The very first step on your wedding planning journey is establishing a budget. How else will you know if you can afford the honeymoon of your dreams, or one a little closer to home? All of your wedding planning decisions must fit into the context of a well planned out budget.

Why start with the wedding budget first? It will save a lot of headaches down the road, when your money comes up short and you are only halfway to your wedding day! This is also the first financial planning decision the two of you are making as a couple, and you want to be sure you are both on the same page.

What should you include in your wedding budget talk? Here are some key points to cover:

• The Non-Negotiables. If you must have the expensive designer wedding dress you saw a few weeks ago, then be ready to sacrifice in other areas. Pick out a few wedding items that you must have, and be ready to relent in the other areas.
• Sources of Income. Who is contributing to the costs of the wedding? Your parents, his, or just the two of you? Determine a conservative amount of income that your wedding account will have, and base all your decisions around that number.
• Establish a “rule of thumb” for major purchases. Would you feel comfortable with your groom purchasing the entire honeymoon package without consulting you? Maybe, or maybe not. Decide who has control over the wedding checkbook, and when it is time to consult your partner over important decisions.

Once you have a firm grip on your wedding budget, you will not have to stress about where the money is coming from, or where it is going. You and your fiancé will be able to plan your wedding with a minimum of financial fuss!

We’ve started a new wedding planning series on Wedded Bliss. Kimberlee Ferrell is our wedding planning writer and a freelance writer and blogger at Beautiful Wedding Invitations.

Photo Credit: PicsByClive