Finances

Where The Money Usually Goes

For most couples, the venue and the food and drink take the biggest share of the budget, often around half of it between them. Photography and video, music, clothing, flowers and decor, and stationery share most of the rest, and a final slice should stay unspent.

Don't copy a percentage split from a website. Write down what you care about, rank it, and put the money behind your top two or three. A couple who loves food should spend more on catering and less on flowers. A couple who wants a film of the day should treat the videographer as a priority rather than an afterthought, as our guide to choosing a videographer explains.

Keep A Contingency

Set aside around five to ten percent for things you didn't plan for. Typical culprits are alterations, a late guest count, overtime charges, delivery fees and tips. If you don't need it, it becomes a honeymoon fund.

What To Check In A Contract

• The payment schedule: the deposit, each instalment, and the date the final balance is due.
• Cancellation and postponement: what you get back, and what happens if the date has to change.
• Overtime: the hourly rate if the evening runs late, which is easy to hit with a late start.
• What's included: equipment, travel, a second shooter or assistant, and whether there are setup or cleanup fees.
• Substitutions: what happens if the person you met can't attend on the day.
• Service charges and tax: whether quoted prices include them.

Pay deposits by credit card where the vendor allows it, because card issuers have a dispute process that a bank transfer doesn't. Keep every contract, receipt and email in one folder.

Money From Guests

Gifts of cash are common, and a clear idea of the range helps both sides. This guide to cash gifts shows the amounts guests tend to give by relationship and country, and it's a useful reality check if you're counting on gifts to cover costs. Treat any gift money as a bonus rather than part of the budget.