Samantha Purea Photography magazine Issue 1

Step 4: Open a separate "wedding" account
to track spending
Once you’ve pulled your wedding funds together, you’ll want
to place them into a bank account solely devoted to paying
wedding expenses. This way you won’t mix everyday money
with your specially allocated funds.
Step 5: Determine where you want to spend
the most/least
Some wedding centered items and services automatically
come with a hefty price tag. Point blank. Period. But
knowing where to shell out the big bucks and where to cut
costs can make all the difference in your planning. Create a
list of wedding services that you don’t mind spending more
money on, and those that you’ll be fine with scaling back
from. For example, you might want to hire a pricey, but
renowned wedding photographer to snap every moment of
your wedding day, but opt for a beer and wine only reception
instead of an open bar. No matter where you choose to save
or spend, it should be something you can both agree on.
Step 6: Pick a financially-feasible date
Certain times of year are more expensive for having a
wedding. Holidays generate the most money in the wedding
industry (Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving and Christmas/
New Year’s). Vendors are also in higher demand, so expect
an up-charge in services if you’re setting a date around these
times. However, if you’re able to show flexibility with your
wedding date, you’ll find some great deals. And never be
afraid to negotiate—many wedding vendors are willing to
work around your budget.
Step 7: Resist the urge to splurge
It’s easy to get swept up in all thing opulent when dreaming
of your wedding day. You want everything to be perfect, but
not at the expense of a small fortune. As Step 5 states while
it is OK to pay a little more for big ticket items, you should
still remember to impart good judgment with your spending.
Remember to shop smarter when selecting items for your
wedding; you’ll soon find that most everything under the sun
has a less expensive counterpart.
- Meredith Masaveg / Rain Wedding
Planning