I don’t know why people are so scared of that word. You want to have a wedding right? You want the wedding to be everything you dreamed of and more! Ok, well then you need to set a budget. Not just any budget, a realistic budget.
PLEASE NOTE…Your vision must match your budget.
I can work with most REALISTIC budgets, but my goal is to get my clients to understand what you can get within your budget.
I had a young lady call me inquiring about wedding planning services. My first question, was what is her date? My second question was budget?
Third question was how many guests?
The young lady gave me her budget and her guest count. The budget was $5,000, and her guest count was 300.
(Sidenote: According to Google, the average wedding in Michigan cost $25,870.)
Yikes! See, most times clients just have no idea how much a wedding can really cost.
I then asked her about her vision, because I was concerned with her guest count realistically matching up with her budget. I had her email me a few inspiration photos. She sent over these elaborate floral centerpieces (which appeared to be around the $100 per centerpiece margin), upscale chairs (which are easily around $4.00/chair to rent) and a beautiful cake (actual cost of this cake could be about $800).
So, instead of shooting her down and making her budget appear to be unreasonable, I simply let her know what she would be able to accomplish with a $5,000 budget for 300 people. That is approximately $16 per person. Will $16 per person be able to cover the reception location, food, décor, photography, a dj, officiant, cake, ceremony space, and other misc items needed to pull of a wedding?
In my eyes, $5,000 is a backyard soiree with limited appetizers.
Her answer was no! So, I advised her to either raise her budget, or drastically cut down her guest list.
After meeting with her, and booking my services, we were able to raise her budget to $13,000 and cut her guest list to 150. With that amount, and teaming up with wedding professionals that are able to meet her budget, we will be able to accomplish a amazing wedding day!!
The keys to having a nice budget friendly wedding in Michigan are...
1. Cut your guest list down. Make it a intimate affair.
2. Only splurge or pay top dollar on your most important elements (ex. photography, videography, food, dj).
3. Simple decor. Low floral arrangements, single floral arrangements or no florals at all. Candles are a nice romantic and inexpensive way of decorating your wedding.
4. Locations... look at halls that allow you to bring in your own cater and hire a caterer that you can afford.
5. Invest in a planner. With having esetablished relationships among other wedding professionals, hiring a planner can actually save you thousands of dollars.
B Posh Events.
You can look us up under Michigan Wedding Planning Services, Michigan Wedding Planner, Detroit Wedding Planner, Detroit Wedding Coordinator or Metro Detroit Wedding Coordinator. We special is Event Management for Weddings and Events in Michigan.