Wedding Budgets

103 18
The word budget does not always carry happy associations.
Too often when many of us want to do something really adventurous, or buy something exquisitely exotic, there's the budget to confront us with "No!" But it is that same budget that gets us through school, a summer vacation (like the one when Caroline met Mark), a fur coat, and pays the butcher, baker and cosmetic maker.
It is very important to work out wedding budgets (since Mark as well as Caroline has one), which include all expenses from the time of the engagement to the end of the honeymoon.
While Caroline's spending is spread over the entire period through the wedding reception, Mark will find that all of his big expenditures, except the purchase of the engagement ring (and the wedding ring if it is bought at the same time), come at once.
Whether he is getting married on a shoe string possibly before he is financially established or on a steady but modest income, he will be better off if he makes a list with approximate costs of each item and then figures what it amounts to and how he plans to pay for it all.
Think of budgets as plans, and they will not seem so forbidding! The ideal plan is one which will enable you to enjoy your wedding, to cherish the memory of it through the years.
You should therefore plan your wedding according to your usual manner of living.
You cannot enjoy it if it exceeds your means and if you create burdensome debts for yourself or your parents.
Simplicity and good taste are, as always, the best guides.
Before you begin to buy your trousseau, or to make detailed wedding arrangements, sit down and consider seriously how much money you have to spend.
It is far better taste to keep the wedding within individual means than to borrow money or permit the bridegroom's family to pay for wedding expenses in order to make an impressive show.
Even if a bride of modest financial status is marrying into a wealthy family, the wedding should be a simple one within her family's income.
The bridegroom and his family may entertain as lavishly as they wish after the honeymoon.
The bride's family may have a sum of money planned for the wedding expenses and then find, after getting estimates on costs, that they will need to revise their ideas about how much will be needed to arrange the kind of wedding they want.
If they can afford it, all is well.
If not, they will have to change some of the wedding plans: fewer guests, fewer bridal attendants, a smaller and less elaborate reception, etc.
In any event, as soon as the budget is established you should get an account book.
As you make purchases and order items, enter them in this book and subtract their cost from the total amount you have to spend.
Then you can see at a glance how you are doing.
And now, specifically, what have Caroline and Mark to include in their wedding budget planning? What is the average cash expenditure on each bride? Recent surveys indicate three thousand dollars: exclusive of presents from friends and relatives.
(This figure includes cash spent on furniture, rugs and electrical appliances for the new home as well as cash spent on ceremony, reception and trousseau.
) What items of expense come under the bride's budget? Personal Trousseau: Today's bride does not plan as far into the future in buying personal clothing as her mother or even older sister did.
She also allows for a certain number of presents, particularly lingerie.
When she estimates the essentials she will need to buy Caroline considers what she has on hand that she can use in her new life, and uses this as a starting point from which she will plan her personal trousseau.
Household Trousseau: Next she plans her household trousseau.
If her budget is generous, Caroline goes into marriage, customarily, equipped with the basic requirements in linen and kitchen furnishings (see Chapter IV on Trousseau for lists).
If her budget is limited, she may be married without many, or any of these things, and plan to accumulate them with Mark's help.
If this is the case, her friends should direct shower gifts and wedding presents toward this practical need.
Bridal Gown, etc.
: For her bridal attire, Caroline may, of course, have an heirloom wedding dress and veil, with only home alterations required, if any.
If she buys a new bridal gown, either formal or informal, she will find the prices quite expensive.
Certain styles of gowns require special underskirts: hoops and crinolines.
Jewellery is not used except seed pearls which are usually a gift or a family heirloom.
Occasionally the bride gives her attendants their gowns as a present, but usually this is the case only if her means are practically unlimited.
Transportation: Automobiles to take members of the bridal party and both sets of parents to the place of the ceremony and reception are required.
If Caroline's budget is unlimited, chauffeur-driven limousines may be hired.
If the budget is restricted, friends usually help by lending and driving their cars.
Ceremony: The ceremony includes various and varying expenses: if Caroline is a member of the church in which she is to be married, there will not be a church rental fee (except in most synagogues).
There is always a rental fee for non-members (synagogue rental is higher owing to the accessories required).
If her budget is limited and Caroline cannot be married in her own church, it is a good plan to hold the ceremony and reception at the same place possibly at home, in order to save the rental fee.
Other expenses incident to a church wedding are: 1.
Organist's fee 2.
Sexton's fee 3.
Awning or canopy and carpet 4.
Decorations (Orthodox Jewish ceremony requires a canopy which is often made of flowers.
) Note: The groom pays the clergyman's fee.
Reception: The reception includes the food (with the wedding cake, of course) and drink, flowers and music.
Even a very simple wedding reception requires a cake and a beverage to toast the bride, although the drink may be of any kind, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, except tea, coffee or water.
The more elaborate reception includes food, champagne, wedding cake, music and flowers.
The cost ranges from a wedding cake and ginger-ale punch at home, with fresh flowers from the garden and music from the hi-fi set, to x amount per plate for dinner at a hotel, which includes the rental of the room, food, drink (cocktails, champagne, highballs or non-alcoholic drinks), wedding cake, service and tips.
A florist usually gives a better rate and does a more satisfactory job if he has the complete order for church and reception decorations, and bridesmaids' bouquets, etc.
(see sample budgets).
The florist's bill, exclusive of the groom's part, can range from as little as 150 to thousands of dollars.
Note: The groom pays for the corsages for the two mothers, for the bride's going away corsage, and for the boutonnieres for all the men in the wedding party.
The bride usually gets an estimate for him when she is getting estimates on her own orders, and then orders for him.
Music prices also need to be taken into considerations from one player to a band or string group for several hours.
Invitations, Announcements, etc.
: For 50 guests or fewer, invitations should be handwritten on personal stationery.
For more, invitations should be engraved.
Announcements should be engraved.
However, if Caroline is on a modest budget and needs to send more than 50 invitations, or has more than 100 announcements to send, she may want to take advantage of the printing process which produces simulated engraving.
While printed invitations or announcements are not socially correct, they look well and many people cannot detect the difference.
Everyone cannot always afford the best quality of everything, and the budget must "give" some place! No matter what process is selected, all invitations and announcements must be mailed first class.
Photographs The cost of formal bridal portraits plus a set of candids, if done professionally, is usually a lot and more depending upon the special finish of pictures, mounting, and number of albums ordered, etc.
If Caroline's is a very modest budget, a friend who is clever with his camera and who has offered his services, is welcome.
Wedding pictures are so important that whenever possible they should be done professionally.
The day goes quickly, and is remembered through pictures.
Presents, Gratuities, etc.
: Caroline gives, customarily, a certain number of presents and gratuities.
She makes gifts to her bridal attendants.
If there is a double ring ceremony, she gives Mark his ring.
If the services of a bridal consultant in a store are used, there is a gratuity for her; a tip for the policeman on the corner; and, if Caroline lives in an apartment house, tips for the doormen, elevator men, etc.
The amount to spend on these items is as flexible as personal taste (note allowances in the sample budgets.
) Parents' Outfits: If the father of the bride (or any relative acting in his place) does not have a dress suit, this might be rented.
If necessary, his shirt, socks, studs and possibly dress shoes must be bought.
His tie and gloves are usually a gift from the groom.
The mother of the bride must be considered as usually she wants a new gown and accessories.
As you can see from the above there are many things to consider for your budget for planning a wedding.
Plan everything in advance and budget carefully.
Don't overspend but have a most wonderful day so you can look back to your wedding day as the most wonderful in your life for the rest of your life.
Source...
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up here to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.