I'll wager that everyone would agree that the least fun part of planning a wedding is keeping track of the dollars and cents of it all. Budget, accounting, bills – yech! But, like taking medicine or having a root canal, a necessary part of this crazy game called Life. Better to do it now than deal with a bigger headache down the road.
Case in point – there was a bride who was very generous with her guests, paying for everything from their transportation to adventure tours to spa services. Although all bills were pre-approved and later presented for payment, she didn't keep track of the running tally during their destination wedding week. Six weeks later, the credit card statements arrived and sticker shock hit. A lot of extra work was caused for the hotel, banks and credit card companies due to the bride disputing all the charges. Although all costs were accounted for and the wedding was an exceptional event, everyone was left with a bitter taste in their mouth over the fuss made about the bills.
Lesson to take away – it's easy to get swept up in the excitement of the wedding and charge away. But the chickens always come home to roost and after the euphoria has dissipated, the cold reality of numbers remains.
The simple solution is to be on top of the budget as you go along. When I worked in film production, all departments had big manila envelopes with a tracking sheet attached on the front. Anything that was purchased was noted on the sheet (date, store, brief description of item, amount) and the receipts placed inside the envelope. The same idea would work for a wedding with another column for a running total. A simple device like this will keep you on top of the budget and forego any dollar drama down the road.
What tips are you implementing to help keep your wedding on budget?
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