execute within your budget.

Excluding a wedding coordinator will save me money: FALSE! SO FALSE!

Our founder Jacquelyn puts it this way: “Not hiring a wedding planner in order to save money is THE biggest myth. You can actually lose value by not having a professional planner to ensure all of your vendors are working cohesively towards the same vision. When you think about your wedding day, you’re paying for puzzle pieces – with each vendor/service being a piece of that puzzle, from the photographer, to the caterers, to the hair and makeup team, to the DJ. But you need someone to put that puzzle together – and if there’s even one piece missing, that’s where your guests’ attention will go.”

You want to be confident that your wedding budget will truly be money well spent, and there’s no better way ensure that than to hire a professional to handle it.

At TWP&Co., we happily work with couples with wedding budgets of all sizes, and we’ll never turn down a couple due to a small budget! Our goal isn’t to spend your wedding budget in its entirety – it is to give you as many beautiful, realistic options as possible within your budget! In order to allow us to do that, all we ask is for your transparency and flexibility as we help you plan the most memorable day of your life.

Get in touch with us today to inquire about our wedding planning services – we can’t wait to work with you!