Stay Within Budget by Being Upfront

By now, you’ve created an itemized budget, prioritized your expenses, and you’ve probably started shopping around for vendors. The greatest and simplest tip we can give you at this point is to be upfront with your budget.

Most vendors will ask what your budget is in their intake form before they actually set up a call or visit with you so you don’t have to worry about initiating the topic. However, it may still feel daunting to share your price point, wondering if it’s too high or too low and what it may say about your price sensitivity.

"...your vendors will be your wedding day team and they want to make your dreams come true!"

Our best advice is to just be open and honest about your budget.

Most vendors have a minimum contract price and if your budget is below that then perhaps they’re not the right vendor for you and accepting that early on will save both parties time and heartbreak. Having said that though, your vendors will be your wedding day team and they want to make your dreams come true! Many times vendors will work with you on creating a package to get you as close to what you’re dreaming of for your price point, so share your price point with confidence.

Don’t forget about extra expenses related to your purchase.

As you start wedding planning, you’ll quickly find that there are benchmark prices for most things in the wedding industry and they all seem to be in the thousands of dollars, so tax and tip can quickly add up. Furthermore, there are some wedding expenses that require add-on purchases that you may not have accounted for like tailoring costs for the attire, trials and extra accessories for hair and make up, etc. Be sure to leave room to cover these extra expenses when sharing your budget with a vendor.

"When you’re able to speak the language of your vendors by sharing exactly what you’re looking for, vendors can much more easily tell you what they can do at your price point."

Do your research beforehand and come to the vendor meeting with a list of what you’re looking for.

When you’re able to speak the language of your vendors by sharing exactly what you’re looking for, vendors can much more easily tell you what they can do at your price point. This is also helpful when it comes to prioritization because within each specific expense’s budget you can consider what services you may want to add or take off to help you stay within your price point.

You’ve made it this far in the wedding planning journey and the first half of booking your vendors is almost done! Stay tuned for our last post in the series about how to negotiate tactfully. You got this, planning pals!