Question by SensualX: Good budgeting tips for an upcoming wedding?
My fiancee and I had our first date on Sunday October 10th, 2004 so we always celebrate our anniversary as 10/10. He proposed to me on 10/10/08 on our four year anniversary and so I really have my heart set on getting married on Sunday October 10th, 2010. 10/10/10 is a very special date to us. However, we are worried we won’t be able to have as nice of a wedding as we’d really like since there are budget restrictions at this time in our lives. We are only 23, we are trying to pay for him to get through college and we both work full time but we don’t make a lot. I have a new car payment I’m paying off until May of ’11 and we’re trying to move out together. In this economy, our families aren’t able to help much, so we’ll have to absorb almost all of the wedding costs. My fiancee will have a career in international business within a couple of years making a lot more money, so we considered maybe a small wedding loan for the meantime which would easily be paid off in the near future. Of course there’s obvious downsides to this option, I’m aware, but saving up any respectable amount of money toward the wedding is proving very difficult for us. And of course there is the option of waiting to get married, but then we would miss out on our special date and our grandparents are getting old, and well, I’d like them all to be there. What are some good budgeting tips for a formal wedding of about 100 or less guests??
Best answer:
Answer by teresathegreat
You’re right – in this economy, with your current obligations, you will NOT be able to afford the wedding you want on your own. So you have a tough choice – postpone until you can afford it, or downsize the wedding.
The economy is uncertain, and you won’t know what sort of jobs will be available to your husband when he graduates, so it’s unwise to bet on a horse isn’t in the race yet, so to speak. If you do get a loan, assume a worst-case scenario – assume the economy has not improved, your husband cannot find the high-paying job he is training for, and that you are both working the same sort of jobs you have now (or would have now if you weren’t students). Budget your expenses, and see how much you’d be able to save out of that to repay the wedding loan.
I seriously doubt you’ll be able to afford a “formal” wedding. You should consider a more reasonable DIY (do it yourself) wedding – a simple white dress can be just as lovely as a full ball gown, a nice suit is as handsome as a tux, your guests will be happy with cheese and crackers from Costco instead of caviar. (buying a set amount of alcohol from Costco is a lot cheaper than paying for other people’s indulgences at an open bar.) Keep your expectations in line with your current lifestyle.
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