Budgeting 101

Wedding planning Guide

Your budget: this depends entirely on the type of wedding you want and is one of the most important (and difficult) parts of planning your Big Day. As your dreams of dresses, decorations, and all things delightful come closer to coming true, costs can quickly spiral out of control. Now you may have your money-organising skills down to a fine art, but here is a reality that even the most budget-conscious bride-to-be has to face: whatever you plan on spending, you will probably end up spending more, build in a 10% contingency buffer to your budget.

Within African and multicultural weddings, where essentially you have two separate weddings to pay for, it is important to keep track and know how much you will allocate for the traditional wedding and how much for the White Wedding.

Not managing your finances accordingly can have a big impact on your wedding and your planning journey. After you have completed the five questions on page (xxx) and you have decided on your budget and what kind of wedding you want, you can start to look at the different aspects of your wedding and how you are going to allocate the funds. At this point, you may want to speak to anyone who is paying for specific things (e.g. your cake) as they may want a say on the final decision and how their money is spent.

Remember: Money you hope to receive as a wedding gift should NOT be part of your budget.

5 Ideas to creating a memorable wedding

Whether you are planning a wedding in summer spring or winter, thinking of your guests will make for a standout and memorable wedding. Add touches that are venue and season-specific. For example, for a high summer wedding- how about providing personal fans? flip flops for the late-night dancing or an outdoor wedding in the blaring sun- how about having large umbrellas ( personalised to the theme of course) available.

For both the white and traditional wedding, some specific traditions and ceremonies need to take place. Design these areas and look at how all guests will interact with them. Is there somewhere for kids to play if you are having children at your wedding? what about a guest with a newborn or those aunty's who cannot stand long at the cocktail hour for example?

Or what about a lounge area for the afterparty? think low seating, sofas and somewhere for guests to unwind and party following the formalities of your day- Louge areas are always memorable!

Nothing says memorable for your guests than coming to your wedding and seeing both of you reflected in everything from the design, location and drinks. 

Many elements such as programs, menus and table settings can be personalised with your images ( from your pre-wedding shoot) or your wedding logo. When personalising your day, think of your favourite places, scents and even shapes and speak with your wedding planner and designer to help you incorporate them.

With African and Multicultural weddings, there are so many festivities that need to take place for both the white and traditional ceremony. When planning, look at ways of putting your stamp on them and making them personal to you both. Your guests may have attended many traditional weddings in the community for example so changing an aspect of it ( but remaining authentic) would stand out.

Think of which ceremony will take place when in the program. There are also many ceremonies with the white wedding- if you don't want to throw the bouquet or want to serve street-style food instead that is up to you. There is no set formula or right way to organise the program for your wedding day.

Have fun in everything and remember that everyone you invite is there for both of you with love. It is your day and you have control. It may be easy to get caught up in small details such as the exact colour swatch of the napkins or having food served at 18:00 hours specifically!