It can be daunting when you have to pay for the entire wedding yourself, from wedding venue to rings – especially if you haven’t planned on it. But don’t despair: it is possible to pay for you own wedding without having too many sleepless nights – here’s how:

• Start by setting up a realistic wedding budget. The following breakdown of costs is a good guideline to follow when setting up your wedding budget: allot 40% of your budget to the venue, the caterers and rental supplies, 14% for wedding attire, 10% for a photographer or videographer, 10% for a DJ or band, 10% for a florist, 5% for a jeweller, 4% for invitations, 2% to gifts for the guests, 2% for transportation and the remaining 3% for miscellaneous expenses.
• Open a wedding bank account that both you and your partner have access to.
• Start saving immediately after the engagement. It is vital to cut down on your daily expenses – remember that you only get married once in your life, so it’s worth sticking to a strict spending budget for a few months. Both you and your partner should also allocate 15% of your monthly paycheque to the wedding bank account.
• Your wedding is a wonderful opportunity to get all your friends and family involved. So often the bridal couple only use professional services, leaving the talents of loved ones unutilised and leading to increased expenses. Do you have a friend that is a hairdresser, can do beautiful make-up or has a knack for creating magnificent flower displays? You’ll find that they are honoured to help and might even offer to do it for free.
• Where ever it is possible, do it yourself. If you are a good organiser, now is the time to put your skill to the test by being your own wedding planner.

At Idle Winds, we specialise in wedding packages that give the bride and groom their perfect day – all within their budget. Contact us today for more information on our wedding venue.