So you’re engaged. Where do you start? Where do you go? How do you plan what’s probably the biggest event of your life? It can be a little overwhelming especially if you have a limited budget.
The first thing future brides usually do is buy a wedding magazine. They are full of photos of designer dresses and massive weddings where budgets are in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since contentment lies in the gap between expectation and reality, this ideal can set you up for big disappointment when you look at your savings account. You want the extraordinary wedding in the magazines and on the TV, but you only have an ordinary budget.
You set a budget, but forget about it once you see the dress of your dreams and tally up the number of guests you want to invite. It’s easy to get swept away with the glamour of what’s available for weddings these days. But is it worth it? According to the “Bestman” from Wedding Bells Magazine, “memories last forever, and debt almost as long”. Think about what you want most for your life together. Do you want to start your marriage with a staggering debt that can turn into the number one reason for divorce?
This is your day. It’s about the commitment you are making with your chosen partner. The guests, the party, the gifts, the details, are all peripheral to this promise. The most memorable weddings are not always the most extravagant. It’s the little touches that guests remember such as the 1st dance, or a moving speech. What guests really want to see is a happy couple who look relaxed and madly in love – that doesn’t cost a penny, just preparation and contentment.
Expect the best for you as a couple and not some New York magazine’s version of the best. If you manage your expectations based on your resources, you will maximize your contentment and have the extraordinary wedding you expect.
Article by Magna Goerke
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