When planning a wedding or event, that’s the first question you should be asking yourself. Making a realistic budget, and then sticking to it is not easy, but very necessary. Over spending on a wedding or event can, and does, happen so easily. The advice I give my clients is first think, if money was no object, what would you want? What does your “dream wedding” look like? Then, after I review the estimated costs with them, that’s when reality hits. Time to start prioritizing. I always tell my clients to pick 2-3 items that are the most important to them. Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a certain designer’s gown or the vision of being transported to the church in a stretch limo or horse drawn carriage is clearly in your mind. Then making sacrafices in other areas would be the case. A few less appetizers or scaled-down centerpieces could make that happen. However, if you’ve always dreamed of a room filled with flowers and a fabulous meal, perhaps the limo or designer gown isn’t quite so important anymore.
It’s not easy making sacrafices in your budget. The bridal magazines show amazing real weddings that just seem to have everything…..why can’t you have that?! Reality is, most people simply do not have the funds for a “bridal magazine” wedding, plain and simple. However, being creative, knowing the right vendors, and prioritizing your budget will help to make the wedding of your dreams, the wedding of your reality as well.
Happy Planning!
Karen 
Tags: bridal consultant, bride, brides, Budget and Finance, budget planning, budgets, event, event planner, event planning, Sacramento, wedding, wedding budget, wedding budgets, wedding planner, wedding planning, weddings
