Avoiding saying ‘I do’ to debt

As restrictions ease, many are excited to finally tie the knot after months of rescheduling and replanning, however their budgets might not be as excited. Weddings are known to be expensive endeavours but rather than going into debt for one special day there is plenty of ways to save creatively without compromising the celebration.

However, before saving can even begin, a wedding budget must be drawn up to see just how much needs to be put aside.

Make a wedding budget

Set out your expectations, current savings and realistic goals with your partner, this includes calculating how much you can put away monthly without compromising daily life.

Realistically, wedding savings should take up around 10 percent of your monthly budget but this is dependent on how close the date is.

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Don’t forget to budget for insurance, a wedding is undeniably expensive but ensuring that your investment will be worthwhile is priceless.

When budgeting, be open to cheaper alternatives for traditional wedding aspects: instead of an expensive cake why not have a tower of pancakes instead.

Make a timeline

Once you have a budget to work towards it’s easier to estimate how long it will take to save that amount and create an estimated timeline.

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Make and celebrate goals during that timeline to keep yourself motivated whilst on this saving journey.

Rewards programs

Many people have unclaimed rewards, whether in the form of credit card points, store vouchers or discounts and take note of what stores have similar programs in place.

These can be used to your advantage when searching for smaller items such as decorations.

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Bride and groom standing on a pile of money

Ask to be gifted in advance

One of the most common wedding presents is money, and asking for this beforehand rather than receiving it on the day can help lift the financial burden.

Something borrowed

If you have friends or family that have recently gotten married they may have some leftover items that they might not plan on using at all.

These can always be reworked to fit into your own wedding and creates a more personal connection for the person that provided them.

Look for extra income

Many people have extra income lying around their home without even knowing it, take a moment to go through what you own and check if any of it is worth something.

Using your free-time to craft something you could sell or take paid surveys online can also help teeter the balance in your favour when the big day arrives.