Focusing On The Venue

One thing that wedding planning has opened my eyes to was budgeting. John is on his way to get his Masters in Economics, so money and budgeting was already his thing.

When John and I first started our planning, we wanted to get married at a beautiful vineyard outside our hometown. We made our guest list, wrote out a budget on an Excel sheet and decided we would visit the vineyard on our next weekend off. 

John was having trouble getting off work, so we decided that I would go with my mother on my weekend off.
We drove out of town and met up with the owner. She showed us several different options if we would choose to do our ceremony there as well. Throughout the tour of the vineyard, we were impressed. Then, it was time to discuss numbers.
For a guest list of 115 people, to rent the vineyard would cost $8,000. This price did not include tables, chairs, food, beverages or any kind of decor. This price alone brought the price of our wedding up to almost $13,000 when originally, our budget was $5,000.
After this experience, we knew we had to make some decisions. Do we just suck it up and pay for the wedding we originally planned for? Or do we look around to find something more affordable?

We chose option 2.
I contacted my church and the priest informed me that if you are a member of the perish, the use of the church and the reception hall would be free of charge.
This is when John and I decided to get married in the church I grew up in. We are still looking around for venues and I have high hopes in finding the perfect one for our reception!

Focus on a budget. Sit down with your fiance and discuss the maximum amount you want to spend on each special part of the wedding. This way, you know if someone is asking too much.
If you don't have a budget, you are more likely to just say "lets do it!" instead of thinking it through and spending your money in the best places possible. I mean think about it, wouldn't you rather spend that money on an awesome, lengthy honeymoon or to put towards your new home together?

You'd be surprised the amount of money people will charge you if you aren't prepared. Don't walk blindly into this trap, be ready. Who knows, maybe you'll even be able to bargain with them for a better deal.

All you brides out there- Take advantage of Bridal Shows/Extravaganzas! Vendors are willing to give huge discounts on catering, flowers, decorations, and venues!