Settle on a budget You’ve got the ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ bit waxed, but since your beloved pop...
Settle on a budget
You’ve got the ‘something old, something
new, something borrowed, something blue’
bit waxed, but since your beloved popped
the question you’ve realised that the rhyme
leaves out the most important bit –
‘something budget’.
So before you start weighing up bustier
against halterneck, settle on the amount
you have to spend.
Then ‘add another 10% for unforeseen
extras’, suggests Pam Black, author of The
Really Useful Wedding Guide for South
Africa and owner of Celebration House. ‘If
you don’t end up spending that 10%, you’ll
start your marriage with a nice windfall.’
It’s easier if you can see where your money
is going – the handy Wedding Budget
Planner tool at www.weddings-inafrica.com
(under the Brides’ Pages link) considers all
expenses from minister’s fee to music.
Decide on priorities
It’s your wedding and your budget, so
spend on elements that will make the day
memorable for you.
If you have your heart set on a three-
course gourmet meal, then splash out on
that and cut back on something you’re not
too fussed about. Remember that things
add up quickly. ‘So often I see brides who
get swept along by their mother saying
“What about this?” or “Let’s just have that”
– and they’re the ones left paying for
something that they didn’t really want in
the first place,’ says Black.
Enlist friends & family
If your best friend is a design whizz, ask her
to create your invites as a wedding gift.
The same goes for an aunt who owns a hair
salon, or an uncle with a contact in the
wine industry. They’ll feel involved and
you’ll have one less thing to pay for. (As
long as you know they’ll do a good job
before you ask – you don’t want to ruin a
friendship over tartan invites that don’t
quite match your pastel colour scheme!)
Internet inspiration
From venues and photographers to
caterers and honeymoons, the Internet
gives you the power to find what you want
at the price you can afford. Be inspired by
other invitations, dress designs and menus,
or tap into the online community of bridal
blogs and forums to find tips from brides
who managed on a tight budget.
Some good sites are:
• www.weddings.about.com
• www.celebrationhouse.co.za
• www.marthastewartweddings.com
- Daily Fix