Components of a Wedding: Budgeting

Budgeting is crucial when it comes to planning a wedding.  There are tons of components to a wedding budget. Hopefully this can guide you in the right direction.


The first step is an overview.

BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Beauty Budget
Ceremony Budget
Reception Budget
Entertainment Budget
Photography Budget
Decorations Budget
Honeymoon Budget
TOTAL

Now you must break the different categories down. One at a time

BEAUTY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Dress
Veil
Hairpiece
Shoes
Slip
Bra
Sash / Embellishment
Alterations
Bustle
Hair Appointment
Make Up
Pedicure / Manicure
Surprise
TOTAL

CEREMONY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Venue
Officiate
Chairs
Unity Candle
Aisle Runner
Programs
Pianist / Musician
Changing Rooms
Surprise
TOTAL

RECEPTION BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Venue
Food
Eating Utensils
Tables
Chairs
Cake
Alcohol
Surprise
TOTAL

ENTERTAINMENT BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
DJ
Photo Booth
Transportation
TOTAL:

PHOTOGRAPHY BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Engagement Photos
Pre-Ceremony
Ceremony
Locations
Reception
Second Photographer
Photo Album
Rights to Photos
Prints
TOTAL

DECORATIONS BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Cake Topper
Cake Cutter
Champaign Flukes
Card Box
Flowers
Swag
Candles
Surprise
TOTAL

HONEYMOON BUDGET	GOAL	ACTUAL
Transportation
Accommodations
Excursions
Food / Drink
Passport
Surprise
TOTAL

I highly recommend always creating and budget for the surprise category.  You just never know what will happen!  With this budget you are able to track how much you want to spend and what you actually spent, making it easy to see if you need to start cutting back on something.

Components of a Wedding: Planning

When it comes to Weddings, there can seem to be an infinite to-do list.  This will be the first of a series of blog posts regarding the different components of a wedding and how a Wedding Day Assistant can help you with your ever growing to-do list.

Components of a Wedding: Planning

He is down on one knee, ring in hand and you have just decided to say "YES!"  Making this one decision, you have triggered a whole chain of questions.  When will the wedding happen? Where will it happen? What time? Inside or outside? Where will the reception be? Who will be in the wedding? Big wedding party or small? Close friends and family or invite the whole state? Local wedding? Destination wedding? Time of day? What will your dress look like?

Whew.  Who knew this could be so challenging?

Perhaps you  need to be rescued BEFORE your wedding day.  Cash in your Wedding Day Assistant early!

Maybe you want an assistant to help you pick out your wedding gown because you know your friends and family will be too pushy or not honesty.

Maybe you want an assistant to help you get save the date or wedding invitations in the mail because you simply cant get together 8 solid hours to work on it.

Maybe you want an assistant to call all 8 of the potential venues you have found to get more info and see if they are available.

Is there a daunting task hanging over your head that you just cant bring up the courage to tackle on your own?

Let Jen rescue you!

Every Bride needs to be rescued!

Consider this scenario.

It's your big day.  You're getting your hair done at the salon, and then you will begin putting on your make up.  The groom, who was tasked to pick up the flowers has delivered them to the reception hall on the other side of town.  Then you discover that, you're MOH's parents, who are not so familiar with the town & so graciously delivered the last minute order of 200 cupcakes delivered them to the ceremony site on the opposite end of the town from the reception hall.

Being the troubleshooter she is, your MOH hops in her car, crosses town, picks up the cupcakes, crosses back through town, delivers them to the reception hall, picks up the flowers and brings them back to the ceremony site, just in time to meet you and the rest of your bridesmaids at the ceremony site.  She did it because she loves you, but wouldn't you have rather had her with you for that hour?

After the ceremony, the goal is simple, take a few quick photos with the parents and let them race off to finish decorations at the hall.  But wouldn't you rather them stick around to make sure you get all the shots you want to remember your big day?

The grooms men hold up the Bridal Party entrance & DINNER because they had to go on a booze run...

Its time for the mother-son dance, the song has started and no one knows where mom is!  Wouldn't it be nice to have someone in charge of keeping track of stuff like this?

Ummm... who was in charge of the marriage license????

It's the end of the night, your wedding party is three sheets to the wind, your feet hurt and everyone is exhausted.  Who is going to load all those heavy presents into the car?

Every Bride needs to be rescued!

About Jen's Bride Rescue

Let's face it, every Bride needs to be rescued, especially on her big day!  From simple tasks like who is keeping track of the marriage license to more complex tasks like making sure mom and dad are where they are supposed to be, things still need to be handled on the big day.  Often times we task these items to friends or relatives at the wedding (mainly because they are last minute things no one plans for), but wouldn't you rather they enjoyed the wedding and reception?

Jen's Bride Rescue allows you to bring an outside person, not a family member or friend, to get those last minute details taken care of with no panic on the Bride, Groom, Bridal Party members or friends and family members.  So instead of your MOH leaving you at the hair salon to pick up the flowers and take them to the ceremony site and make sure the cake gets delivered to the reception hall, let's keep her with you to make sure you look EXTRA fabulous on your big day!

Tasks you may not want your friends and family to be concerned with on your big day:

Flower pick up and delivery

Cake pick up and delivery

Holding onto the Marriage License

Any payments that need to be made on the Wedding Day

Keeping track of special guests (parents, grandparents, musicians, Bridal Party, etc.)

Accepting and storing gifts (including packing them up at the end of the evening)

Collecting momentos from the day

Assist with final details

Last minute errands

And this is just the beginning!  Who knows what you will encounter on your wedding day!

So what's it cost?

1 - 4 Hours of Wedding Day Coordinator Service for $100

4 - 8 Hours of Wedding Day Coordinator Service for $150

8 +   Hours of Wedding Day Coordinator Service for $200

Great for a bridal shower gift!

Email with questions.

Must book 3 weeks in advance of date needed.