Budget, Priorities & Boundaries
Planning a wedding without a budget or boundaries is like driving the Parkway with no speed limit signs… chaotic, dangerous, and guaranteed to end with someone crying. Weddings are emotional, but if you don’t get your financial roadmap and your boundaries straight early on, you’ll spend your engagement drowning in stress instead of enjoying it.
This isn’t about killing the fun, it’s about keeping control. Here’s your no-fluff guide to making sure your budget, priorities, and boundaries actually work for you.
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Set a Total Budget
Your budget is your wedding’s GPS. Without it, you’re lost, spiraling down exit after exit of “ooh shiny!” until you’re broke. Set the ceiling before you fall in love with venues, dresses, or that ten-piece string quartet. You’d be shocked how fast “just a little detail” adds up. Signage, alterations, hotel welcome bags… it’s like death by a thousand tiny invoices. Write it all down now, not after your card gets declined.
Identify All Contributors
If family or friends are helping, get it clear from day one. No guessing, no awkward “so… are you covering this?” later. Whether it’s your parents footing the venue bill or grandma pitching in for flowers, everyone should know what’s up.
Decide Who Has Spending Approval
If both of you are booking stuff, decide who’s got the final say. Designate the “point person” so you avoid double-bookings or last-minute splurges on “but it was on sale!” buys.
Rank Priorities (Top 3 Must-Haves)
What matters most to you? Maybe it’s the open bar. Maybe it’s epic photos (as it should be 😁). Maybe it’s a band that’ll get Uncle Tony dancing. Whatever it is, pick your top three. If the budget gets tight, these will be the ones that you don’t touch.
Hot take: you don’t have to care about every detail. If you’ve been following the LOVE LOCKED IN blog, I remind you time and time again that there are things that you don’t need. Like do you really need custom cocktail napkins? 😂 Please.
Build a Cushion for Surprises (10–15%)
Spoiler alert: something will pop up. Overtime fees, weather backup plans, or Uncle Joe deciding last minute he’s bringing his new girlfriend. A cushion keeps it all from becoming a meltdown.
Track Spending in Real-Time
Spreadsheet, app, or notes on your phone… You need it! Just do it. Wedding money disappears faster than a Taylor Ham, egg & cheese at 2am after a night out in Hoboken.
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Set Emotional Boundaries (With Family/Friends)
REMEMBER: Your wedding, your rules. And yes, everyone has opinions. If you don’t set the tone now, you’ll spend your engagement as referee. Be polite, but firm… this is your day, not theirs.
Review & Adjust Monthly
Budgets aren’t “set it and forget it.” Revisit monthly. Things shift, deposits get paid, priorities change. Keeping tabs means fewer regrets later.
Bottom Line
A wedding without a budget and boundaries is a wedding planning horror story waiting to happen. Set your budget. Set your boundaries. Stick to them. And hey, if epic photos make your top 3 must-haves, you know where to find me. 🫡 I’ll be that NJ wedding photographer who keeps it real and with you every step of the way!