create a wedding budget checklist
It's interesting:"I can’t imagine a happier way to start married life than in this wonderful venue with all their family and friends around them. Ok, so I can – but it would have to be an exceptionally big Jacuzzi."
A good wedding budget checklist isn't just a way to stay within your budget, but it is also a reminder of each task that needs to be done. One well-organized checklist can mean the difference between a wedding day that costs too much and one that is smooth sailing and within your budget.
Things You'll Need
- Total wedding budget
Instructions
Apportion Correctly
1
Plan to spend about half of your wedding budget on the reception. Yes, it's a big chunk of change, but feeding a crowd of people, not to mention hall rental, entertainment, wine and champagne, will always amount to a lot.
2
Earmark about 10 percent of the budget for clothing for the bridal party. Tuxedos, the bride's dress and the bridesmaids' gowns shouldn't take up much more of the budget than this, unless you are willing to compromise elsewhere.
3
Prepare to spend 10 percent on photographs and 10 percent on flowers. Of course, if you have a family member take photos and if you choose to buy flowers wholesale and prepare them yourself, you'll have more to spend on what really matters to you.
Organize Your Checklist
4
Create a checklist by hand or with a spreadsheet program. There are even online templates, at sites like TheKnot.com, that will allow you to fill in information and create a checklist with little effort (see Resources below).
5
Leave extra rows and columns on the checklist. The rows are for items you've forgotten to include, and the columns are for issues you'll think of later. For instance, you can use one column to check off vendors who have already been paid and another to write down the date of the next required action on that item.
6
Divide the checklist into categories, from decorations to food to venue. Have different categories for women's wear and men's wear, since tuxedo rentals can be reserved once for the big day while dresses need to be fitted and re-fitted.
Tips &- Warnings
If you choose to create a spreadsheet on your computer, make sure you print it out and carry it with you, so that you can make notes when you have an idea and adjust prices as you are out and about meeting with vendors. Then, every evening, key the changes into the computer and print out an updated version. Yes, it's a lot of work, but a bit of organization at this stage prevents major headaches later.
Tags: wedding budget, budget checklist, wedding budget checklist, create wedding, create wedding budget, than this, within yourSource: www.ehow.com
