Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting times in your life. There are so many decisions to make, and budgeting tends to be at the top of the list. When it comes to budgeting for a Chicago wedding, there are certain factors that you need to consider. In this blog post, we’ll break down how to create an effective wedding budget for your big day.
Determine Your Total Budget
The first step in creating your wedding budget is determining exactly how much money you have available to spend. It’s important to be realistic about what you can afford, as it will determine all the other decisions that follow. Once you’ve determined your total budget, break it down into categories like venue, catering, photography/videography, music and entertainment, etc. This will help you prioritize which aspects of the wedding are most important to you and where you can make cuts if necessary.
Research Venues and Vendors
After you’ve determined your total budget and broken it down into categories, it’s time to start researching venues and vendors in Chicago that fit within your price range. You want to make sure that whichever venue or vendor you choose is reliable and provides good customer service; you don’t want any surprises on your special day! Do your due diligence by reading reviews online or talking with friends who have used certain venues or vendors before.
Set Aside Funds for Unexpected Expenses
No matter how carefully you plan out your wedding budget, there are bound to be unexpected expenses that come up along the way – from last-minute decorations or rentals to food or drinks for additional guests who show up unannounced. To prepare for these surprise expenses, set aside 10-15% of your total wedding budget as a “just in case” fund so that if something unexpected does happen on the day of the wedding or leading up to it, you won’t be left scrambling for cash at the last minute.
Creating a budget for your Chicago wedding doesn’t have to be stressful! By following these simple steps – determining your total budget; researching venues and vendors; setting aside funds for unexpected expenses –you’ll have everything taken care of long before walking down the aisle on your big day! With this guide as reference material along with some creative thinking and hard work on behalf of yourself and those involved in planning with you (like family members), creating an effective wedding budget should be quite doable! Best of luck!