This is pretty much the overarching life wedding planning dilemma. You have your overall wedding budget but do you spend a little less on the cake to put more towards the dress? Do you go a little bit over budget to get the look you’re going for? You don’t want anything to fall too far by the wayside in order to fit in something else (a 5 tiered cake but paper plates for dinner and dessert may seem a bit odd) but you want to make good choices with your money. So the question is – Do you save or splurge?
When to Splurge
1. To Fulfill Lifelong Dreams
If you’ve been eyeing a specific pair of Louboutins or Manolos your whole life – when else to buy them but for your wedding day? You know you’ll rock them if you have them so this is nothing more than a well-timed excuse 😉 You’re gonna get them eventually, might as well be now!
2. Photography and Planning 🙂
There are a few things that you will have after the wedding day – photos and memories. Those wedding photos will be admired for years to come! Invest in a photographer that brings out the beauty and spirit of the day. To have great pictures, you need a carefree and happy couple! Cue the planners! Planners give you peace of mind and is that little something extra that no one regrets investing in. We bring organization and relaxation to the wedding day and the days leading up to it! With all of our knowledge of the industry, we may even bring you savings in the end!
3. When you Don’t Have Time or Resources to Make it Work Otherwise
DIY is such a buzzword these days. Anyone can DIY anything really 😛 with enough time and a willingness to learn. There are some things that may seem like splurges to some like alterations – always use a professional! – and catering (I’m sure you know tons of people who can cook!) but do you really want to put yourself, your friends, or your family to work? DIYing decor is an option too but you need to love the look of it and be willing and able to put in the time and effort. It may take a few tries to get it right so you may end up with minimal cost savings in the end.
When to Save
1. When You Don’t Have an Opinion
When you’ve never had dreams about what your wedding cake would look like – go simple. Same for anything else. Cake design can take just as much time (or longer) than creating the cakes themselves. Go for simple and sweet and put your money where it matters more to you.
2. When Your Vision Costs Way More Than Expected
If you saw a pin of a floral canopy and fell in love – awesome. If you later found out that canopy costs thousands to recreate? – better think of something else. Bigger isn’t always better and simple and elegant can go such a long way too! Your decor doesn’t have to be large to be spectacular – it just has to be 100% you!
Save and splurge in a strategic way to make your budget go farther!