Hello all! I’m Laicie from A Thousand Threads, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to share a little advice from my recent trip down the aisle here today. While I’m by no means an expert, I did learn a ton through experience – the hard way – and I hope that by sharing, it can help you in planning your own big day. Thanks for having me!
When my now-husband proposed, I didn’t have to think twice. He’s my favorite person in the world. He picks me up when I’m lazy, brings me soup when I’m sick, and doesn’t judge when I feel the need to eat a pizza and an entire pint of ice cream… with a glass of wine. He loves me unconditionally and takes the dog out in the mornings.
The day he proposed, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to marry him.
No… the doubt didn’t come until I considered when, where, and how we were going to get the whole thing done. You see, up until that point I had been sure I’d want to elope… but once we were engaged, I knew I couldn’t experience such an important moment without my family by my side. I was happy, and suddenly, I kind of wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
I wanted a celebration.
So I set to work planning the perfect day… and somewhere between the words “yes” and “I do,” that other — “perfect” — word started to work its way in.
At first, I didn’t need much, just my guy and my closest family and friends by my side. Then I hit the blogs, the magazines… and oh, Martha… she had me at hello.
The $20,000 budget (max) I had set soon ballooned to $30, $40, $50,000… and I fell apart.
After a ton of soul searching (i.e.: crying) I eventually decided to break the whole thing down and start over. But even after a complete redo, I still landed at nearly twice my original budget. Clearly I was doing something wrong.
Looking back, I realize that I made a lot of mistakes, but the worst part is that every one of my mistakes was avoidable. No one guide can give you all the answers, but here are just a few things that I wish I’d known going in…
1. Prioritize – and don’t think it’s going to be easy.
What is the #1 most important thing to you? For us, it was photography. We spent a full third of our budget on photography and videography, and in our opinion, it was truly one of the best decisions we could have made. But you might not agree – maybe you want to prioritize food or a fantastic band.
Decide this first, and build the rest of your budget around that choice. But don’t go overboard. If you have a $10,000 budget, you’re probably not going to be able to afford a $6,000 photographer without some serious creativity. Be realistic.
2. Consider your location.
Are you getting married in rural Indiana, or southern California? It’s going to make a difference in your budget. Some locations cost much more than others, and you’ll need to adjust accordingly. … Keep Reading
