The biggest day in the life of a person is arguably that moment where he or she finally gets to unite with that soul mate he has been yearning to spend his or her life with. For the women, it is a very special day. However, research has shown that because it is the male who takes the initiative of taking the lady away from her parents, he is bound to make a lot of monetary commitments to the wedding perhaps than the woman.
If you find yourself in this fix, and you want to save to make that wedding a dream wedding, these are some five things perhaps, you may want to ponder seriously over.
When is our wedding taking place?
Do you have long term goals of marriage, or perhaps, your goals have short term goals and within the next few months you would want to marry. If you would want to marry within the shortest possible time, it means you would need to work hard and double your saving ability. Basically, how soon the wedding is would determine what amount to save looking at the current price market of goods and services. On the other hand, if it is not in the near distant future, you could project the price of goods, especially giving yourself an inflation rate that seems skyrocketing, would then influence your decision and would inform you on how much you would need.
David, a recent client revealed that. We had just been so fortunate to be employed right after national service. Of course, we knew we couldn’t marry that same year. We planned for two years later. We decided very well and compared prices of goods and services especially in the last three years before our marriage. Knowing the standard amount, we made our projections and when it was time for us to marry, everyone was amazed that with the little salaries we received we had organized such a grandiose wedding in the sight of our friends, but to us it was a very humble wedding because we had planned, projected and made accurate savings in that line to ensure we had a splendid and unforgettable memories left in our hearts on the day.
Where is the venue for the wedding?
Even though you may decide that the wedding is in the near future, or in the next few weeks. With each time passing by, the decision to choose a suitable venue for it. Remember, the venue of your wedding can become the talk of town. Hence, if you decide to use a fairly economical venue too it has its own repercussions. Newly wedded couple, James and Jennifer revealed that they wanted to save a lot of money for their life after the wedding, hence they decided to use the community garden in their neighborhood, since it was close to majority of their invitees and was being managed by the groom’s best friend.
According to James he feels it was a good decision that meant he didn’t have to worry about renting any expensive place for the refreshment.
“My wife and I decided that it was better we saved beyond the wedding. We took our time to plan our marriage for the next two years, but to cut cost also, we did a very simple wedding to the dismay of our friends. We had our wedding reception at the community gardens, a very beautiful environment many people felt was below our standard, but we knew what we wanted and we saved some appreciable portions available for the wedding and for our lives.
This certainly gives you an idea on what to include in your savings, which would target when you prepare for the budget.
What brand do we represent?
A lot of the times, as young couples, we all have a brand that we have created for ourselves. We may be the type that believes in communalism, hence we are open and bound to have a lot of excesses at our weddings. Ask you and your spouse these few questions? What would we like others to see at our wedding that would resonate with them to concur that indeed our signature is on this wedding? Are we the type who are known for very lavish garbs, accessories and ornaments? If we are that type, what are we known for? After carefully brainstorming and asking yourself these questions, you and your partner would surely know what to add or remove as part of your wedding program. Since, these things may involve money, it gives you an accurate idea into what you are looking towards hence, that would inform you when you want to save.
The dress
Weddings are special occasions where especially among the ladies, they would want to showoff and bid their life of celibacy goodbye in a grand style. Usually, when it comes to what to wear, it can be a headache. On an average, a brand new wedding gown depending on the quality could cost more than thousand five hundred cedis (GH 1500.00) averagely. The decision to purchase fully, rent or use an old gown all is dependent on finances. So to make a concrete decision on the choice of gown or suit for the wedding entourage, would mean that one would have to save towards that.
Deciding to purchase a brand new one and even the costumes of the wedding associates are all things, you would have to consider when drawing up your budget for a wedding which would be an indirect guide as to what would be involved in your savings. Many websites offer pre-owned wedding dresses from major designers for when you are wedding planning on a budget. If the things for a wedding are so temporary and there is a way to hire them to cut cost, it could also influence your saving decisions, but if you want to keep those memories way after that ceremony, it would also mean you may have to reconsider your budget which would affect the wedding savings in a grand style.
The wedding guest
Usually, weddings on a general note is most of the times successful, when there are a plethora of guests on the bill. Remember that these guests may come with their families just as your invitation card says. Over here, some questions then would have to be answered. How many people are coming? What is my financial strength? Can my financial strength provide something satisfactory to appease my guests? Of course, your guests eat at their various homes always, but it is only proper that as they spend their energies to support you, you replenish it indirectly.
The cost of meal per person is something that most couples can’t run away from at a wedding. The higher the number, the higher the amount the couple are bound to spend and this is obviously something that must be catered for. However, one would therefore include it into his guide, paving way for him save also towards that.
All in all, weddings are a special day for the women folk. It’s like a journey, before you embark on it, you must be fit. The only way to be fit in this sense, is to save and these few things can serve as a guide that would inform your savings decision.