Wedding budget and spending: How did you pay your vendors? Deposits and regular payments, or a lump sum?

I just created an excel document. Every time I book a vendor I add in the total cost minus the deposit paid and it keeps a running total how how much I will owe in the end. You have a while until your wedding. I would figure out how much you can afford to save each month and multiple that by 18 and see what you have to work with for a budget. You will probably need to start putting all the deposits down in the next 6 months. I would say pay in full when you can but making payments is more realistic when your paying off multiple balances at once.

Since you're wedding is in September 2017, you have plenty of time save! Look at what both you and your FH make each month, deduct your everyday expenses/bills and then decide from there what is a reasonable amount to save each month. I am paying all of my vendors in installments, I don't think any requested to be paid the full balance at once. I've also booked my vendors over a year and a half, which has even helped with the initial deposit my FH and I have made. I think the best tip I can give is to stay realistic, don't think you'll be able to save more than you truly can. FH and I have an excel schedule with all of our vendors and due dates for payments. This keeps us on track as to what we need to pay and when. The biggest amounts are due right before the wedding, so make sure you plan for that! Also, there are always surprise expenses that come up in life so have a back up plan if that happens!

I love the Excel ideas from both of you. One of the reasons why I am looking at booking so early is because we will have more time to pay off our vendors; it's great to know what worked for you and how you are organizing your expenses. Thank you for your tips and congratulations to you!

We have a joint savings account, and each of us has money automatically transferred from our checking accounts twice a month. This way we know exactly how much we are saving towards the wedding fund, it never changes. We also use the WW budget tool to track the cost of everything and our payments. This way we also know how much we've paid each vendor and how much remains. We went with deposits for everything, rather than paying in full, because we need time to save money. Most of our vendors require the balance to be paid a week or two before the wedding.

I too have an excel sheet that lays everything out. How much things cost, how much we have paid, when the balance is due, and how much FH and I should be putting in the bank for the wedding. I personally don't mind deposits. I wouldn't want to pay full sum right out of the gates.

I made payments every month. But I was very set on never skipping. If you chose to make payments just stick to the plan. It's easy to skip payments when you have other wedding expenses you need to cover.

We have a joint savings that we've had for almost 2 years. Our venue has let us make monthly deposits, so we took out a credit card last year that gives us rewards for purchases and use that every month to make our payment. Since we have money saved, we make sure to pay it off every month. We're hoping to have enough rewards to help pay for a cruise. It's a Royal Caribbean card.

I'm paying things as I get the money. So I'm making payments ahead of schedule to most of my vendors I want things paid off so I don't have to worry about it the weeks before the wedding.

I was required to pay deposits for all of my vendors; however, none of them require full payment until 30 days or less before the event. We are making payments though so it doesn't all hit at the end.

I keep a document of each vendor. Each has the details, how much I paid, How much is due etc.

I would pay your deposits now and wait until it gets closer to the wedding to pay the balances. You may need the money for unplanned events between now and your wedding!!

All of my vendors required deposits to book, with final payments before the wedding. Most of my vendors needed final payments 30 days before the wedding. I suggest making payments so that all those payments don't hit at once!

We are doing deposits and making payments

So far each vendor has had a reasonable deposit (15% for venue, 25% photographer, DJ 25%, MUA flat retainer) and needs payment in full about a week before the wedding. We're planning on saving incrementally for the next 6 months so we can have the remainder of the payments ready 1 month before the date.

If that doesn't work for you, some vendors will do a payment plan with regular installments instead.

Definitely ask for a payment plan. I also confirmed with my vendors if I could pay them weekly. Every week or every two, I'll send them $25-100 straight from my Wells Fargo bill pay. From my Wells Fargo account I can see who's cashed checks etc.

Periodically I'll ask for an itemized accounting statement for my records. In my 4 months of doing this, I'll been able to pay most of my vendors in full by the time the wedding arrives.

Problem is the deposits. Make sure your extremely clear. And you have a good understanding of the deposits due. And then balances are due. I didn't realize (bad me) I had to pay the venue deposit and the catering deposit at the same time. I had to jump through some financial hoops to get it straight but if I had been paying more attention I wouldn't have been caught of guard. Then looking forward at the balance of what's due and when you can spend more time saving for that and adjust accordingly.

If you both have stable incomes then you need to sit down and figure out what you both can put away each month and stick to it. My venue, a historic village, wanted payment up front. It was $1000 dollars for both the church and the reception house. The caterer asked for $500 up front, 80% 30 days before and the remaining a week out with the final head count. When it came to attire, decor, flowers, invitations, etc., Look at the over all budget you will have saved for the wedding this next 1.5 years and break it down to how much of the budget you're willing to invest in each of those items and stick to it. You have plenty of time to shop around, DIY and make what you have budgeted for each item work.

We did a deposit in June 2015 then paid the balance in October 2015. I already paid in full the flowers and reception decorations. The only thing we will need to pay is the officiant and the bar tab (we have paid $1000 towards the bar already), we will pay these the day of.

We made all our deposits early so we could pay the balance way before it was due. We now have a spreadsheet of each check week, how much we're paying and to what vendor.

I am doing payments, im using the budget on here and set up all my payments and what date i am paying it on then checking paid when i send a check. I took the total price for each item individually and divided it up with the number of weeks i had to pay leaving me 6 weeks at the end with no payments for any incidentals or emergencies, then I decided who i would pay and when, I finish paying my photographer next week then my DJ will be paid in full 2 weeks after that and so on. It is working beautifully so far, fingers crossed.

It's easier to pay as you go then pay a ton at once (in my opinion). Even a little payment here and there will add up!