Budgeting for a wedding - what would you have done differently/the same?

Question

What do you wish you had paid more for, or less for? Is there something you cut from the budget or did yourself, but now feel you should have paid someone else to do? Or is there something you wish you hadn't spent so much money on? And even more importantly, what do you feel was money well spent?

Answer 1

Photograper definetly...I am so disgusted with the woman that took my daughter's wedding pictures. Luckily I had a semi-professional friend there. I am a retired wedding planner, and I should have known better, lol...but my orginial photographer couldn't make it...so I used the yellowpages..wrong move.

We did my daughter's wedding on a budget, I loved everything we did. I worked my fingers to the bone, I made the table cloths, I made the napkins, we made the flavors, we made the most of the food, If I could go back and do it again, time....is what I didn't allow for.

I needed another day to set the reception hall up. Several things happened, the musuem where we had the wedding and the reception at, was unavailable to us but for a certain amount of time. And when you are planning a wedding that is 5 hours away from home, it's a tough call. But the ladies that were to decorate the dining room up had a family emergency and they couldn't come...I didn't have enough time to get everything that we had wanted done.

Time....that's the thing..As far as cost, I wished I would have paid the outrageous right the other photographer wanted. She got married on Memorial Day weekend, and he wanted nearly 3 times as much, because it was a last minute thing. I refussed and that's my fault. I am a penny pincher, I can't think of where I would cut out or not do. I was very happy with doing most of the work myself because my daughter's wedding was over a $25,000 wedding if I had paid to have it done. It cost me $10,000. That's travel expense, motel rooms, bridesmaid dresses, dinners, breakfast, for all the major players in the wedding. I paid for the girls dresses, shoes, jewerly, gas money, eats, everything that I could. I paid for my parents also, I didn't buy my Mother's dress. $1,200 was my daughter's dream dress,
which I could have ordered off of Ebay for $600 if I had only looked. Same dress! I could saved a bunch right there. That's
including everything....her honeymoon clothes included. My son, husband, and myself's outfits for reception and wedding. So, I feel what I was able to give her the best for less.

I use to do this for a living, and I wish I could go back and add an extra day, shop for the dress a little more and find another photographer. I hope that helps and I answered your question correctly. Money well spent, hard work and sleepless night well spent...to see the joy on my daughter's face.

God bless us all........

Answer 2

I really wish that we would have gone with a better photographer. The one thing that I was really happy with was that I went with a high end caterer that A) recreated my wedding cake from a picture in a magazine for the same price as the "dessert" that came with our meal B) the food was superb - our family and friends still talk about it and C) we had a premium stocked open bar. I can't believe the people that invite you to a wedding (a party essentially) expect you to get all dolled up and buy an expensive present and then want you to pay a dollar for a bottle of water so that they can afford the carpet of rose petals! Now if you're planning on having a "dry" wedding thats something different. But when you invite me to your party then want me to pay for refreshments, thats just insulting.

Answer 3

Money well spent was on our minister & my dress. Our minister was AMAZING! I wouldn't have had anyone else perform the ceremony. Oh, and the Flowers I got for a steal. Most of the places I called wanted close to 300 for my bouquet alone. The last place I called I got ALL the flowers for under 300. It pays to shop around. I wish I'd paid more for the photographer. I found him by word of mouth, and went to his place and looked at tons of pictures he'd taken. They were all pretty good, so I hired him. BIG MISTAKE! He must've passed someone else's pictures off as his own. Everyone who saw them couldn't believe how bad they were. At least my brother was also taking pictures with the digital. As far as the reception, my uncle planned and paid for it, so I can't be much help there. Oh, if you're having anyone help you with anything make sure you TRUST them!! My friend's husband was supposed to videotape our wedding and he showed up as we were kissing. I should have known better, but in order to save money I screwed up!

Well good Luck & Congrats!

Answer 4

My wedding was held at a Hotel in Mexico City, and that was the money best spent, we didn't have to worry about a catering service, renting portable restrooms, chairs, tables, or waiters, since everything was self contained it was great, plus the hotel had its own Wedding Planner so i didn't (and wouldn't have either) hired one on my own.
Flowers were great, table linens a bit expensive but worth it (I could've used the ones from the Hotel, mind you) and so was having a DJ.
My mother in law made the favors (which were beautiful candles with my husband and my initials engraved in silver foil) so that was quite cheap.
I looked at several photography and video services and decided on an agency that was just starting to work in the field and since they wanted to acquire more clients did an excellent job both with the pictures and the video.
What I hated spending so much on were the invitations...let's face it, people receive them, see them, keep the reception tickets and toss the rest. That I do regret, the rest was great.

Answer 5

I would keep everything exactly the same - we got engaged 3 months after meeting (I was 25, he was 33 at the time) and then we saved up for our wedding, which was almost a year and a half afterward - but we planned everything out, did everything the way we wanted, and it all turned out great.

My husband actually did more work on our wedding then I did - he had so many wonderful ideas, and because he is a pastry chef, he made our wedding cake - and it was stunning.

So make sure you and your fiancee talk through things and about what you guys want - then make it happen.

One thing I insist on - have a videographer there to record your special day. I didn't initially want one but my husband insisted on it - I watch our video all the time and it is so beautiful. My mother in law recently passed away and it's great being able to see her in the video, happy and healthy. :)

Answer 6

I would've paid less for the limo and my dress. I used very small bouquets and that was it for the flowers, which saved me a ton of money. I am very glad I did that. Don't bother with spending money on decorations for the church -- focus on the reception instead.

Money well spent was my $2500 on the photograher. In my area, that's a lot of money, but it was worth every penny. We've got great pictures that will help us remember our day.

Answer 7

Earmark money for:-

1. Clothes and jewelery.
2. A befitting reception ceremony, including guest dinner to match.
3. Administrative arrangements for the marriage ceremony to take place in style, including completion of legal formalities.
4. An exotic honeymoon.
5. Video coverage as per requirement.

Answer 8

We called our photographer the photo Nazi. I wish that we had met him before the wedding, but the company that we used picks the person.That sucked. Otherwise the only thing I wished I had was a professional video, of at least the wedding. Don't trust your uncle Bill to do it for you!!

Answer 9

I would have spent less on the dress and the entire wedding and used the money for a better honeymoon. The flowers are dead, the cake is gone, the dress was only good once.

Answer 10

I am in the mid planning stage: but I wish I figured out a bugdet right away and stuck to it better!! It's so hard cause you forget all the little stuff you need or want.

theknot.com
has a great website (and it's free) to help you set up a budget and how to brake it down!!