The B Word

One of the most dreaded words in wedding planning is probably the budget. Just think of all the amazing things you could have if there was no budget involved?

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The number one reason for our 25 month engagement was the budget. Mr. E and I (maybe a little more me then Mr. E) had some ideas of what we wanted in our big day, and with our guest list closer to 150 there was no way that we could afford it in one year.

I'm not gonna lie, after the newness of getting engaged wore off, I was stressed beyond belief with the cost of a wedding.  Mr. E was amazing, sat me down with an excel spreadsheet which helped to show me that we could afford the wedding we want if we just take an extra year to save. We both agreed from the get go that there was no reason to be left with wedding debt after the big day.

The budget breakdown is almost 50/50 between my parents and Mr. E & me, with some potential help from his parents for the rehearsal dinner. By the time it's said and done we'll probably end up a little over the average for our area.

I do sometimes think of all the things we could do with that money (pay off student loans, put a nice down payment on a house) but in the end I know that this day is going to be something we will never forget. We're putting in a little bit every month and it doesn't seem like a huge amount, but it definitely adds up, which is great! (Added bonus with tax returns and annual work bonuses.)

I feel that we have done so much more research when it comes to vendors and determining what is and isn't important to us, because it is our hard earned money that we're spending. That includes many a night spent googling vendors on my laptop.

I am so very fortunate to be able to have so much financial support from mom & dad Elephant because I know that it's not that way for everyone. The amazing part about my parents' financial help is that it doesn't come with a "it's my money so I have a say in how you spend it" type thing. We discuss all of the vendors with my parents, (with Mama Elephant going to vendor meetings with me) but in the end they are happy with whoever we choose. Love you mom and dad!!

Dad & Mom Elephant, me & Mr. E on our cruise in 2009

Did you help pay for your wedding? Did spending your own money make you think long and hard about what you were spending it on?