Weddings are expensive. There’s no way around it. But that doesn’t mean you have to go into debt to have the wedding of your dreams. With a little bit of planning and forethought, you can have a beautiful wedding on a budget. Here are our top 5 tips for budgeting your wedding:

1. Set a Budget: This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to sit down with your partner and figure out how much you can realistically afford to spend on your wedding. Once you have a number in mind, you can start making decisions about where to allocate your funds. Setting a budget can be hard, especially if your guest list is too big. Read our tried and true way we share with our clients on how to keep that guest list in check.

2. Prioritize Your Spending: After you’ve set your budget, it’s time to start thinking about what’s most important to you. For some couples, the food is the star of the show, while for others, it’s all about the dress. Figure out what matters most to you and make sure you allocate enough of your budget to those items.

3. Be Realistic About Hiring Your Vendor Team: Be honest about your budget. High-end vendors can be the dream but your budget may give monetary constraints so don’t hire a vendor out of your budget, instead look for a more cost effective option in a similar style. Or ask your preferred vendor if they can customize their offering to meet your budget, you never know unless you ask and are upfront with how much you can realistically spend.

4. DIY Where You Can: Yes, DIY —however this is not sign from us to go ahead and do your own floral (we highly discourage this!) There are a lot of elements of a wedding that you can DIY without sacrificing quality or style (Stationary, signage, meaus, bars and games, etc). From invitations to favors, there are plenty of ways to save money by doing it yourself. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to get everything done.

5. Ask for Help: If you have family or friends who are willing and able to help out with your wedding, take them up on their offer! Ask them to contribute their time, talents, or resources to help you save money.

By following these tips, you can have the wedding of your dreams without breaking the bank. Start planning early, be mindful of your spending, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. With a little bit of effort, you can have a beautiful and affordable wedding.