You’re engaged! Congratulations! This is such an exciting time for you, your fiancé, and your families. I’m sure many ideas are being voiced and you might even be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful. See my tips below for help with your Asheville wedding budget and have a stress free planning process!
1. Know who is giving what
Before you can create a budget for your Asheville wedding, you will need to know how much you have to work with. Have a conversation with your fiancé and your parents to know how much everyone is planning to contribute. Extra Tip: Do this right away. Once this conversation is had, everyone will know what to expect and it will be smooth sailing.
2. Decide what’s most important to you
For each couple, the most important part of their wedding day is different. If photography is most important to you because you want to be able to look back and relive your wedding day through prints and albums, set aside extra money for an experienced top rated photographer. If you’re dreaming of a fairytale ceremony on the top of a mountain with gorgeous floral decor, leave more money in the budget to make that happen for you and your 140 guests.
3. Create a budget (and stick to it!)
Taking time to lay out a budget will not only save you stress, it will save you cash in the end! Set a target cost for each vendor, rental items, and purchase items. When you do this, you will probably find that you are over your budget, but that’s okay. From here you can go back and trim where needed. For example- do you really need to rent tablecloths and chair covers, or can you use the items that the venue provides?
4. Consider hiring a wedding planner
Yes, on paper it looks like a wedding planner is an added cost. In reality, hiring a planner often saves you money. Because a planner knows all of the ins and outs of weddings, they will be able to not only guide you through the wedding planning process and save you hours of work and stress, they will also find you deals, connect you with amazing local vendors, and your wedding will likely end up costing less than if you didn’t hire their services. Amazing, right?
Bonus: Common budget breakdowns
Venue and Catering: 40-45%
Photography and Videography: 15-18%
Wedding Attire, Hair, and Beauty: 6-8%
Flowers, Lighting, and Décor: 8-10%
Reception Music: 8-10%
Wedding Planner: 2-3%
Officiant and Ceremony Music: 2-3%
Cake: 2-3%
Invitations and Stationery: 2-3%
Wedding Rings: 2-3%
Favors and Gifts: 2-3%
Transportation: 2-3%
Jessica is an award winning wedding photographer in Asheville, NC. For more about her services…
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