Getting Started

NicMatt09

Hi Ladies, I just got engaged two weeks ago and since my fiance and I are both just getting settled in with our first jobs, we wanted to "play it safe" and save money before we set a date. Our goal is May of 2011 so that puts us at a 20 month engagement. My biggest fear is budgeting. Any tips/ideas for how to set up a budget? I am not sure yet how much money my parents will be able to contribute and as we save, he and I will have a better idea of what we can pay for. I am excited to get ideas and to plan! Any advice you have would be great! Thanks so much! ~Nicole

rschuckman

Congrats and welcome!  You will definitely need to figure out how much money you have before you can start fuguring out how much money you want/can devote to different vendors (photography, flowers, venues, etc.)  You will spend the most money on your reception.  Please also remember, that the higher the guest count is, the more money you will spend.  You are smart to start planning and saving early!  First figure out how much $$$ you have to work with and a rough guest count.  If you need any ideas for venues and vendors, fellow knotties are always here to help you out!

eek214

Welcome! The ladies on here are great! Lots of great ideas. I am on a very tight budget too. Since you have a long engagement, I would be taking money out of every paycheck to put in savings for your big day. Vistaprint has great prices on invitations. I think we are going to have email RSVPs. Maybe tacky, but will save a ton on postage.And definitely have a buffet instead of a sit-down dinner. Maybe instead of a DJ, make your own cd mix and just have a friend announce first dance, etc.Good luck!

jarmstrong23

Welcome! And congratulations! When we got engaged, and set a date, we looked at our daily living expenses and our paychecks.  We set up a joint checking account and decided to save a certain amount of money for every paycheck until the day of the wedding.  So then, I looked at the calendar and literally counted the amount of paychecks we'd get, then mutliplied our set savings amount to see how much money we could save on our own without having to rely on anyone else.  This way, if either of our parents were able to help, it was a nice relief to us as opposed to an expectation.  It has been SO NICE to be the ones in control of the costs-- simply due to the fact that it puts us in complete control of decisions that need to be made. That has been the best thing we did in terms of setting a budget.  After that, there are tons of places that will help you break down the different costs... at that point, it's up to you and your FI to figure out what's worth spending money for and what isn't GL!! 

jeremy.teresa

Def agree w/ Jen.  See how much you and your FI can each save and then count out how many paychecks you will have to come up with a certain amount.  If someone else is able to or offers to contribute down the line, then its def a huge bonus but don't rely on it.The girls here are great and we are here to help!  Congratulations!!

jh2010

Congrats and welcome!Great job on thinking about the finances so early! I'm big into budgeting, so it was one of the first things we did after we got engaged.I think setting your proirities goes hand-in-hand with your budget. FI and I sat down and listed the top five things that were most imprtant to us for the day of our wedding. It really helped us to focus on the things we wanted to put a little more money into, even though we hadn't set a budget yet. I often refer back to this list when I'm making a decision about the budget. We also had a sit down and discussed how much we would be comfortable/could afford if we paid for the entire wedding by ourselves. Obviously, it's whatever works best for you. After looking at your monthly expenses, make payments to yourself! And keep in mind to add any unexpected money to you wedding savings as well.After we decided on a budget, we had sit downs with our parents. We laid out our priorities and how much we could spend. We made it clear that no money was expected from either sets f parents, but ianything they wanted to coontibute would be appreciated, whether in the form of money or just being here to help out (my parent's are not from here). FI's parents have picked specific things they want to pay for, while my parent's have given us a lump sum. We're asking for input on those things we know are important to them.And finally, research! You can find almost anything for the price you're willing to pay. Compromise on those things that are least important to you to achieve the stuff you really want. And always ask the ladies on this board! They are incredibly helpful!(Sorry this is so long, I just went through this!)

NicMatt09

This helps so much! I really appreciate your ideas/help!

Michele45419

Since you're starting early, look for sales!!! I'm a big believer in catching the sales, either here, on craigslist, amazon, or other stores. Also, depending on your colors, red and pink tend to be on sale around Valentine's Day. Think about 'off-season' weddings (winter months) or 'off-day' weddings like a Friday or Sunday. The Sundays after Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc tend to be HUGE since they are considered 'off days' and will still give you a discount price. I've also heard the 'iPod' DJ/Music/Entertainment service is a decent way to go if you can find someone willing to 'man the station'.