The big bad budget. Look people if you do not set a budget you cannot plan smart.   If you are without a budget, you are like a boat without an oar!

“Our thoughts create our reality -- where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go. Peter McWilliams,”

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” Anthony Robbins

Do you get the point? You need a focus. Your budget will determine your wedding focus.

Things You Must Do in Order to Determine Your Wedding Budget

• Talk with your fiancé and all parents or family members.  I would suggest meeting with your family members separately. You will need to ask them what they think and how or if they can help.

• Talk about budget, style, size of event, location, time of year and attendees.

You need to talk things over with every family member who will be involved in the finances of the wedding.  Your Wedding Budget will be the most important and the most volatile subject you probably have ever discussed.  It is so important to be realistic.  You do not want to start out your life in debt!  So find out how you are going to pay for this.

Here is a little formula you might use to help you determine your budget # of months before the wedding  x   amount of $ you can put aside each month + contributions from parents & and other savings - 5% (to set aside for unexpected expenses) = Wedding Budget

The fact is that today's weddings are expensive. The average cost of a wedding in the United States is around $25,000. Weddings in larger cities will cost more than the small town in central Illinois.

One of the biggest determining factors in setting your budget is the number of guests you expect to invite. Obviously, the more people you have the more expensive it will be. You can control your budget by starting with your guest list.

Who pays for what?  You can find so much information on wedding etiquette by a simple Google Search.

The following is a list of wedding costs customarily paid by the Bride's parents:

Tradition holds that the Bride's parents pay for the reception but today's weddings are changing. It is important to understand what is traditional, especially those in the area of paying for a wedding.

Why did the Bride's parents get stuck with the expense?   It probably originated from the ancient tradition of paying a large dowry to attract a good husband, hopefully this is not true, and you are a match made in heaven not the bank.

Over the years, this tradition became more “Modern,” but still when it comes to paying for a wedding it has remained the bride's parents pay for the much of the costs.

The following is a list of wedding costs customarily paid by the groom's parents:

Rehearsal dinner

The parents of the groom customarily pay for the rehearsal dinner. Typically, everyone who was at the rehearsal should be invited to the rehearsal dinner. This includes, but is not limited to, the bride, groom, parents of both, grandparents of both, the officiate and his/her spouse, siblings and their spouses or partners, etc. It might also include out of town guests or close friends but this is not a hard and fast rule just hospitable.

Reception Beverages (alcohol at the bar)

If we stick with tradition, the bride’s parents cover the expense of the reception that includes food and drinks. However, the groom's parents are expected to pay for the drinks at the bar.

Once you have talked things over and you see where you are financially, it is time to set a budget.  Yes, I said B U D G E T, budget!  If you go at this blindly, you will spend so much more than you ever thought possible.  It is painful but JUST DO IT!

So you’re getting married? Keep it in perspective. Enjoy the Moment!

Want to use this article in your blog or ezine? You can as long as you include this statement:Article written by Margaret Moore Senior Planner of Simple Elegance Events and Wedding Designs. Find us at www.aweddingtodreamof.com