5 Steps To Unlock The Power Of Your FREE Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

{image credit: Binita Patel Photography}

let’s get honest

Most couples have no idea how much a wedding truly costs. And why should you? You’ve never done this before! My Wedding Budget Spreadsheet will show you how to set and stick to a wedding budget you can afford in 5 steps.

Your biggest expense is going to be your venue/food/beverage so we’ll start there inside your wedding budget spreadsheet so you can book your venue with confidence.

Put on your CEO red lipstick and download the free workbook and wedding budget spreadsheet below. You’re going to want to follow along.

I wish the venue search didn’t come first in the planning process. It’s A LOT. You just got engaged, you’re on cloud nine and instantly you’re thrown into some of the biggest decisions you’ll face around budget and family dynamics.

Stick with me. I promise the planning gets way more fun from here. You got this! 

Download The FREE Workbook and Wedding Budget Spreadsheet below.

five steps

Step 1: Know Your Priorities

It’s time to get crystal clear in your priorities. Rank the following in order of importance; 1 being the least important and 10 being you can’t live without.

• Food/beverage
• Venue
• Music
• Stationary
• Photography
• Florals
• Design/Decor

Step 2: Dive Into The Numbers

You’ll need one of two numbers to set AND stick to your budget. Review the options below, decide on your best path and plug the number into the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet inside the FREE workbook.

option one

The budget number you have in your head you know you don’t want to exceed.

Plug that number into the yellow cell in chart B of the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet inside the FREE How To Find A Venue You Can Afford Workbook.

option two

A detailed estimate for the top venues you’re considering. Use this number if you have no idea how to set a realistic budget and are in the process of shopping for venues. fear not. this is where most of our clients start.

Your venue/food/beverage costs make up nearly 50% of your total budget. If you overspend here, it’s going to be really really hard to reign it back in. Your total budget will start to snowball.

Now, how do we find that magic number? Request a detailed estimate from the top venues you’re considering.

Repeat after me, “A food & beverage minimum is NOT a detailed estimate.”

This is a very important difference. A food and beverage minimum is what a lot of venues contract on, and it simply states that in order to hold the space for this date and for this number of guests, you are obligated to spend a minimum of X.  

Read the Fine Print. This is a very important step because in 99% of the cases, your administrative fees and taxes do not contribute towards the food and beverage minimum.  Most of the time, if there’s a flat venue rental fee, that number also doesn’t count towards your food and beverage min.

request a detailed estimate

Review the menus and event brochures from the venues you’re considering. Select your wishlist menu to serve, including your bar package. Request a detailed estimate.

Use the checklist below to make sure you’re including everything you may want in your estimate.

When you have a detailed estimate you can plug that number into the yellow cell of Char A in The Wedding Budget Spreadsheet inside your workbook.

Step 3: Check Your Numbers

Review your priority list from Step 1 and adjust the percentage allocations accordingly. Maybe you don’t need transportation, for example.

Step 4: Hire Your Dream Team

Hire your creative dream team in the priority order you set in Step 1. If you’re going to need to overspend in a certain area to get the look or experience you want, you should do that only against your top priority.  If you start by hiring your lower priorities and overspend there, you won’t have enough for the things that are most important to you.

The point of these exercises is to avoid financial stress.  I firmly believe there are ways to create a magical celebration at any wedding budget level.  And that is how you become the CEO of your wedding. You can get the look that you’re dreaming of at the budget you can realistically afford.  No one’s going to have fun at the wedding if people are worried about the credit card bills coming in after the fact.

Step 5: Schedule Your FREE Consultation

I do my best to make these blog posts as helpful as possible but the reality is I can only go so deep. I’m here for you live and would love to chat to better answer your questions and customize a plan for you that will keep things FUN. Schedule your FREE consultation below.

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