How to Allocate Your Wedding Budget

Oh the budget - the hardest part of planning a wedding! Once you come up with a figure that you can live with, you then have to figure out how to divide it up to cover all of the different wedding expenses. These are some tips on how to allocate your wedding budget.

The first thing to know is the basic formula, in terms of what percentage of your wedding budget should be allotted to each category of expenditure. The second thing to know is that these guidelines are really only that - guidelines - and that the actual divisions of your resources will be based as much on your priorities as on a chart. The trick is to find a way to divide up your available funds so that you are not left without the money to pay for something in one of the categories that interests you less.

In general, the reception is going to take up the biggest chunk of your wedding budget, normally about half. Within that 50%, though, it is entirely up to you how you want to break it down. For instance, if your top priority is having a venue with breathtaking views or a well-known name, you may spend more of that 50% allocation on the venue, and compromise by having a less expensive menu. Or if having top notch food is your main concern, you might spend more on the caterer, and less on the decorations and flowers.

All of the wedding budgets advise allotting around 10% of your funds to go for attire and beauty. Personally, I have always thought that this number was unrealistically low, which I guess is an indication of my priorities! The wedding attire includes everything from the wedding gown to the bridal jewelry, the hair, the makeup, and so forth. Feel free to save in one area so that you can splurge in another. For instance, you can find beautiful crystal bridal jewelry online and put the savings towards a more elaborate gown or a great pair of designer wedding shoes.

The music for your wedding should also be about 10% of your budget. If you are struggling to stay within this figure, you can often trim a little money from the music for the ceremony or the cocktail hour so that you can still afford great music for dancing at the reception. You can use recorded music or a solo musician for those times and put the bulk of your music budget towards a terrific band or d.j. when it matters the most.

Photography is another 10% of your wedding cost, and this includes the videographer if you are having one. Many couples are tempted to save money by skipping the professional photographer, but this is a big mistake. Spend the money to hire a professional to capture your most precious memories - you will be very glad that you did!

You can expect the rest of your wedding funds to be spent something like this: the ceremony, stationery, transportation, and gifts will each take up about 2-3% of your remaining wedding budget, leaving the last 8% for miscellaneous expenses (and there will be many!). The reality is that most couples end up going over their budget, so allow yourself a little extra cushion. If you make a list of your priorities in the beginning, it will be easier to shift your money around to stay within your wedding budget when all is said and done.