I got married in July 2015 and, like many brides, I was overwhelmed. Trying to affordably fit the perfect venue, dress, flowers and all the other little details into the vision I had created on my Pinterest "Rustic Wedding" page required skillful planning and negotiations, financial savvy -- and a few compromises. Throughout my time planning my wedding and now helping my clients save for weddings for themselves or their children, I've developed 10 tips and tricks for getting the best bang for your buck.
Before you even begin planning what might be the biggest party of your life, you need to have some serious money conversations with your future spouse and set a budget. In 2018, the average American wedding cost $33,931. While this amount is likely to be even higher if you plan to wed in a bigger city, it can be a helpful starting point.
But my most important piece of advice? Your wedding is important, but your future is even more so. Stay mindful and realistic. You don't want to go into debt over a party. There will be future expenses -- houses, college funds, retirement -- so don't blow it all in one place. All in all, your wedding is your day -- but you're in it for the life partner, not the party! Now, here are my top 10 tips:
Written by Julia Pham, CFP®, AIF®. Pham, who has worked in financial services since 2007, joined Halbert Hargrove as a Wealth Adviser in 2015. Her role includes encouraging HH clients to explore and fine-tune their aspirations -- and working with them to create a road map to attain the goals that matter to them.
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