What Should I Prioritise When Planning A Budget?

Whether you are planning a budget for your home or wedding, of course you are going to have to prioritise. The budget is an inevitable part of planning and should be the first decision you make in any project. When it comes to prioritising your budget, the most important thing to remember is to make sure you prioritise before you start spending!

Let’s say you’re planning your wedding and you are discussing what you should prioritise. Once you’ve sorted out your budget, take the time to prioritise what’s important for you. If you don’t, then this can lead to you running out of cash and having to cut items you had your heart set on. The first priority you need to decide is guest count vs guest experience. When it comes to weddings, there’s a cost associated with every guest. Is it more important to you to have a giant wedding, compromising on design and entertainment, or to have great décor and your dream band for a smaller select group of people?

With your wedding, start by creating a list of non-negotiables, just as you would for an interior project. What are the ‘must have’ items at your wedding. This isn’t always everything you’ve dreamed of, just the very top, non-negotiables, that you cannot get married without! This might be a live band, or a dream venue, but you want to prioritise your pennies in those places before you start spending elsewhere.

Personally, my first priority would be the venue, as I have quite a clear image of what I’d want my wedding to look like. It wouldn’t require much decoration but would require the perfect location. To decide my other non-negotiables, I’d start by thinking what I want my wedding to feel like. Do I want a relaxed, down to earth wedding, or a more intimate occasion? For me, I’d really want an enchanting wedding, so I’d prioritise aspects of my budget on achieving that, whether it be through flowers or lights, or however I chose to create that setting.

One thing that I would recommend when choosing what to prioritise is to pick one ‘wow’ item for each part. For a wedding, this would be one ‘wow’ item for aesthetic, one for entertainment and one for food and drink. This means you’re focusing on the quality over quantity mentality. Rather than having a bunch of mediocre elements, you’ve got a couple items that will wow your guests. This could be choosing to have one signature cocktail over trying to prioritise the budget for a full array of drinks.

When it comes down to it, each project is personal. It’s important to remember that it’s completely up to you what you choose to prioritise. Decide what you want the most, and put that to the top.