Adopting a budget, like the government, is one of the biggest challenges for the young couple when starting to plan the big day, but also a solid foundation under their feet when making future choices. Before you book the first positions or make the first purchases, determine what your total wedding budget will be. It is essential that the intended budget be planned in accordance with the real situation, it is not worth building it according to a tick. A well-thought-out wedding budget will become a valuable assistant in your planning process, a landmark, guided by which you will make many correct decisions.

• COMMON BIG PICTURE

  Before you get down to specific numbers, talk to each other about what kind of wedding you want. Is there something that is very important to each of you at the wedding - maybe invite all your relatives and friends or rent the castle or manor of your dreams? What, in turn, are you ready to sacrifice for the realization of your dreams? If you want to see all your friends and relatives around you on your wedding day, maybe it's worth choosing a simpler celebration place or holding a wedding in the off-season, for example, early spring or late fall?

• PRICE RESEARCH

  The next essential step is researching current prices. Prices in the wedding sphere vary from year to year and you are probably planning a wedding for the first time. Therefore, carefully familiarize yourself with the real market situation - contact service providers, create a list of price ranges for each item you need. Don't do yourself a disservice - there's no point in creating your perfect wedding budget, only to find out later that the prices of venue rentals or photographer services have risen significantly this year and are therefore no longer included in the budget.

• GUEST LIST

  The number of guests is one of the determining factors affecting the cost of the wedding day. The connection is elementary - the more guests participate in the celebration, the higher the cost will be. In addition, as the number of guests increases, not only additional catering costs will arise, but also additional tables, chairs, tablecloths, decorations on the tables, vases, candles, table cards, invitations, etc. will be needed. To make the planned budget as close to reality as possible, determine the approximate number of guests from the very beginning, according to which you will create the budget, so that you do not have to use magic to squeeze the desired number of guests into the specified budget.

• WHO PAYS?

  Are you able to pay all the expenses yourself or do you count on the help of your parents? Is it okay for both of you to involve the parents? Do you foresee that this could also have some negative consequences (according to the principle who pays, he also orders the music, parents will make their own corrections in the guest list, in the course of the day, try to influence how much money is allocated to whom).

  After you have agreed between yourselves, discuss this question with the parents - are they ready to share the costs and how much would it be? Also, determine how much you are willing to spend yourself, keeping in mind that 99% of the time the pre-determined budget is exceeded. Do you need to set aside an amount every month to get to that number? Does it look realistically doable? Are there any other big purchases planned for the year that could limit the schedule for setting aside money?

• SET PRIORITIES

  Choose two or three priorities on which you will allow yourself not to save. What should be the best thing on your wedding day - the wedding dress, the venue, maybe the photographer or the wedding table? However, remember that this will most likely result in you having to limit spending on other items.

• EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

  No matter how great and experienced a planner you are, there will always be additional costs. There will be things that you simply haven't thought of or haven't included in the total budget, because perhaps they don't apply to the big day itself /for example, beauty treatments a month before the wedding/. There will be various little things that, as little things tend to do, will add up and cost much more than you anticipated. There will also be things you might not have thought of (like tipping waiters).

  In order to feel completely safe and comfortable, for unexpected expenses or items that will eventually exceed the previously planned costs, allow 10% - 20% of the total wedding budget.

• WHAT IS MOST OFTEN FORGOT TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET

  Make sure that you have thought it through and know ahead of time how you will deal with these expenses:

  beauty treatments before the big day (health programs, facial care, tanning),

  hen/bachelor party costs (including a special dress for the party),

  postage for sending invitations and save the date cards,

  hotel/guest house/mansion room the night before (if the party will take place at the party location),

  the necessary repairs to the wedding dress (sew in, sew, replace, supplement),

  catering costs for photographer, wedding leader, etc. (it can be another simpler menu, but it will also be an additional cost),

  don't forget to include yourself in the meal costs☺

  gratuity, VAT (it is best to make sure in advance whether the service is included in the bill or whether the mentioned amounts for reservations are already calculated with VAT).

• FOLLOW UP WITH EXPENSES

  No matter how skillfully created, the budget will not remain set in stone. Keep track of changes - something turned out to be more expensive, you managed to save somewhere, something was given as a gift or negotiated through a friend - mark these changes in your budget planner (for a convenient expense report, use the budget planning tool here, Līgavām.lv - coming soon), see if they affect other items, write down existing expenses and save purchase receipts.