We know that brides-to-be who have been dreaming about their wedding since they were little girls probably weren’t thinking about a limited budget when they were thinking about their 400 strong guest list, horse-drawn carriage and fireworks. But sometimes, reality sets in and the money you need for the wedding you want isn’t always possible, or it’s something that isn’t realistic for your goals. However, just because you’ve opted for a low budget doesn’t mean you have to feel like you’re getting less than the best wedding for you.
Having the best wedding for you has nothing to do with your budget or how many details you have, it’s about your mind set and how happy you are to be getting married to the love of your life. It doesn’t matter if you have an infinite budget or a tiny one, we can help you stay positive and make sure you have the best wedding ever.
Decide what you want
With a limited budget, you have to decide the most important thing to you. You have to decide where you want your budget to go. Deciding early on where you’re going to put the money will get you excited about spending that money to find your perfect wedding vendors, whether that’s your photographer, your venue, or your dress. Knowing what you want most from your wedding above all else, will keep you positive and focused on what you really want without worrying about what could have been with a €100,000 budget.
Take expectations with a pinch of salt
It’s important to respect what your family expect of you. You can’t just throw caution to the wind and ignore your mother’s desire to have the family at your special day, especially when it comes to financial contributions from family members. However, it’s also important that you speak to both families about what they expect and what expectations can realistically be met without impinging too much on your own dream wedding. Come to a realistic compromise and be positive about what you want and what they want.
Accept help
Friends and family will offer help. Especially when your budget is relatively tight. Take it. Don’t let your pride or your politeness get in the way of accepting help from ready and willing volunteers. Especially, if you have a baker friend or a professional photographer friend. Help from friends will probably come in handy on a lower budget, so don’t turn it down. Getting help from your friends and family is a positive thing.
Be honest about your budget
Be upfront about your budget with everyone that matters. Tell your family who might be expecting a little too much from you. Tell the vendors you look at who might be a little out of your price range. That way, you won’t be chasing after venues or suppliers that you can’t afford and spend time dreaming about what you can’t afford. Being upfront and honest about your budget will keep you focused, realistic and happy about the wedding you’re going to home.
Keep your big goal simple and positive
This is very similar to our first point, and we feel the need to say it again. Decide what you want, keep it simple and stay focused on it. If you can’t say what you want from your wedding in one short sentence, you need to re-evaluate what you want. Keep it really simple. Don’t think about all the things you want at your wedding, just think about the one thing you really want from the day, for example, “I want all my family with great food having a good time,” or “I want an intimate wedding, with photographs I can cherish.” Once you have your one sentence with your essential wedding elements, repeat it to yourself over and over again. Let the words remind you not to get bogged down with the tiny details, like favours, the cake, the DJ or anything else you might deem less important than your main goal. Once you have the elements that achieve your wedding goal, everything else is plain sailing.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Bride and groom: Gianluca & Mari Adovasio via Ruffled | Dessert table: Jen Huang Photography via Southbound Bride | Shoes: Weddings by Scott and Dana