Planning your dream wedding when you are on a budget can seem challenging and daunting, but it’s definitely not impossible and just means that you might need to look at alternatives or perhaps plan something on a smaller scale than you first imagined. When you are in your initial wedding planning stages it can feel like there are a lot of things that you need to think about, but if you make sure that you remain organized then you will make sure that you don’t miss anything.

Setting your budget is the first most important thing that you need to do and it’s important that you stick to it as much as possible, especially if you are on a tight budget, the last thing you want to do is get carried away and overspend.  Think realistically about what budget you can allocate for your big day and remember that it’s only one day, so don’t feel the need to go overboard and have everything!  There are some standard things that you will need to have at your wedding such as the venue, wedding rings, wedding dress, suits, honeymoon, stationary, suppliers and food. You can go as luxurious as your budget allows with these, but also consider being creative and making things yourself. If you have your heart set on a particular supplier then make sure you factor this into your wedding budget.

Create a spreadsheet

Once you have decided on what your maximum budget is for your day, you will need to sit down with your partner and create a spreadsheet with all of the important things on it, such as venue, dress, food etc. This will help you to keep on schedule when planning and ensure that you don’t miss anything vital. It’s entirely possible to plan a fun wedding on a tight budget, just remember to do whatever makes you both happy as a couple, not what everyone else thinks you should do.

Creating a spreadsheet is a great way to manage your spending and ensure that you don’t overspend on any areas. Have one that you and your partner can both access and update it every time that you spend something on the wedding.

Make sure that you stick to your budget

Obviously this might go without saying, especially if you are on a tight budget, but by keeping track of what you are spending will help to ensure that you stick to your budget. This is crucial especially if you are on a tight budget. Tracking your budget regularly is very important and will ensure that you don’t overspend. It will also allow you to monitor it and see if you have any budget left over as you get closer to your day that you can spend on things that you hadn’t considered before.                           

Consider asking friends for help

Planning your dream wedding on a budget can seem like an impossible task, especially if you have your heart set on specific suppliers or items, but you may have to consider looking for alternatives. Asking your friends for help is a good idea as they will be able to help you reduce your costs and spending. You might want to get them to help you with things such as decorations. If you have a boho theme in mind for your wedding for example, you could get your friends over to help you make your own decorations.

Think about the important things to you

When you are starting to plan your dream day, it will feel like there are lots of things that you need to plan or things that you think that you want, don’t get carried away though and feel like you need to have everything for your day to be amazing. The main thing to remember is that it’s your day, and you need to do what makes you both happy.  Looking at suppliers for your big day is something that is important, as you’ll want to ensure that your photography, entertainment and venue are exactly what you’d like, especially as this is your dream wedding.  Many suppliers get booked up in advance so make sure that you plan early to avoid disappointments.

Organization is key

The most important thing to think about and remember is to be organized and plan early for your wedding day, this will ensure that nothing is left to the last minute and you ensure that everything is covered. If you have a specific venue that you want to get married at, but they are not available on your ideal date, then you might want to consider looking at a midweek date instead.  If you don’t have a particular wedding day or date in mind, then to save some money you might want to consider a mid-week wedding. This is a great way to save some money as a lot of people still want to get married at weekends, but by doing something mid-week you can really cut your costs down but means that you can have the venue of your dreams.