Budgeting and Financial Archives - The Budget Bride Company

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Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

12/08/2014/in Budget Advice, Budget Wedding Planning, The Budget Bride Company, Wedding E-courses, Wedding Planning /by laura

One of the things I get asked about most by Brides to be is how to create a wedding budget that works. Planning your wedding is SO much fun and it’s a great idea to have a grip on the finances from the outset, so that you don’t have any niggling money worries in the back of your mind whilst you’re cracking on with your preparations.

I have covered a lot about how to set a wedding budget in my Wedding Planning E-Course that you can enrol on here, but I think that it’s a brilliant idea to have a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet right from the start of your wedding planning, so that you can keep full tabs on the money that you have set aside and what is being spent as you spend it. It can be so easy to just pop into town on your lunch break and come back with three pairs of Bridesmaid shoes that you saw on offer, that somehow don’t get included in your overall budget – it’s easy to see where the money can disappear to!

I have created a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet especially for UK brides to be looking to get organised and on top of everything in the run up to their wedding.

This Wedding Budget Spreadsheet will help you to:

♥ Work out your total budget and figure out priorities on where you want to spend it

♥ Help you to stay in total control of your money from engagement through to honeymoon

♥ Keep track of your wedding guests, RSVPs and special requirements

♥ Sort your table plan for your wedding breakfast

♥ Organise your hen do

♥ Work out your timeline in the run up to the day as well as helping you sort out what you want to happen and when on the big day itself

With over ten years of event planning experience under my belt – as well as having my own wedding to plan! – I know exactly how to help you sort out your wedding budget. And best of all? You can get the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet now for just £4.50 saving yourself bags of hassle and research time! Just click here to buy, and your spreadsheet will be emailed straight out to you, ready to use.

Happy Budgeting, Brides to be!

Laura xx

Image courtesy of Danielle Mobbs Photography

Wedding Fairs and how they can help you plan your wedding

16/01/2014/in Budget Advice, Budget Bride Live Wedding Events, Budget Wedding Inspiration /by laura

Photo Credit: Keith Bloomfield via photopin cc

Once the news has been announced that you and your beau are getting married, the cards have been displayed and the champagne has been quaffed, the time will come for you to get on with the actual planning of your wedding.

Some people are born planners. They live to organise a party, they are the ones putting their hands up to sort the next work night out or to host a pampered chef evening. But some of us find it a little more tricky!

Organising a wedding can be like planning one of the biggest parties that you will ever hold (dependant on the type of do you are planning, of course!) and that can be a daunting task. That’s where Wedding Fairs come in. These events can be a fantastic opportunity to meet with lots of wedding suppliers all under one roof in a non-pressurised environment.

I for one, always need to compare and contrast what is on offer to me, before I make a move. So with that in mind, here are my top five reasons for why attending a wedding fair is definitely worth your while…

1. BIG time save! The chance to meet lots of wedding suppliers under one roof means way less time traipsing round lots of different towns or spending hours on tonnes of different websites trying to locate different suppliers for each element of your wedding. Going to a well organised wedding fair will mean that you can see a selection of different specialists for every part of your wedding under one roof, usually with a time investment of under a couple of hours on your part.

2. You get to meet your supplier in person. This is a big trust builder and can definitely be the tipping point between choosing one wedding supplier over another. Does the florist just *get* what you are trying to achieve? Does the photographer have a style which is perfectly in line with the look you are going for? It can be a fabulous opportunity to see if your supplier is on your wavelength.

3. The chance to get tactile… Seeing a wedding invitation online is one thing, but turning it over in your hand, feeling the weight of the card and the quality of the materials can make it much easier to make those tricky decisions on which products you want to commit to.

4. Deals and Offers. You will often find that suppliers have fantastic offers available to those who make a booking on the day of the Fair. Take advantage of any discounts offered and you may find yourself shaving a hefty chunk from your allowed budget.

5. Ticking the boxes… Taking your your best friend with you to a wedding fair is a surefire way to get an honest opinion on whether something is going to work – or not. Listen to the advice of the suppliers and that of your BFF and you can start ticking a few of those to do tasks from your list.

Our Budget Bride Live Wedding Fairs are completely free to attend when you pre-register. We ensure that there is a fantastic spread of different supplier types for you to chat with. Coupled with a goody bag and a glass of fizz when you arrive, it really is a great way to start off your wedding planning.

Our next Fairs are running in the East Midlands region at The Eden Centre in Kettering on Sunday 2^nd February from 3pm to 7pm and at The Ruby Lounge at Diana’s in Wellingborough on Sunday 16^th February from 11am to 3pm.

The Budget Bride Team are always on hand in the Reception Area at any of our venues to have a chat with you and help you with any wedding planning questions you might have!

There are a wealth of wedding fairs that run throughout the year , make the most of those running locally to you and have a fun day out to really get into planning your wedding with experts who can really help 🙂

Laura xo

Wedding Budgeting Tips from Amethyst Weddings

15/08/2013/in Budget Advice, Budget Beautiful Wedding Suppliers, Budget Wedding Planning, Supplier Spotlight /by laura

At the Budget Bride Company, we are always on the lookout for new tips on how to get the most out of the wedding budget you have available.

Sian Bowron is a Wedding Planner at Amethyst Weddings and today she is sharing her tips with us on how to max your budget when planning your ceremony and reception.

Everyone has different priorities when it comes to budgeting for a wedding. With the average wedding expenditure rapidly nearing £20k, it's no surprise that couples on tight budgets are resorting to DIY options to help stretch the pennies.

As a wedding planner, I often get asked the best ways to make the most of a wedding budget, so here are a few of my top tips on how to keep an eye on the purse strings…

Keep the ceremony intimate

Invite your nearest and dearest only - the people that really matter. Less people at the ceremony means less mouths to feed at the wedding breakfast and the savings can stack up incredibly quickly.

Photo Credit: www.intimateweddings.com

Church ceremonies

Check with your vicar to find out if they have a marriage ceremony booklet and hymn books. This will save on the additional cost and time of preparing an order of service specifically for your wedding.

Civil ceremonies

Pick a reception venue that is licensed for civil ceremonies and host both your ceremony and reception at the same place as this saves unnecessary transport costs.

Look out for venues that waive room hire charges for hosting your ceremony and reception with them, as this will give you greater bargaining power!

Another great way to save the pounds is to get married at your local registry office. By keeping it local and simple, you can save more money for spending on your reception.

Photo Credit: Fran Scott at http://www.hiwinchester.co.uk/weddings

Package deals

Don't get fooled in to thinking that these are good deals. It's only a good deal if you need or want everything that is included. A £2000 package including 50 three course meals is only of any use if you have 50 guests. Also be sure to double check the minimum numbers required.

Weekday weddings

Registrar fees and venue hire fees are generally cheaper mid-week which means that you will get a lot more for your wedding budget. You may find that suppliers such as photographers and make-up artists also offer a reduced rate for weddings not held on a weekend. This can also apply to dates outside of wedding season which is generally April through to October.

Caterers

If your venue permits outside catering, then try and find a caterer who can work to your budget. Work with them on the menu - they are the experts so ask them what is realistic for the budget you have. A buffet style wedding breakfast is normally a cheaper alternative to a three course meal or you could try a fun alternative such as a hog roast.

Photo Credit: www.claretcatering.co.uk

I hope that you have found these ceremony and reception wedding budgeting tips helpful! In Part 2, I will share some hints and tips with you on wedding attire and choosing your colour scheme.

Thank you for sharing your tips with us Sian! And we look forward to reading Part 2 on the Blog soon 🙂

Laura