Let’s face it; when you and your fiancé sit down to plan the wedding of your dreams, the last thing you want to bring up is the budget. You might as well pull up a chair so you can be comfortable, because the budget is always present, looking over your shoulders, breathing an invisible pall of worry into the atmosphere above your heads, tying a weight onto the string of your beautiful balloon of romance.

I have seen couples overspend extravagantly in order to make their lifelong dreams of the perfect event into a once-in-a-lifetime reality. But after the gifts are opened and the last crumbs of cake swept away, they are left with an enormous debt. Even the generous cash wedding gifts they may have received will not be enough to pay it off. What began as a fairytale event will follow them throughout the first years of their marriage like the big bad wolf, demanding to be fed. 

So my biggest secret I try to share with all my clients, whether they are planning a wedding, a party, or a business function, is to begin by making an accurate budget based on the money that is physically in hand, and stick to it. Not very festive, you say? Perhaps not, but when the party is over, you will have only happy memories of the experience.

One of the reasons to hire an event planner is to stay on budget. It may seem counter-intuitive to spend money in order to save it, but if you have ever been involved in orchestrating a big event, you know how difficult it can be to stay within a budget.

At our initial meeting, I recommend to my clients that they make a list of “needs” and “wants.” The needs must be coordinated within the budget, while the wants can be covered as funding allows. For example, under the needs column, you might list such items as wedding clothes, reception hall, and wedding cake. Under wants would fall such extras as a chocolate fountain or additional entertainers. 

The guest list is another area where it is difficult to stay within budget. An objective planner can help you scale down your list according to how many people you can afford to entertain at the reception.

You may try to save the fee you would pay for professional event planning by doing the legwork yourself. But remember that an experienced professional has built a network of vendors over the years and is able to negotiate discounts on all the elements you need for a successful event. 

Happy planning!

Carmella