Your wedding budget is hopefully in place now after Part 1 of this series. We covered income, expenses, contributions, and guest count. Now that we’re done with a huge step, let’s talk about how to spend your dollars wisely. Use these wedding budget tips to help you plan!
Negotiate with KINDNESS
I know this one sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s really easy to get stressed and act in unexplainable ways when you fixate on the quotes you get from your vendors. Don’t worry. It’s completely normal to go into sticker shock!
If you decide you want to negotiate, here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t just ask for a discount because you know the worst they can say is no. Your vendors charge what they do because of their experience, time, labor costs, etc. Before jumping into asking for a discount, express to them how much you love their passion, style, the way they make you feel calm, etc. and then ask them if they can offer any adjustments to better fit your budget. Making others feel appreciated goes a very long way!
- If you ask, and they end up telling you there is nothing they can change, politely accept their response. Thank them for their time and be honest about why you cannot hire them. If it’s the budget, be upfront about your limitations. They may be willing to come up with a compromise.
Ask for more things, not less dollars
Sometimes prices are set at a corporate level and the person you’re speaking to may not have the authority to adjust pricing. This is sometimes the case with hotel venues. If you aren’t able to receive the price you were hoping for, consider asking for more things. For example, ask if they can throw in a complementary hotel room or give you the bridal suite a few hours earlier at no additional charge. Can they provide a complementary champagne toast for speeches? Often times the manager may be able to throw in more add ons to your package, knowing you are committing to a contract with their hotel.
Consider your skim zone
We call the skim zone the parts of your wedding you’re not as passionate about, and comfortable with spending less money on. For example, are you okay with just serving beer and wine? Do you need to upgrade your table linens? Do you need really fancy invitations? Is it important to you to have tons of flowers or can you alternate some tables with some smaller arrangements and votive candles? The items in the skim zone look different for everyone, but knowing what you don’t want to spend a lot of money on is just as important as knowing what areas you’d like to invest in. It’s all about what’s important to the two of you.
