The wedding budget is one of those things that often overshadows the joy of the upcoming event. The budget is an aspect that you don't always want to, but you definitely need to think about. However, if the wedding budget is drawn up according to the wishes and possibilities of the young couple, it will not cause as much of a headache as it might seem at first.

LĪGAVĀM offers suggestions for successful wedding budgeting.

Items in the budget that are not expected to change

Wedding organizer Ilze Zute / Bohemia Events states that the first step when planning a wedding budget is to understand your wishes.

It is not uncommon for couples to have a service provider in mind that they definitely want to hire, no matter what their costs will be. In that case, couples can include items and amounts in their budget estimate that are not expected to change. Also, an important aspect is the approximate number of guests and the concept - whether it will be a family wedding in a narrow circle or whether a much larger event is planned.

This, in turn, results in the choice of the place of celebration, catering costs and other services. "The budget can also be affected by the choice of the wedding date - if the chosen date is during the active wedding season and on a Friday or Saturday, then the costs will be higher than on another day of the week or during the quiet season," reminds Ilze Zute.

Stumbling blocks and hidden costs

When it comes to the most popular stumbling blocks, which couples tend to stumble upon when planning their wedding budget, Ilze Zute points out that it is always important to find out what is included in the price of the service and whether there are any additional costs that the couple does not know about. "Also, I advise couples to always find out if VAT is already added to the amount of the service, if transport costs are included.

Also, celebration venues may request a corkage fee or additional payment for table and chair rental. All this information must be clarified before the conclusion of the contract, so that unnecessary misunderstandings do not arise, because such hidden costs tend to greatly affect the overall budget," says Ilze Zute.

When planning a wedding budget, priorities are important

The wedding organizer points out that when creating the wedding budget, you should not save on items that are more important to the couple, that is why it is necessary to set priorities.

"If the most important positions for the couple are the photographer and music, then you shouldn't save on them. But if all positions are equally important, then you have to expect that the wedding budget will be big," said Ilze.

When planning a wedding budget, the percentage distribution will be different for each couple because their wishes and priorities are different. "Lately, I have noticed that couples are not looking for the cheapest or most expensive option for a service provider, but are interested in finding a professional that suits them - one that describes exactly them. I am very happy about this trend, because it strongly brightens the mood of the wedding, and the guests also immediately understand what kind of wedding they have come to."

Analyze yourself

Ilze points out that the wedding budget does not determine whether the wedding will be big or small. "You can have a wedding that costs 7,000 and 15,000 euros, but looks the same.

It shows that everything lies only in the couple itself. I advise couples to analyze themselves a bit and answer the questions, do they like everything modern or do they still have a unique style, what are their hobbies and life values. Guided by all this, it is possible to understand the direction in which to go and what the couple's wedding will reflect, in turn, it will form a budget estimate," suggests Bohemia Events.

Wedding photographers Andas Upmales / Riversilde films x photography recommendations on how to save on the wedding budget:

• Organize shorter weddings or one-day weddings with the ceremony later in the afternoon, thus reducing the number of hours;
• To organize the celebration in one place, thus reducing the costs of decoration, location, venue rental and driving, as there will be no need to rent a car.

Author of the article: LIENE PÄLĆA

PHOTO: ANDA UPMALE , BENITA ŽOGOTA, JĀNIS ROMANOVSKIS, TOMS LOČMELIS