Is this your song or maybe your children’s?
Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is known for creating sparks
of love and affection between couples and also for being one of the most
popular days of the year for marriage proposals.
The excitement of, “Yes, I will
marry you,” is followed with the wedding plans. The flurry of excitement
suddenly becomes overweighed with decisions about the guest list, venue, food,
music, flowers, photographer, and so much more.
(Oh dear, I forgot the wedding dress!)
When considering all the details, the most vital question which needs to
be in the forefront, “How much do we want to spend on the most important day of
our lives?” Or rather, “How much can we afford to spend?”
One quick search on the Internet reveals hundreds and hundreds of
checklists and ideas on how to craft the perfect wedding. First, couples should
share their thoughts about what their perfect day looks like before hunting for
information. Making this first decision
as a couple, whether to be frugal, extravagant, or meet somewhere in the
middle, is the prelude to a lifetime of decisions about money as a married
couple. It’s not a secret that the leading cause of divorce is arguments over money. For
all we know, the way a couple handles the costs of their wedding could be the
real test and testimony to their life choices about money.
Nothing speaks louder and clearer about, “What will the wedding cost?”
than a calculator and pencil with an eraser.
The formula is simple. Add all the associated costs.
This + That + These + Those = $$.$$
We want to know the total cost commitment for our dream wedding. Only then can we decide whether we want to
cut corners or where we have to cut corners.
When we know how much the wedding will cost, the next step will be easy.
We know how much money we have to save. We
have a goal to work towards our big splurge.
This is far better than the alternative, relying on credit to pay for
the wedding. If anyone thinks saving
money before the wedding will be difficult, imagine borrowing the money and making
payments (with interest charges) after the wedding.
Quite often, parents may be willing to share some of the wedding
costs. Parents should know in advance
the cost of their commitment. Making a
verbal agreement beforehand might become quite a shock if specific details are
not shared in advance. The same question asked previously, also applies to
parents, “How much can we afford?”
Rather than share the costs, parents may opt to give a specific amount
of money towards the wedding expenses, so they don’t destroy their piggy bank.
Some key takeaways for the soon-to-be newlyweds.
q
Do your
homework in advance.
q
Determine
your options and the cost of the important must-have details.
q
Take
appropriate steps to set limits on the wedding expenditures.
q
Understand
who is involved in sharing the costs and their commitment.
q
Lastly
and most importantly, have fun on the most memorable day of your life.
q
Enjoy
every moment.
If anyone has previously planned a wedding and has any advice to offer,
please share in the comments below.
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