Awhile back we mentioned that setting your wedding budget is one of the first things you need to do after you get engaged. And in this post, we talked about the first things you need to pay for when planning a wedding. Today, we are talking about three ways you can actually stick to that wedding budget!

1. Put your budget down on paper. This might seem self-explanatory, but you would be surprised at the amount of people who do not write their budget down in a spreadsheet – or in a wedding budget-tracking tool. When you write it down, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable and deviate from the agreed upon amounts. You are also able to record every payment you make and who you owe what.

2. Understanding hidden wedding costs. Tips and overtime fees, I am looking at you. Make sure you read those contracts from top to bottom – fully understanding the amount of time your vendors are on the hook for to avoid any overtime fees. Tips also come into play. Your vendors need to be tipped – all of them do. This can add hundreds of extra dollars to your budget, so it is better to factor this portion in from the very beginning.

3. Factor in more than you need for the small items. The small items can add up big time. We are referring to items like stickers for the welcome bags, stamps for your RSVP cards and wedding invites and marriage license fees. These things might seem small, but if you factor them in from the get-go, these costs are much more manageable.