Planning a wedding can be filled with excitement or a ton of stress if you’re not careful. That’s why I wrote this blog. I’m not trying to be your mysterious online bossy wedding planner or anything, but I do know a thing or two about weddings. So what do I offer as the most important first step of planning your wedding? Budget, of course.

• Budget is crucial! Don’t think that window shopping on Pinterest won’t get you in trouble. It definitely will without a budget. Check out your bank account. Write down how much you actually have to spend on the wedding. If your parents are jumping in on the cost, then ask them to give an exact dollar amount of what they can spend on your big day as well. Add the totals together and there you have it – your magic number.
• Just because it’s a magic number, doesn’t mean that it can miraculously stretch to match your every wedding desire. Take your budget seriously and you won’t have to worry about unwarranted debt and breakout sessions on your wedding day from stress.
• Build within your budget. Make a list of what you absolutely need to purchase. Once you complete that list, make another list titled want to haves. If you have left over money from your need to have list, then you can start pricing out and adding some things that you want.

I bet you’re thinking why do I have to put my needs first and wants second? The answer is simple. If you can’t afford the things you need, then you need to work on expanding your budget to meet those needs. Once you know that all the essentials are covered, you will thank yourself in the end. Plus, because your wedding is one of the biggest events of your life, you might find that as you get closer to your big day, your wants might change. Your needs don’t change – they’re essential.

No worries, I’m not just going to leave you hanging out to dry. Here is an awesome budgeting tool with a downloadable budget spreadsheet just for you to get started. I just love all the free tools the internet has for us. Enjoy!

If you’re planning a wedding, then congratulations are in order! But if you find that you’re in a bind and need a little extra cash to help cover your need to haves list, then we got you covered. You can apply now for your personal wedding loan and see what you qualify for.

-Brianna Shelko

As a certified wedding DJ, Brianna Shelko has seen the best of times and the worst of times and have no doubt the best of times were always preceded by a well-planned budget.

Tags: bride, bridesmaid, budget, budgeting tool, first step of planning a wedding, how to budget a wedding, how to plan a wedding, money, need money for wedding, personal loan, pinterest, stress management, stress reliever, wedding, wedding budget, wedding day, wedding dj, wedding dress, wedding inspiration, wedding loan, wedding needs, wedding planner