He bought the perfect ring, thought of the perfect proposal and you’ve said yes! While your on cloud 9 and just smiling from ear to ear, family and friends are asking that number one question, “When is it?” You don’t know because you are so happy and newly engaged, that you don’t want to think of any details. But, you have to. After eventually getting off of cloud 9, you sit and talk with your new fiancé about what date it will be that you will use as your forever anniversary date. It’s so many options to choose from: first time you met, first date, first kiss, the date he proposed, or the anniversary date of how long you’ve been dating. After you have chosen the date, you are now encountering the next and most important step: FIGURING OUT THE BUDGET! Yeah, the B-word, a word that every bride dreads and does not want to come to terms with. Setting a budget at the beginning sets the tone of how your whole wedding vision will play out at the end. You and your fiancé should sit and talk with any and all financial providers that will be contributing to your big day: whether it be parents, grandparents or deciding if you will be footing the bill yourselves. This determines where your money will be directed and you will also start to see what is more important to the both of you and it will also eliminate any mis-communication. Create an Excel spreadsheet of the different aspects of the wedding, from venue, to gown, stationery, food, etc. Take your overall budget and carefully begin to price how much you are willing to spend in each category. Remember: This is just a budget, an estimate. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend up to this amount. Creating a budget will keep you on track in the long run. You don’t want to get half-way through the planning process and you’re sitting there filling out paperwork for a second mortgage. This is indeed going to be ONE of the biggest days of your lives, but still remember, that your life together is much longer. Create a budget and stick to it!
