Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

April 2020

4 Reasons Why You Should Stick To Your Wedding Budget

By Natalie Hanna Tan

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As soon as your wedding planning begins, it is a given that you would be tempted (on more than one account) to spend more than you’d originally budgeted for. Here are four reasons why you should stick with your wedding budget! You can still have your dream wedding within this budget – no additional money needed.

Of all the various birthday parties, events, and functions you will ever have to plan in your lifetime, your wedding will probably be your biggest and most memorable one. No doubt, for many, it will even be the most expensive one too! Despite having a wedding budget in place at the beginning, there will probably come a time for you to decide whether or not you are going to add in some additional money towards the wedding budget for a nicer venue, or an extra course on the menu, or for a bigger bouquet. While that is perfectly fine, we share with you four reasons why you might still be able to hold your dream wedding without this additional budget.

Everyone holds different views on what a wedding should look like or be like. To some, it is the one event where all your family and friends come together, hence a big wedding is the only suitable way to celebrate such an occasion. To others, you see your wedding as a smaller and more intimate event to celebrate your union with your closest family and friends.

Whether you belong to the former or the latter group, or if you prefer holding your wedding in Singapore or in an overseas destination, there will always come a time that you’ll think about this:

How much are you willing to spend? What is the budget for the wedding?

It’s not uncommon to have a fixed budget before you begin your wedding planning process, but at the same time, feel compelled to increase it during the actual planning.

It is good to note that spending more looks different to everyone. Everyone has a different budget and has a different idea of what spending more actually looks like – it could look like a couple of hundred dollars more, or it may even look like a couple of thousand dollars more. But one thing’s for sure, whatever this “more” is, you’re sure to feel compelled or pressured in some way or another to spend more during your wedding planning process.

Skip the horrid dilemma, and read these four reasons why you should think twice before simply spend your “more” so easily…

1. Spending more on your wedding doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a nicer or bigger wedding.

Perhaps one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to budgeting for a wedding is that the amount of money we put in will synonymously affect how nice the wedding will end up to be. And so, we try.

We try our best to squeeze in as much costs on the small and more detailed things, hoping that people will enjoy their time just a little bit more and that the venue will look nicer in photos, and the list goes on. But what if spending more doesn’t necessarily equate to a nicer wedding? Would that change the way we choose to spend on the various elements of our wedding?

Because of this misconception, there is an unspoken expectation and pressure from ourselves and the people around us that the wedding has to be of a certain standard or look a certain way. We unnecessarily expect everything to be perfect because of the money spent. But the truth is, it may never be – hiccups and delays are inevitable in any event or even in our everyday lives.

With more money spent on anything and everything, there are more things to look out for on the big day and consequently, more things that can also go wrong. There is a higher pressure with a higher risk involved in such situations.

2. Flaunt your personality and style as you stick within your budget.

Without the additional money you may decide to put into your wedding, there is a chance that your wedding will, in fact, be more distinctive and unique. Of course, it will be difficult at first as you dream for the dream wedding, but it is no impossible. It boils down to doing the things that you’ve always wanted but in a different way – and this takes much creativity and individuality.

The truth is, there are many ways to achieve the same things or a same effect. It may take a little bit more time and effort to properly research and source for your own things, but it’s definitely not impossible. Ultimately, your wedding should be different from everyone else’s. The last thing you’d want is to have a cookie cutter wedding that will end up being just another wedding out there that your family and friends will attend.

Spending less requires more creativity, and that will ultimately only make your wedding more distinctive and perhaps memorable as you flaunt your personal style and individuality through the little details on your big day!

3. Not spending too much takes the pressure off everyone.

The truth is, the more you spend on your wedding, the more stressed you will be about the money on the day itself. It is only natural that you will subconsciously think about the costs of everything! This pressure is definitely not something you want to be feeling on the biggest and most important day of your life. Your wedding ought to be a stress-free celebration – especially for you and your significant other!

While we ought to keep our budgets and costs in mind during our whole wedding planning process, you also don’t want money to take the fun and joy out of this process too! You don’t want to stress over the thought of losing a lot of money or not being able to pay it all back at the end of it all. Spending within your means and sticking to your budget are the best ways to ensure that you’re comfortable with the money that is going out and that you get the most joy and fun out of this entire process!

Not only does it take the pressure off you, but it also takes the pressure off your guests. In Singapore’s wedding culture, angbaos (or red packets) have become a custom – guests will drop their angbaos at the reception before going in for the ceremony or the meal. Not spending too much will enable your guests to enjoy the wedding celebrations for what it is without having to think too much if they can cover the costs of their food or if they have given enough.

It takes the pressure off everyone to celebrate the wedding for what it is.

4. Your wedding is just one day of your marriage and your life ahead.

It comes as no surprise that for many, a beautiful and perfect wedding has always been a dream – especially for all brides-to-be. While weddings are meant to be a day of huge celebration and festivities, it helps to remember that your wedding is merely the way of celebrating. It is not the celebration, but only the way you celebrate it with your loved ones. This one day does not determine your marriage, nor does it determine the quality of the celebrations and joy.

Spending more on the outward celebrations of your wedding may sometimes set us back on other ways we can celebrate the union of two: the house, the renovations, holiday savings, or even life savings! To take the pressure off, choose to stick within your budgets and save your “more” for other means of celebrating together, whatever that may be for you and your significant other.

Beyond the day or weekend of festivities, spend and invest on your marriage together. Your marriage goes beyond that one day of celebrations, and if anything, is more important than a perfect and beautiful wedding.

The Fine Line

It is a fine line between wanting a nice celebration and to also not spend more than your budget. The worst thing you’d want is to start your marriage off with a debt or a negative in your bank.

And so, we’ve compiled a couple of practical tips to help you on this journey:

i.Communication is Key

Like all aspects of your relationship, communication is always key. Come together with your significant other prior to your planning to discuss a good amount you’d like to work within. Do your research and be objective with this amount – you don’t want to give a small amount only to realise that you can’t afford anything too.

A good starting point for this conversation is this: how much are you willing to lose on your wedding in a possible “worst case scenario”? Start with that amount.

ii.Pick and Choose

As a couple, you’d want to decide on which areas you’d prefer to spend a little bit more on. To some, the gown may be important. To others, it’s the food that’s most important. Or the venue. Or the decorations and flowers.

Whichever few things are most important to you and your significant other, spend on them. And for the other things that are not the most important to you, save on those costs as much as you can.

iii.Allow Runway Time

Allow yourself some time for delay where necessary. Remember that it is your big day and you can always push the date back during the early phases should you think you need a couple more months to save up. There’s nothing better than having the freedom to delay when needed!

Through this entire process of money and budgeting, just remember that everyone is different. We have different starting budgets, we have different views on what a wedding should look like, and we have different dream weddings in mind.

You’re allowed to spend and throw the best wedding you can, but also remember to consider these few things before you go over your budget! Happy planning!

Credits: Feature image from Janice and Glenn’s Stunning Pre-Wedding Shoot in Cappadocia, Turkey by White Grandeur

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