Wedding Budget 411

We're Engaged!

Congratulations! Now that you're engaged, you and your fiancee are about to begin one of the most exciting - and hectic - times of your life. No doubt you've been asking yourself, "Where do I begin" and "How much is this going to cost?"

It's likely that you, your fiancee; hopefully both sets of parents and maybe even sponsors will be contributing money toward the wedding expenses. The first step is to determine how much each person is willing to give you and/or determine how much you yourself can afford to spend upfront. It is also a good idea to start a checking account specifically used for wedding expenses so that you can keep track of everything.

Details to a wedding are endless and from $1,000 to millions it's easy to go over your budget. If you are wondering how much to realistically set aside for your wedding first then I would recommend that you sit down with your fiancee and make a wish list of items that you want to include on your special day. To make this easier you can break this list up into ceremony items and reception items. You are then going to have to do a little bit of research on your own to determine how much those items would cost and google is the perfect place to begin.

Here are some items to consider when creating your own wedding budget.

• Travel: airfare, accommodations, car rental for destination wedding and/or honeymoon
• Attire: rings, dress, tux/suit, bridal party wear, accessories/jewelry
• Beauty: hair and make up for trial run and on day of, new make-up, manicure/pedicure, perfume etc.
• Stationary: save the date cards, invitations, calligraphy, announcements, thank you cards, postage, etc.
• Before Wedding: rehearsal dinner, bridal luncheon, spa/massage etc.
• Day of: Marriage license, wedding site fee, planner, minister, musician, photographer, videographer, flowers, arches, chairs, cake, champagne, transportation, gratuities etc.
• Other: Engagement party, favors, special gifts, spending cash, reception food and beverage, etc

Just remember, a wedding should be truly personalized. It's not just another backyard party, it's the opportunity to showcase your personality and style. Keep it meaningful! Everything from your dress, to the choice of music, to how you come down the aisle should express what you're all about.

Get the FCW scoop at Twitter.com/FCWeddings & Facebook.com/firstclassweddings