Planning An Event Without Blowing Your Budget

Isn't this the area we have trouble with in all parts of our lives? It is especially hard to stay in budget when planning a wedding or special event. However, unless you are marrying into the royal family, you can't have everything.

Here is what I tell my clients to do when planning an event within their budget.

Prepare For The Unexpected

Depending on what my budget is, I like to leave about 5% of my budget untouched until the last minute. You wouldn't believe of all the unexpected expenses that come at the final stages of your event. If you don't have a stash of cash for this, you will go over budget.

Decide What Is Most Important To You

When my husband and I got married, I took a look at our budget and decided what was most important to us. For us, it was flowers, a beautiful venue, my wedding dress, live musicians for the ceremony, and the open bar. This is what the bulk of our budget went to. When you start planning your event, list the top 5 things that are most important to you and do them well. And for everything else, try and be frugal.

Know Your Options

It can be tempting when planning an event to just quickly book everything and make all the decisions the most efficient way possible. The problem with this is that you don't get the full picture of things. This is especially true with venues. A lot of venues that appear to be cheaper on the surface, often tend to be the same price as the all inclusive ones. Once you add up all of the fees, you don't save much money. Do your research and know your options before you make decisions.

Keep A List

Every time you make a purchase, write it down on a list or spreadsheet. What usually gets us in trouble with our budget is the little purchases that you don't track. $20 here, $40 there, all adds up quickly. Even the little purchases come out of your budget. Know what you have spent.

Don't Make Decisions Out Of Fear

Weddings and events entail a lot of decisions with vendors who all want your business and money. Some will make you feel that you have to book them because you don't have time to find anyone else, do not fall into fear and panic in these moments. You always have options, don't let them pressure you into making a decision because you are afraid you won't find anyone else. This leads to booking the more expensive DJ that you really didn't want, or hiring a photographer that costs more than the one you had in mind. When you do this, you will spend more money and not be as happy with the end result.

And there you have it! My top tips for planning an event in your budget. No matter what your budget is, you can always plan a beautiful event and be happy with the end result.