Posts Tagged ‘budget’

I basically grew up in Bella Villa. Every summer, my family would make a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica and walking into Bella always felt like home. I learned to swim in this private pool, ate two whole jerk chicken at this dining room table and shared memories in this house that will never be forgotten. Now that I am pregnant with my first child, I can not wait until I can take her to Bella Villa and carry on the family tradition.

For all of our brides, if you are looking for a great honeymoon location for an incredibly reasonable price, we urge you to check out Bella.

Centerpieces are a major topic for brides-to-be. They are the impact statement of the reception and help create the feeling for your event. Using water pearls and silk flowers, twigs or candles in your centerpieces is a simple DIY project that can create the same dramatic impact with far less damage to your bank account.

I know many wedding professionals will tell you incorporating silk flowers instead of real flowers is a serious faux pas but there are many options that have a more life-like feel and, let’s keep in mind, this is your day and your budget. Do what works best for you. If you are going to use tall vases, pairing the water pearls and silk flowers can be a beautiful combination (and it’s up so high no one will know the difference).

Ice Standard has the best price on a 2 oz. package:
Like the Mystic crystals these polymer pearls are created by simply adding water. This causes them to expand into perfect miniature spheres. Use them to add some extra color to your decorating scheme. They are available in pink, aqua, sapphire blue, black or clear. Use separately or mix colors in one vase for a stellar effect! One package will create approximately 5.75L or 1.5 gallons of hydrated water pearls.

The current economy is weighing in on many people’s decisions for their wedding. Even if you have saved for this day, you may be trying to figure out how to still have the event of your dreams while not cleaning out your savings. We have put together a list of where you may want go ahead and spend top dollar as well as where you can DIY or shop around for a lower price.

SPLURGE: Photography. Beautiful photos of your wedding day are irreplaceable. The excitement and pride you want to have when you look at your pictures is so important. This is truly and area where you get what you pay for and we suggest investing in a quality photographer. A good budget for 6-hours of service is $1300-2000. If you use the same photographer for your engagement photos, check on discount pricing for your wedding.

SAVE: Flowers. People always say flowers are the most expensive purchase for your wedding and while this can be true, with a little effort and creativity you can put together some beautiful bouquets and centerpieces on your own. By purchasing wholesale flowers from places like The Flower Exchange and finding inspiration from magazines or blogs, you can recreate your ideal flower arrangements and cut costs.

SPLURGE: Catering. Food is an important element to any event and none more important than your wedding. Definitely take your time selecting a caterer and taste everything you think you may want on the menu but be prepared to allocate a good amount to this area. As a general rule, the more guests you have, the lower the price per person. If you are having a buffet reception, budget $25-40 per person. If you are having a seated reception, budget $55-80 per person.

SAVE: Cake. You can have a smaller, tiered cake put on display for your guests to ‘ooh and ahh’ over and have a sheet cake hidden in the back to be cut and served. No one will know the difference and it will keep the cost much lower. If you are having 100 guests, have your main cake feed 60 and two sheet cakes for the overage.

SAVE: Favors. This is a true DIY project that can be done with a few friends and a few glasses of wine! My Wedding Favors has a large selection and great prices. If you are giving candy to your guests, check out Groovy Candies or Candy Warehouse to buy in bulk.

SPLURGE: Shoes. We are not suggesting Manolo Blahnik’s prices but purchasing a good pair of shoes is not a waste. You will get a lot more use out of a more expensive pair and looking down at them whenever you wear them will remind you of your wedding day.

SAVE: The Dress. You have numerous options now for wedding dresses. From discount places such as David’s Bridal or Lily Wedding, you do not have to pay thousands for designer dresses to look absolutely beautiful. If you are not one to be deeply attached to your wedding dress, another option is renting. Men have been renting tuxedos forever and now that same convenience is available to brides. You may have to take extra time to find what works for you but if your heart is set on Vera Wang, you can have the option to wear one of her designs without breaking the bank.    

Mexico is a hotspot for couples wanting variety on their honeymoon and Cozumel offers that with a price tag that won’t put a major dent in your savings.

Cozumel was considered by ancient Mayans to be the home of Ixchel, the goddess of love and fertility. “In June 2002, Cozumel was recognized by a U.S. News & World Report Travel Agent Survey as the North American and Caribbean destination offering the best vacation value. In the poll, Cozumel topped the list for providing good value for money, being a safe destination, and offering unique vacation experiences.”

Clear, turquoise water surrounds you as you take in lazy days on the soft sand. Cozumel is known for it’s sea life which is perfect for the honeymooners into scuba diving or snorkeling. With great activities such as ancient Mayan ruins, Dolphinorium, over 90 restaurants to choose from and duty free shops throughout the city, you and yours will not only be entertained but happily within budget as well.

I am in the process of helping my sister-in-law plan her wedding, and like with most event planning, we are trying to stick to our budget without skimping on the most important aspects of the day.  As many of you know, have recently discovered, or are soon to find out, it’s really difficult to plan when you don’t know how much of your budget should be allocated to certain items, what is the max you can spend on an item and still keep your budget in tact, and what you can leave out altogether.  Believe me, we need all the help we can get. 

Though there are some helpful pointers out there–Brides.com even has a budget advisor to help you stay on track– what I’ve found to be most useful is a simple word document my partner sent to me.  This document is the same budget offered by about.com and gives a monetary and percentage breakdown of your total budget.  This is particularly helpful when meeting with vendors who may try to tack on a bunch of extras you may not have even thought about, let alone factored into your budget.  While the document doesn’t give an itemized breakdown for the entire budget like the budget advisor at Brides.com, the overall amount given in the section breakdown gives you your max allotment while allowing you the freedom to customize the section expenditure based on your particular preferences.  Plus, you will be able to tweak the document according to your own needs (i.e. either adding/removing sections or including an actual cost slot to compare what you paid with your budget projection.  Not bad for those of you who like a little independence in your planning. 

Since I find it such a helpful tool, I’m betting some of you will too.  So, if you’d like a copy of this word document for your own planning purposes, just contact us at info@showersblog.com and request a copy of the Sample Wedding Budget.  Plus, if you’ve found some helpful tools or tips of your own, feel free to share. 

Some other helpful budget spreadsheets: Real Simple Budget, Your Wedding Company, and of course The Knot