Top 3 Splurges? 💰

Venue, Floral, Photography Destination wedding plans

Entertainment is our biggest splurge. We didn't want the "typical" party so we upped our game. We have a really cool open air photobooth with an old fashioned type camera. We have a caricature artist coming in - and we hired dueling pianos. The bulk of our money went to entertain our guests.

Secondary splurge was to hire a wedding planner.

Third splurge will be our honeymoon.

So interesting to see that Dress is not top 3. It's definitely not top 3 for me, but i assumed it would be for many others

Honeymoon, of course, and photographer and everything else we are being budget smart with.

Wedding invites, Cake, and Photography

So in most instances, I don't see venues or catering as a splurge. These are just expensive in general and there is really no way to avoid spending a good chunk of your budget on this.

For me a splurge is something that would normally be completely unnecessary but you love it so much that its non-negotiable. Gold flatware has been the #1 thing I'm not willing to compromise on. Sounds silly, right? Yes, silver flatware would suffice and be much more budget friendly, but this splurge really ties things together and goes beautifully with our gold charger plates.

#2 is our photography package, or more specifically the addition of a professional photo album (talk about big money for a tiny post-wedding detail), at first when we were looking at packages we thought it was silly to spend so much money on an album and that we would just make our own album on Shutterfly for much cheaper - then our photographer pulled out the samples and let me tell you we definitely could not make something that gorgeous ourselves. Super excited for this one!

#3 Gifts for bridal party, family, and tipping vendors. Sure, you could get by with a cliche robe and personalized tumbler, but these guys and gals mean so much to my fiance and I and have helped us with so much over the years that we feel they truly deserve a little something special. I also have a special place in my heart for service staff - as someone who has worked those long, hard 10-17 hour catering shifts for 6+ years, I know how much any tip is appreciated and how much it is deserved. Gratuity is not included or required, so tips are far and few between at the company I worked for (they are doing our wedding) we plan to make sure each staff member receives a worthy tip and I encourage you all to check your contracts and consider doing the same.

Catering (includes the venue), dress, florist