Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful and important things you have to do in your life. There are so many details to keep in mind! And on the top of that pile – a wedding budget list. If you want to know how to plan your budget to afford your perfect wedding continue reading below!
What is a wedding budget
For a lot of couples, their wedding is the first time they need to organize a large event. Thus, they often find themselves being stuck at the very beginning of the process. When it comes to how to plan a wedding, one of the first things you have to think about is how much money you can afford to spend on such a special occasion.
If you never had any experience in this matter, you may have no idea of the kind of costs that are involved in a wedding. A good way to get your feet wet in this subject is to consult a couple of newlyweds. They have just done the wedding planning part themselves, so of course, they are one of the most reliable sources of information you can find. Another option is to contact a professional planner to ask how much most people spend on their Nigerian weddings. If you don’t have anyone to help you, don’t worry. We will tell you the ins and outs of wedding budget planning!
A wedding budget is simply a sum of all the things you need buy and all the services you need to hire. You can think of it as a checklist of your wedding expenditures.
Before you begin filling out the specifics, think about the general feel you want your wedding to have. Reflect on how many people you want to be there and the atmosphere you want to create. Do you want to plan a modest outdoor wedding with only your closest family and friends? Or do you want a loud and wild party that will last all night? Or maybe you prefer a high-class restaurant celebration with two hundred guests? The choice is up to you. And only after you’ve made that choice you can move on to the next step.
Most couples begin their budget planning by setting a certain amount that seems reasonable and affordable for them. Then they start listing all the things they want at their wedding. Soon enough it becomes evident that if they had all of them, it would cost them a fortune and more. It turns out – their initial budget isn’t even close to cover all that.
Wedding budget list in Nigeria
READ ALSO: Traditional Nigerian wedding food
Here you can see the common expenses that are involved in a Nigerian wedding:
- New, Borrowed or Rented Wedding Dress
- Shoes
- Various Accessories (Wedding Bouquet, Veil, Jewelry, etc.)
- Makeup & Hairstyling
- Tuxedo or a Suit
- Shoes
- Accessories (Belt, Watch, Cufflinks, etc.)
- Floral Boutonniere or a Handkerchief
- Haircut
- Couple of Wedding Rings
- Box or a Pillow
- Church Donation
- Officiate
- Marriage License
- Venue
- Additional Furniture Rental
- Decorations (Flowers, Table Centerpieces, Ceremony Arch, etc.)
- Wedding Cake
- Food
- Desserts
- Drinks (Alcoholic & Non-Alcoholic)
- Photographer
- Videographer
- Wedding Host or Announcer
- DJ or Live Band
- Waiters and Food Servers
- Invitations
- Souvenirs for Wedding Guests
- Transportation
A friendly-reminder: not all of the listed elements are necessary. Only you and your partner can know what you need for your perfect wedding.
The Top 5 Tips on How to Plan Your Wedding Budget
Now that you have the list of things involved in a Nigerian wedding, it’s time think about the actual numbers. You have to discuss every section of the budget with your partner, closest family, and friends that will help you with finances or with the organization.
Figure out how much money you and your partner can afford to spend. If your parents, relatives or friends will contribute to organizing the wedding, talk to them. You have to know the exact amount of funds available to you. Maybe someone is ready to pay for a specific part of the wedding, say for the catering. This is the time to make this matter clear.
- Do the guest count
- Set your priorities
Since the wedding day is all about you and your partner, your wishes matter the most. Have a separate discussion with your loved one about which things you and he or she wants to have on that day. After that, make sure that no matter what, you will find money for these things first. It can be a specific type of music or a band, decorations or a theme, maybe a certain kind of food or a specific venue.
You’ve done the calculations and know what you want and how many people should be there. Now it’s time to see if the numbers match your wishes. The harsh reality is that in most cases you will need to compromise and either start crossing of some guests or cutting back on other aspects of your wedding.
Once you’ve actually started executing the plans and making all the necessary arrangements, it’s important to keep track of how much money you’re spending. You need to constantly be aware if you’re going over the projected budget. If yes, it’s time to rethink some elements again.
On this note, we would like to wish you good luck in your wedding budget planning. We sincerely hope that you will find a way to have the wedding of your dreams.
READ ALSO: Nigerian wedding reception program – How to plan it?
Source: Zenithblog.com
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