In this episode of the The Wedding Planning Series, we dive into two of the most pivotal aspects of planning a wedding: creating a budget and organising the guest list. Starting with a light-hearted chat about hot chocolate preferences and some personal stories, our easy-going banter sets the tone for an informative session.

We cover the critical first steps of wedding planning, stressing the importance of setting a clear budget and prioritising the non-negotiables. We explain the tedious but essential task of researching vendor costs and putting together a detailed spreadsheet to visualise expenses. We also tackle the tricky dynamics of guest lists, offering practical advice on managing family expectations and categorising potential guests. This episode is packed with useful tips, ensuring listeners are well-prepared to kick off their wedding planning on the right foot.

Key Takeaways:

• Assessing Finances: Figure out where your wedding funds are coming from, whether it’s personal savings, family contributions, or loans. Clear communication about financial expectations helps prevent future conflicts.
• Prioritise Must-Haves: Identify and list the non-negotiable elements for your wedding day. This could be certain vendors, the venue’s look and feel, or specific services.
• Research Vendor Costs: Reach out to multiple vendors to get an idea of pricing. Use spreadsheets to compare and consolidate this information, helping to create a realistic wedding budget.
• Guest List Strategy: Make an initial list of potential guests, then categorise them using a traffic light system (Green for yes, Orange for maybe, Red for no). Be mindful of capacity and budget constraints.
• Family Contributions: If family contributions affect the guest list, be clear and set boundaries on how many guests they can invite.
  
  

Mellyrain Creative Freebie: Top 16 Wedding Costs Debunked -https://mellyraincreative.myflodesk.com/weddingcostsdebunked

Mellyrain Creative Freebie: Wedding Budget Template - https://mellyraincreative.myflodesk.com/wedding-budget-template

About Melanie
Mellyrain Creative is a wedding planning and styling company and we specialize in designing luxe countryside weddings across regional Victoria. As the head wedding planner and stylist at Mellyrain Creative, her team continues to grow and assist in styling design as well as wedding day coordination and execution of styling set ups at weddings all over Victoria. Prior to weddings Mel worked in sport and entertainment events in Melbourne and she is obsessed with her golden retriever pup Duncan who you’ll see on the gram from time to time. Mel love's to call country Victoria her happy place so when she's not working, you’ll still find me exploring new places, mostly something with mountains as a backdrop.

instagram.com/mellyraincreative
Contact Mel: mellyrain.com.au/contact

About Tania
Tania is an award nominated, coffee obsessed lover of love, and all round stationery nerd... & that is why she started the Event Wanderer Co. After years wrangling Ballkids at the Australian Open, she stepped into the world of weddings and turned her hand to design, combining a love of stationery with today's modern design and printing techniques to bring her biz baby to life. Tania's speciality is all things stationery and signage and also understanding the stress that event and wedding planning can bring and she's here to help you navigate the chaos of the journey.

instagram.com/eventwandererco/