Well, it's time to set aside the romance for a moment and talk dollars and

cents. Unless your one of a chosen few, where the "skies the limit", you need to

set a budget for your wedding.

First, you've got to determine two things:

How much money you want to spend on your wedding?

Who will be contributing to the wedding and how much?

The traditional rule of the bride's family paying for the entire wedding is

fast becoming history. Today, there is much more sharing of wedding expenses

between the bride's family, the groom's family and the bride and groom. Many

couples are getting married later in life and are well established with their

own careers. These brides and grooms are able to pay for more of the expenses

and sometimes want to pay for the entire wedding themselves.

A good way to help you define your budget is to set priorities. The bride and

groom should discuss which elements of the wedding are most important to them.

For instance, is it the reception location, the bridal gown, or the

entertainment that is most important? You should choose about 3-4 items that are

your top priorities and set the rest of your budget from there. It's more likely

that you will spend more of your wedding budget on those items you consider a

higher priority.

Now, let's look at some of the costs. Your reception, including the food and

beverages, can average 50-65% of your total budget. Therefore, the reception

location you select and how many guests you invite will have the most impact on

your budget.

Today, the average wedding costs over $20,000. Here's a guideline based on a

$15,000 wedding budget for about 100-125 guests:

The above is simply a guideline to help you get started. Good luck!