Budgeting for your wedding can seem very intimidating and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! I know you might be thinking “Well how would you know? You’ve never had a wedding!” Which is true, but I’ve photographed many weddings! And now that my sister is getting married, I am helping her with all of the planning so I know how expensive things can get!

But the plus side of helping my sister plan her wedding: I am finding out all the secrets to making your wedding budget manageable! It’s definitely been eye opening watching my sister go through this.

So how do you budget for your wedding?

I have a few great tips for you today!

1. Write down the money you have allotted for the wedding. Include how much you and your fiancé, parents, grandparents, and other family or friends will be pitching in. Make sure you count everything and have the total amount as accurate as possible! I would definitely do this step first. This sets you up so you know how much you have to spend and you won’t go over that amount unknowingly.
2. Pick your top 3 must have vendors for your wedding and write how much you would be willing to spend on them. These top 3 vendors will probably be your biggest ticket items. So let’s say you have a venue you’ve been dreaming of getting married at, but it’s a little expensive. That’s fine! You can adjust you other vendor budgets so that you have more to spend on your venue.
3. Really think about your guest list. This one is SO hard! I know it’s hard to limit which friends and family you want to invite to the wedding, but they are also a huge part of the budget. So if you are on a tighter budget, set the amount of people you can invite to the wedding and stick to it! You will be paying for a plate of food for every person. And if you aren’t on a tight budget, I still recommend writing out your guest list! It will make you really think about who you want to be there for your big day.
4. Have your wedding in off season. Not all vendors offer discounts during off season, but a lot of venues do and they’re a huge part of your budget!
   

   For Charleston weddings, the off season is December, January, July, and August.

5. Write EVERYTHING down!! This will help you keep track of your expenses.
6. Hire a wedding planner. It is so so so worth it! They will keep track of everything for you and help you along the way. If you are looking for a great wedding planner in the Charleston area I have a few of my favorites listed here!

And those are my biggest tips for you!

Hopefully the views from a Charleston wedding photographer has set you up for success and helped you plan your dream wedding.

Budgeting for your wedding

Looking for more wedding tips? Look no further! Here are a few of my top wedding blogs:

Why You Should Schedule A Bridal Session

Why You Should Invest in a Wedding Album

Bride Getting Ready Photo Tips For Your Wedding Day

Or take a look at my Instagram for more tips every week!

I hope you enjoyed this blog about budgeting for your wedding! If you have any thoughts or more advice, leave a comment below!