Setting a budget you'll stick to

Agree who is contributing and how much, set one total, and keep a buffer for surprises. A clear number now makes every later decision faster.

Lesson notes

Setting a budget you'll stick to

Welcome to stage two. Let's set a budget you will actually stick to.

Who is contributing?

Start with who is contributing. The two of you, and family if they would like to help. Have those conversations early, kindly and clearly, so everyone knows what they are offering and what it comes with.

Set one total

Then set one total. Not the most you could possibly spend, but a number you are both comfortable with, the morning after the wedding as well as the day of it.

Keep a buffer

Hold a little of that total back as a buffer. Small costs turn up late in planning, and a buffer means they are a shrug, not a stress.