We won’t lie. We know it’s easy to overspend on your wedding day. There is no shortage of advertising with messaging from wedding retailers, about why you can’t have your wedding day without their great “thing”. So how do you stop buying stuff from your wedding you don’t need?
Here’s the rub. Not all wedding shopping is bad. In fact, buying items or having gorgeously packaged items arrive at your door step in the lead up to your wedding day builds your excitement levels and helps you imagine your dream day before it arrives.
But we all know that wedding budgets can get blown. So here’s some tips for staying within budget and ensuring you get that wedding shopping glow without buying too much.
1. Make a list…of everything you need to buy for your wedding day
Yes initially this task can be a little overwhelming. However making a list will help you out in the long run. By making sure that every item fits within your wedding budget, you will be able to shop with excitement and LOVE yourself stupid when shopping in store or do a happy dance when gorgeous packages arrive at your door (gotta love online shopping).
2. Do your research
Before you start handing over your cash, do some research. The wedding industry is super competitive which means that at any time of year, there are great prices to be accessed. Work out which shops you will head to for specific items ahead of time.
Research pricing comparisons and make sure you are comparing apples with apples cos the quality of products and services can vary wildly.
3. Safety in numbers
Do you buy things you don’t need when you shop alone? If this is you, take someone you trust with you when you go wedding shopping. Make sure they are someone who understands that you need to stay within your wedding budget. This way they will keep you on track when you are buying items for your wedding day.
Alternatively, don’t shop with “that special someone” who encourages you to spend up big whenever you shop together. This will blow your wedding budget in no time.
4. Don’t window shop online or in store
Know your own limits when it comes to scrolling wedding website online or instore.
There’s not much you cannot buy online for your wedding these days. The latest biodegradable confetti, personalised guest books, shiny shoes, adorable guest gifts, stylish signage, gorgeous linens and napkins, beautiful hair clips, breathtaking jewelry and so much more – the list is endless.
If you cannot window shop for your wedding without purchasing or splurging, find something else to do. If the item you notice during window shopping is not on your list of wedding day items to buy, don’t click Buy Now.
Maybe take a bath, go for a walk or write personalised messages for each of your wedding guests for them to receive on the day. Your wedding day is not all about the “things” you have around you, but those in your life that mean the most to you.
5. Once you have everything you have budgeted for, unsubscribe from wedding retailer emails
Avoid any further temptation once you have shopped for everything that you need for your wedding day. Unsubscribe from wedding retailers once you have made all of your purchases – it’s amazing what you might be tempted to purchase just prior to your wedding day on a whim!
If you really need more wedding inspiration, replace those emails with content from the vendors you have engaged to be your dream team on the day. That way you will build your wedding day excitement and further build your relationship with those vendors, without forking out extra cash.
6. Have a substitute for wedding shopping
Once that spare room is filled to the brim with wedding day items and your budget is spent, it’s time to fill your time with something else in the lead up to your wedding day. I get it. Wedding shopping is fun, but going into significant debt for your wedding day is no walk in the park.
Think about how you can divert your attention away from purchasing more and more items for your wedding day by using your time to do something else. Here are some ideas:
- Write your lover a letter that they can read on your wedding morning
- Write thank you notes for all of those who have helped you to pull your dream day together
- Have a coffee and a chat with a supportive friend who is excited about your wedding day as you are – go over the details and build the excitement
- Indulge in a little self care – go for a walk, have a bath, mediate, do some yoga – fill your wellbeing cup rather than draining your bank account further
- Plan a date night – this could be a picnic on the lounge room floor or a night on the town together – enjoy one another’s company and remember why you decided to get married in the first place
7. Ask yourself, “Will guests even notice this item on the day?”
It’s always helpful to ask yourselves, will anyone notice this [insert item} on our wedding day? If a cheaper alternative exists, would that be a better use of our wedding budget?
When you are shopping it’s important to think about whether the item has meaning for you. Of course if it does, it is absolutely worth considering purchasing it for your wedding day. But if it’s an item that doesn’t mean a lot to you as a couple and also an item that guests might not even notice is there, consider not purchasing it in the first place.
8. Equate the cost of an item to your work hours or effort
Weddings can be expensive occasions. But remember that you have to earn the money that you are about to spend on that “thing”. Get some perspective by thinking about how much work you have to do to pay for the “thing” you are thinking of buying. Create a wedding budget and then stick to it.
Let’s consider that you have set a wedding budget but you tend to want more and more “things” for your wedding day. Avoid the temptation to overspend by considering just how many hours you will need to work to cover the cost of the “thing” in addition to the hours of work you have already worked hard for to save up your wedding fund.
9. Be grateful for the wedding day you are creating
There is always something else that you could purchase for your wedding. So it’s important to stop and think, be grateful and keep things in context.
Whatever your wedding budget is, stick to it and be grateful for everything you are able to buy for your wedding day – rather than obsessing over what else you wish you could buy in addition.
Creating a wedding that reflects you both authentically is what really matters. Whatever you are able to afford, appreciate it.
10. Got bigger money goals in life? Keep those in mind
Most couples who are getting married are just starting out in life. Perhaps you want to buy a home together, go travelling together, start a family or create a new business. Spending all of your life savings on your wedding might mean that some of these plans will take a whole lot longer to achieve.
When you splurge on wedding items you cannot afford, you are delaying those other hopes and dreams. Keep these other goals at the front of your mind when you are planning your wedding – this should build your motivation to buy just the wedding day items you can afford – not every single wedding item you fall in love with!
There you have it. Stick to these top tips to keep yourselves on track with your wedding budget and plan the wedding of your dreams without spiraling into debt.