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Who's excited to plan the "average" wedding of their dreams?! Nobody.

How many times have you read an article that starts with something like, "On average . . . couples spend x amount on their wedding." Or, the average couple spends x amount on wedding flowers or wedding photography. 

I don't know about you, but I'm not excited to plan someone's average wedding. I don't think you've been dying to plan an average wedding either. 

So why should you expect to spend an "average" amount on your wedding vendors? All those inspirational images you're saving on Instagram or pinning on Pinterest were not from "average" weddings. Just saying. 

Want a better way of putting together your wedding budget? Visit my blog post Why Wedding Budget Calculators are Misleading at https://verveeventco.com/budgetcalculator. 

When putting together your budget, ask yourselves, "What are our priorities?" Some couples really value aesthetics, such as stationery, the tabletop, and decor. Others prioritize having a really good live band. It all comes down to what has the greatest impact for you and structuring the budget around that. If you think about it, when you go out for a nice meal, how much are you spending per person with alcohol? Think of your wedding as a nice meal, but you have to pay for the venue, invitations, and even the flowers, tables, and chairs. The costs quickly begin to add up. 

For more tips on putting together a wedding budget, visit my post "6 Steps to a Better Wedding Budget" at  https://verveeventco.com/weddingbudget/.

According to The Knot, 45% of couples spend more on their budget than they originally planned by $7,000. The best way to avoid this kind of budget creep is to have realistic expectations about your wedding budget - and that doesn't mean using a wedding budget calculator on a website like The Knot or Wedding Wire. In the next set of tips, I'm going to expose the lies behind wedding budget calculators. 

Like Lie #1, A Magical calculator can predict how much you should spend on your wedding. 

I don't care how good their algorithm is or whatever they use to calculate your budget. An online calculator can't accurately predict how much you should spend on each item. There's no one-size fits all. 

It just doesn't exist. To find out more on what's a better predictor of your wedding budget, visit my blog post Why Wedding Budget Calculators are Misleading at https://verveeventco.com/budgetcalculator.

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STOP WONDERING IF YOU'RE ON BUDGET AND START MAKING A SPENDING PLAN. Grab my WEDDING BUDGET BUNDLE!  This wedding budget bundle maps out your budget per category, and also tracks who you need to pay and when. These spreadsheets are designed to help you get what you want, at a price you can afford. Know exactly how much you've paid and how much you still owe at a quick glance!