You’ve got the ring, you’ve set a date, and now it’s time for the planning to begin! Before hiring any vendors, you’ll want to determine your total budget for your wedding and have a budget plan that outlines how much money you’ve allocated to each vendor, product or service that will be part of your dream day.

Many brides are surprised that most vendors insist on knowing their budget before providing a detailed proposal. Why share that information with a vendor you may or may not hire? Can’t they just provide a proposal for what you’re looking for, and discuss the costs later?

Why Share Your Budget?

When interviewing potential vendors, keep your end goal in mind. When this process is complete, you want to have a team of vendors that are the best fit for your wedding. This means that each vendor you select, from catering to photography to transportation, is able to provide a product or service that you’re pleased with that also fits your budget.

Because you’re a busy bride with limited spare time, you’ll want this process to be as efficient as possible. The vendors you’re interviewing respect your time and aim to make the proposal process as simple and straightforward as possible.

With knowledge of your budget, each vendor will be able to provide a proposal for only what you can afford, this is incredibly important and will save you so much time!

The Dangers of a Proposal that’s Above Your Budget

A proposal with no budget guideline has several dangers. The first one is sticker shock. Many brides are genuinely shocked by the cost of wedding elements. Being surprised by your proposal price is not only unpleasant, but it may cause you to eliminate a wedding vendor from consideration who is truly capable of supplying a fantastic alternative for half the price – they just had no idea how much you wanted to spend!

Beyond the sticker shock, there’s another danger: attachment! You’re likely to become attached to all of the beautiful options conjured up in that initial proposal – and they’re way out of your price range. This will only create disappointment down the road as you find it impossible to be satisfied with more budget-friendly alternatives.

Your style, taste, and personal preferences are equally as important as your budget. However, if you start with a proposal that’s above your budget, trimming it down will be the only solution.

This may mean parting with some elements that you may love, and it also will delay arriving at your “budget happy place” while your salesperson revises your proposal. To avoid this dilemma, share your budget with vendors in your first conversation

The Good & Bad News

If you consult several reputable vendors and continue to hear that your vision can’t be accomplished with the amount you want to pay, it’s probably an indication that your budget isn’t on track with industry pricing. Consider shifting money from another category within your overall budget, or open your mind to options that are more budget-friendly and still allow yourself to have the dream wedding you want!