Finally, you are engaged. Congratulations are in order. Amid the excitement of starting your new life, a lot of things you can overlook. Your big day does not have to go bland, even if you are on a tight budget. Your close friends and relatives must add glory to their gracious presence. As soon as you start planning your wedding, you will find a long to-do list. If there are budget constraints, you will for sure have to set priorities. Maybe reducing the guest list comes in handy, or not spending too much money on wedding dresses sounds like a great idea.
Planning your wedding is not a cinch, especially if you are in touch with someone who has experienced it. No matter how careful you are, you will certainly find many areas where you could spend more wisely in retrospect. If your budget is not vast, you can take out instalment loans, but make sure you will not struggle to keep up with payments.
Wedding loans are unsecured loans and, therefore, carry high interest rates. Do not borrow more than you can afford to avoid falling into debt.
Things you cannot ignore while planning your wedding
Here are the things that you must focus on at the time of planning your wedding to save money:
- Guest requirements
The number of guests attending the wedding will affect the pricing of the venue. Of course, the greater the number of guests, the bigger the hole it will burn in your pocket. It is all but impossible to determine the exact number of guests. You cannot be so sure that everyone you have invited will show up on your big day, and there is no way to determine in advance who will actually show up to bless you.
There are many wedding venues that set their prices based on the list of guests. For instance, if you choose a venue that accommodates up to 200 people and only 150 people present, your money for 50 seats will go down the drain. Add to that, it will have a knock-on effect. Catering, for instance, will also cost you for those 50 people.
Make sure you choose a venue that accommodates an approximate number. Such venues will charge money based on the number of guests who appear on the wedding day.
- The quality of catering
Your wedding reception cannot be imagined without food and drinks. Catering can be costly. It is vital that you choose a caterer that offers high-quality food. It is absolutely daft to frivolously spend money on food that tastes like nothing on earth. You should try to check the sample before booking it.
However, remember that not all vendors will let you taste the sample to decide on it, not that they have something to hide, but the venue owner would not like to get into the hassle of inviting over chefs and paying for cooking for the sample only.
Therefore, you should try to choose an all-inclusive venue. You can choose the appetisers and main course meals for your guests. The venue owner will cooperate with you on this. However, there is no guarantee that the food quality offered to you is good. You should still insist on food tasting. Of course, you would not want to let down your guests by offering tasteless food.
At the time of booking the venue, you should always confirm them first whether food tasting is available. Be clear about this before you make payment, so you do not regret it later.
- Communication
Communication is crucial when you are planning your wedding. At the time of booking a venue, make sure the vendor is available to respond to your query on an immediate basis. If they fail to answer your query within 24 hours, you should consider walking away. Make sure that the vendor shows up when the appointment is fixed. They cannot be lackadaisical about your wedding planning.
They are charging money for the service. They are supposed to be in touch with you throughout your wedding planning. You may have to give some instructions about the decoration, or you may want them to add or remove a dish from the menu. You may also want to inform them of your updated guest list so no more-than-necessary food is prepared. A vendor who communicates without further ado will be easy to work with. Now, the question is how you can figure it out. Here comes the role of reviews.
Watch out for negative reviews. It is impossible that they will have all positive reviews because you cannot please everyone, but if the vendor has numerous negative reviews, it is a red flag. Instead of the vendor’s website, you should check Google reviews. They will likely be more authentic and trustworthy. As long as the overall rating is at least fine, make sure that most of them are not complaining about their one specific service. For instance, if you find that most reviewers have bashed for their catering, it should set off alarm bells.
You should also check how they respond to negative reviews. If they make an insincere apology or hold reviewers responsible, you should give it a second thought.
The bottom line
Wedding can be quite expensive. If you are looking to save money, you should try to ensure that you choose the venue and catering of excellent quality. Discuss with your partner before splurging money on anything; after all, two heads are better than one.
Because it is your big day, you can be tempted to splurge on grand celebration, but do not forget that you will need money for future expenses like house, car etc. You will need a down payment even if you take out a mortgage or bad credit car finance from a direct lender. Overspending on your wedding will have far-reaching effects on your finances.
Anna Johnson has more than 11 years of experience in direct lending industry of the UK. She is the Senior Content Editor at 24cashflow where she is leading a large team of loan experts. During her career, she has helped the loan aspirants to use the particular loans in the best way and improve their financial lives and status.
Anna Johnson is known for her in-depth research of the UK loan marketplace, as she has worked with many major lending firms in her career. During her educational phase, she has done a research on ‘Finance Fundamentals for Growing Business’.
