How Do I Save For a Wedding?

Calculate a Ballpark Budget 💸

Getting your budget right starts with figuring out what kind of wedding you want. Whether that’s a destination wedding, an elegant soirée in a ballroom, or something pretty casual in your backyard - make sure you have a general idea before you attempt to set a budget.

Alongside a vision for the wedding, also come up with a rough draft of how many guests you would like to have. The number of guests will directly affect all of your wedding planning, and the budget. It goes without saying that a bigger guest list is going to come with a bigger price tag per person. From creating a guest list, you can work on getting a per-person figure on which to base your budget on. Remember that most times, the cost of all the little things goes overlooked.

Figure Out If Anyone’s Contributing:

Perhaps it’s just you and your partner, or maybe family members are eager to chip in some cash. Whatever the case may be, try to grasp an idea of how much each party is willing to spend or what particular aspect they’d like to take care of (maybe Grandma loves flowers). This will help you get an idea of what what dollar value you’ll be responsible for, and you can save accordingly.

Now- Your Contribution: Don’t break your back for your special day. With your loved ones, it’ll be a special day no matter what. Ask yourself how much you can realistically and comfortably contribute based on your other life expenses, factoring in how many months you have to save until the big day or if you could pull responsibly from savings account.

Set Your Priorities 📝

As you start to plan your wedding, you and your partner should discuss what elements of your wedding are really a priority for you. Sit down and rate the below expenses from 1-16.

• Engagement & Wedding Rings
• Number of Guests
• Invitations
• Venue
• Food
• Photographer
• Wedding Day Makeup/Hair
• Band/Music
• Decor/Florist
• Transportation
• Bride’s Attire
• Groom’s Attire
• Wedding Cake
• Rehearsal Dinner
• Officiant
• Honeymoon
• Parties (Bachelor/Bachelorette party, bridal shower)

Create Target Savings Goals 🎯

Once you’ve arrived at a ballpark budget number, let’s figure out how to reach your target.

A good formula to determine your budget goes a little like this - number of months until your wedding * realistic savings each month + contributions and existing savings = total wedding budget.

Make sure that your monthly or weekly savings contributions are brutally realistic. If you find trouble hitting that goal each month/week, try downsizing your guest list or delaying your ideal date to have more time to save.

Debt & “I Do” Aren’t Friends… 🤭

Hot Take: Don’t start your marriage off drowning in debt. Think beyond the special day and focus on your shared goals for the future. We all know what the #1 cause of divorce is…

Chances are, if you can’t afford it you really don’t need it. Focus on the feeling of your wedding, rather than the actual price tag.

Remember, it’s not about how fancy your wedding is or how much you spend. It’s all about feeling the joy of love. At the end of the day, we know you will have an immensely beautiful, meaningful, and memorable wedding 💚