The 101 on Planning a Wedding
I recently got engaged, and by recent, I mean December 25, 2025. I’ve always wanted to have a wedding despite the cost, but let me tell you the things no one tells you about. The amount of money you have to spend every time you let a year pass, the amount of stress, and so on. Thankfully, I am getting married this year because next year things are going to cost more, and I think people will opt in more for a court wedding and call it a day, which, honestly, I don’t blame you if you pick that route.
01. The Happy Moment
Once you are engaged, you want to tell the whole world. This is the happiest moment of your life so definitely share it with the world! It’s your moment! Some people might already tell you they are coming without a formal invitation, yes that does happen. I know some couples that didn’t share with everyone and they simply made a post months after the engagement.
02. The Guest List
Depending on when your wedding is, you might want to start thinking about your guest list. My guest list was made prior to my engagement because I already knew deep down I found my person. I just needed to add a few more people that I met and has somehow changed my life one way or another. If your wedding is in 2027 definitely start that list now.
Side tip: keep the guest count low because food will be pricey and yes you and your partner count as a guest.
03. The Opinions
When you tell people you are planning a wedding they will say something along the lines of why don’t you have a court wedding, or how many people might tell you how they want your wedding to look like or be as if it’s their wedding. But always remember they do mean good and not take things offensively. Trust me many people already brought out the Bridezilla out of me many times even my own fiancé. But I am learning.
04. Finance
This is a BIG ONE! Paying for a wedding is EXPENSIVE, I can’t stress this enough. We have about a little under 6 months left to our wedding and we have already invested about $3k and we are projecting to spend about $10k. This is why I mentioned earlier keep your guest count low. We are estimating about 80-115 guests at our wedding. The most expensive part of the wedding is the Venue and Food, after that is photographer/videographer, the decorations, and any small details.
If you have anyone who does any kind of photo or video, planner, use them and they can either do it for free or give you a discount hence saving you a lot of money. Open a savings account and weekly or bi-weekly save a certain amount — this will help you even more in the long run.
05. The Negotiations
Treat the wedding like a business and negotiate everything. The prices of weddings are high right now so negotiation is key to what you can get to save a bit more and put that into something else. Maybe add that saving towards your honeymoon, or to pay off something else wedding related.
06. Take a Breath
As you plan the wedding things will get tense, and you will stress out with other things while planning a wedding. Remember to always take a moment and enjoy the process. Take breaks from planning the wedding and do other things that bring joy back like doing a couple massage, working out, going on dates.
07. Outsource
Now let’s talk about outsourcing. Even planners will charge you an arm and a leg for small things like plates, napkins, cups and so on. So here is where we outsource to save some money. Go on Temu or SHEIN — yes, trust me on this. They have customized napkins for $15/100 napkins. I did an embosser for the save the dates that I got from Temu for $20 and pressed it on stickers and it came out quite cheap. Also look at things for cheaper that is still good quality.
08. The Court
Now, you might opt in for the court and again I do not blame you. I wish I would’ve done that but I already have money invested into my wedding that I can’t get a refund for, on top of our guests starting to buy their flights and book their hotels. But definitely court is the cheapest option depending on your state but it’s no over $150.
09. Final Take
Wedding planning should be fun but stress can make it daunting. Just remember to take a moment for yourself, hear people out without snapping at them and live it up. It’s your and your fiancé’s big day, do what feels right to y’all and not please other people. Have fun with it and Happy Wedding Planning!
