Many people dream of their wedding day from a young age.
From the proposal to choosing a wedding outfit to the honeymoon – it’s easy to get swept up in the romance of it all.
Few think of the practical side of planning the big day though, most importantly the budget.
Hayley Allen, Head of Corporate Affairs at Bank Windhoek, advises engaged couples to approach their wedding plans like any other financial decision.
Most important is budgeting as this will ensure that what they save is aligned with what their vision is.
“It is critical to have a budget in place. Without a budget, you won’t know how much of your dream you can achieve on your big day,” Allen says.
Bokkie Cloete, Manager for Business Development and Retail Banking Services at Bank Windhoek, also advices engaged couples to stay focused on what they initially decided on and to not jump from one idea to the other as this will heavily influence their finances.
“At the bank we have a number of different products available to make it easy and convenient to save and invest towards your big day that caters to your respective needs,” she said.
These include the SureSave account which allows you to save for either 12 or 24 months, depending on how much time you have to save.
They also have the notice deposit, where you can deposit any amount. The deposits are available within a predetermined notice period.
Another option is the fixed deposit account.
“If you know you have this lump sum and you want to put it away, then you put it on a fixed deposit which is a fixed amount over a fixed period,” says Cloete.
How to have your perfect wedding on a budget:
Local wedding planner and owner of Wendy’s Creations, Windeline Kausiona advises couples to be realistic about what they can afford and what is out in the market.
“Your dream of what your big day should be and your finances need to meet each other half way. Every little thing requires money, for instance just for me to view your venue or listen to the idea you have, will cost money.”
She also advises engaged couples to start early with preparations for the wedding as this will allow them to properly attend to every element of the ceremony.
This would also give them a longer period to save for the big day.
“You do not need a million dollars to have your dream day,” Kausiona says.
A few other practical tips could also save you quite a bit in the long run:
– Make your own invitations. There are websites that provide a lot of beautiful templates for free and with a bit of practice, you could create something stunning. While we’re on it, make your ‘Save the Dates’ digital – less printing costs!
– Price shop for different decorations. Don’t go with the first option you find, shop around and do comparisons.
– Ask for wedding help instead of gifts from friends or family. For instance if your friend tends to always be the DJ at your house parties, why not ask them to DJ the wedding? You’ll save yourself and the other person some money as they won’t have to buy a gift.
– Above all, don’t stress. If you do stress, you’re more likely to throw money at a problem to make it go away. Breathe in, breathe out, relax and think happy thoughts of your future with your sweetheart – hopefully not saddled with debt from trying to throw the wedding of the century!