THE EVENT OF MY DREAMS

A couple of months back,i went shopping and met an old classmate of mine. After exchanging banters,she quickly started reeling out her frustrations as to what she came to do in the market. I was able to identify why she couldn't find it easy just running around in circles,so to speak.We fixed an appointment and we were able to guide her effortlessly at Havilah as she narrated how she wanted the event of her dreams to be.
 Definitely, budgeting should be among the first smart things to do. If not the very first, should be somewhere between announcing to your folks, friends and picking a date. I've known a few who weren't solvent enough, that picked a date and then waited on a prayer, only to be disappointed in the end, and felt really embarrassed before their friends.

There are several options to creating a wedding budget that you can afford;
1. Folks can decide to contribute a specific amount, and then the couple decides on a wedding budget and makes up any difference themselves. 2. Folks can say that they want to pay for specific items such as the bride's attire, the catering or the wines. The couple then has to figure out how to pay for everything else.
3. The couple can set a budget and then ask to split it evenly. This way, the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom, can each contribute N500000, for a total of a N2,000,000 wedding budget. This is not a bad idea at all for families, where the parents have split.

Then, depending on your area and taste/class (if you know what I mean), budgeting about N1,500 (for an average Nigerian wedding) per wedding guest will give you a good start. This allows for about N750 a head for catering, and the remaining N750 goes towards everything else – flowers, attire, etc. Of course, if you are only having 10 guests, you may have trouble paying for everything else with only N7500, but it is a good point to start. This starting point fits with the general rule of the more guests, the more formal and lavish the wedding.

So to figure out a basic wedding budget, you can start off by using a basic budget planning worksheet to figure out the basics. Don't get fuddled just yet. Here's what one should look like;

Your Total Budget ___________

Expenses

Ceremony
Location fee, officiant fee, marriage license, musician's fees, ring pillows____________
Reception
Reception Site, Food, Drinks, Rentals, Cake, Favors____________
Attire
Dress, Headpiece/veil, undergarments and hosiery, shoes, accessories, jewelry, hair and makeup, Groom's Tuxedo or Suit, shoes, bow tie, cuff links, studs, suspenders____________
Rings
Yours and Groom's rings, engraving____________
Flowers
Ceremony, bride's bouquet, maid-of-honor and bridesmaid bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, centerpieces, flower-girl basket e.t.c.____________
Music
Ceremony Musicians, Band and/or DJ, cocktail hour musicians, sound system rental____________
Photography
Photographer and Videographer's fees, albums, additional prints, disposable cameras for candids____________
Transportation
Transportation for wedding party, guest shuttle and/or parking attendants____________
Stationery
Invitations, response cards, thank you notes, postage, calligraphy, guest book____________
Gifts
Bridesmaid and groomsmen, parents, welcome baskets for out-of-town guests.

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