After the 'Yes'

After the 'Yes' and the news has been shared, its time to plan the wedding. And Step 1 is Budget!

Before you even set the date, set the budget. The budget will help decide every aspect of every detail, including the date. Meaning, picking a date out of "wedding season" will help stretch your budget. And, having a Sunday wedding will add even more savings.

Start with a overall budget, include any help from family, and decide how much you are willing to spend on the entire wedding. Then divide it into categories and sub-categories, leaving nothing out. For example, Stationery - Save the Date Cards, Invitations and RSVPs, Programs, Place Cards, Menu Cards, Thank You Cards and Postage.

Next decide what you would like to do with any savings. If you have a budget of $500 for Stationery and only spend $400, what will you do with the $100 savings. Either, consider it savings or adding it to another category.

Once you have set your budget, share it with everyone involved, those who contributed to it and those who are helping you make the decisions. They will keep everything within budget and accounted for. And once you have picked your vendors they can adjust their services to your budget.

Finally, be sure to keep it!