Congratulations! You’re now engaged and get to enjoy with your soulmate a new season of life, full of celebrations, planning and joyous occasions. Now it’s time for a reality check- how in the world are you going to decide exactly how much money to dedicate to your big day? We’ve got a few tips to get you started and heading down the right path, whatever your budget may be!
Be Realistic
First things first- weddings are more expensive than they were 10-20 years ago. Your grandparents or parents may have been able to get by with a $1,000 wedding but times have changed. From The Knot, the national average wedding cost in 2021 was $28,000. For Tennessee specifically, the average was $22,000. This number does not include the engagement ring and can vary based on location across the state. Although you can definitely have a wedding for a lower price, try not to get discouraged or overwhelmed at the costs you begin seeing. See more states and the average costs of vendors on The Knot website.
Decide on Non-Negotiable Items
Have you always had your heart set on a live band? Maybe your fiancé has always dreamed of having a fireworks show to close out the evening. If this is the case, it is important to tell your partner this and find an average price on whatever services are “must have”. This can give you a rough estimate of the non-negotiables and let you know how much wiggle room you have for the rest of your items. Since the day is about you and your partner’s love, it is important to be inclusive of both individuals and their wants and visions.
Talk to Family
Traditionally, the bride’s family contributes significantly to the wedding costs. However, this is not a feasible option for every family and it is important to have an awareness of this before you start planning. Speak with family and ask what they can contribute, if anything. For some families, this conversation can be awkward, but it is a necessity for the creation of an accurate budget. If you have to push back your wedding in order to save and afford it, that is okay! If you’d rather get married ASAP and elope to save some money, that’s also okay! At the end of the day, it is all about what you and your partner want.
Utilize an Online Budget Tracker
So you’ve got your non-negotiables decided on and spoken with your family about their contributions. Now what? Well, you’ll need to start booking vendors and keeping track of the money you’ve spent. Thankfully, since we’re in the age of technology, you can rely on apps and trackers to keep up with all of this for you! The Knot has a tracker that comes with pre-entered categories and includes an option to add or take away certain categories. Another benefit of utilizing the Cue the Champagne Team is that you’ll have access to our own budget tracker and can see your budget at any time from our planning portal!
Leave Room for Surprises
There are a LOT of little extra costs that may slip your mind when you initially plan your budget. Have you budgeted for your groomsmen and bridesmaid gifts? What about the gratuity to your vendor team? Will you need to hire a bartender to serve any alcohol? So many details can easily be overlooked and not included in the initial budget and then you realize you’ve overspent! It may seem daunting, but your coordination team at CTC is happy to help you prepare and overcome any wedding day surprises! Reach out if you have any questions about the services we offer!
Cheers,
Kayley
Associate Wedding Coordinator | Content Creator
Kayley Russell
Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design Chattanooga Tennessee’s Premier
Wedding Planning and Event Studio Owned by Chattanooga Wedding Planner and Wedding Coordinator Shaun M.Teague
Cue the Champagne Event Planning + Design offers Wedding Day Event Management Services formerly known as Day of Wedding Coordination, Full Service Wedding Planning Services, Chattanooga Wedding Flowers ,Elopement Planning and Event Design Services for all your Social and Corporate Events. Cue The Champagne Event Planning and Design also offer Chattanooga Wedding Flowers for your wedding and event planning needs.
Cue The Champagne Event Planning + Design caters to Weddings and Events in Chattanooga Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia Wedding locations and Worldwide.
