There’s a first time for everything. And planning a wedding might be most couple’s first big event. But to pull off this event we need to have the money talk. I know you’d rather skip to popping the champagne and dancing but creating a budget is the most important part of planning a wedding.

I recommend that you think about the wedding you would like. If you need help with that, read our previous blog post here. After you’ve nailed that down, you and your partner should discuss how much you are comfortable spending. And keep your fingers crossed that your dream wedding and budget correlate.

It is difficult to determine how much your wedding is going to cost until you achieve the following:

Discuss

You and your partner should have a chat about how much you are willing and comfortable with spending on your wedding. Will you get financial contributions from family? If you know the amount a family member has committed to your day, include it in your budget. If you’re not sure whether family members are going to contribute, why not give it a try?

You should also discuss your guest count. Irrespective of the type of wedding or the location you choose to have your wedding, the guest count will have a huge impact on your wedding budget. Therefore, I think we need to get started on the guest list.

Non-negotiables?

Both you and your partner should list your priorities. Whether it’s a photographer, the decorator at your friend’s wedding, the caterer or any other detail you cannot negotiate on. Outlining those details keep you focused on your budget, your wedding style and ensuring that you get what’s most important to you. Both of you should draw up your own list of priorities. It’s a nice exercise to get him involved in the wedding planning while understanding what’s important to him.

Reality Check

We’ve established the vision of your wedding, the amount of money you are willing to spend, an estimated guest count. That’s good information for finding out if your dream wedding is possible. You can start by researching venues and caterers that can accommodate your guest count. If the quotations can fit within your budget – hooray! If it doesn’t; we will have to make some adjustments. You can probably increase your budget or sacrifice on certain details.