Decide How Much to Spend on a Wedding

The wedding planning starts and the numbers are already larger than expected. Before any budget is agreed, four questions matter more than the figure: whose money this actually is and what comes with it, which elements genuinely matter versus which are defaults, what this money could do instead, and what a number looks like that does not create resentment or financial stress a year later. This works through those before arriving at a number.

Help a couple decide on a realistic wedding budget by working through four questions before any number is agreed.

1. Whose money is it: is the couple funding this themselves, relying partly on family contributions, or some combination? If family money is involved, what strings come with it, and are those acceptable?
2. What the wedding is actually for: which elements genuinely matter to both people and which are there because they feel expected? Separate the non-negotiables from the defaults.
3. What the opportunity cost is: what else could this money do? A mortgage deposit, a year of travel, clearing debt, a home renovation. Make the trade-off visible before committing to a number.
4. What a number that does not create lasting resentment or financial stress looks like for this couple: not what they can stretch to, but what they can spend and still feel good about a year later.

End with a recommended approach to setting the budget number, given the answers above.

[Describe the couple"s situation: who is contributing financially, rough financial position, what kind of wedding they are imagining, and what matters most to each person]