Budgeting for a Wedding
Budgeting for a wedding is not the most fun aspect of wedding planning, but it may be the most important factor to consider. The cost of a luxury wedding can be anywhere from $75,000 to $500,000. Here are some tips when hiring your vendors, especially a live band for your wedding reception.
Create a Wedding Budget
One of the biggest mistakes couples can make is to be swept up in the hiring process. Don’t forget about the cost when budgeting for a wedding. This can lead to disappointment if the band you desire is not affordable or is booked for your wedding day. Often, the wedding couple overwhelms themselves with so many options, that choosing a band becomes stressful.
It would be a good idea for couples to develop a general budget. Breaking down the budget by vendors and categories of vendors is a great practice. Couples need to sit down with their partner and parents, in order to decide on a price point for each vendor.
If the budget isn’t done, it could lead to overspending on vendors and not leaving enough money for a great wedding band. However, the couple needs to prioritize what’s most important to them when budgeting for a wedding. Is it the venue, the food, the floral arrangement, or the wedding music and wedding band?
Prioritize Vendors for your Wedding Reception
In my many years of experience, every vendor is important to the overall success of your wedding, but it’s the band that you and your guests will remember months and years later. A great wedding band creates golden memories.
Before you sign on the dotted line on your vendor contracts, read the contract carefully. Don’t overlook the details and any addendums, which may include additional costs that the couples have overlooked.
Always ask for clarification on any item in the contract that you aren’t clear about and ask questions so you can fully understand every item written into the contract. Pay special attention to the deposit and refund policy section.
If there’s a professional band or other vendors you really want to have at your wedding reception, make sure that you book them ASAP. Top-tier wedding bands usually book six to eighteen months in advance.
Of course, there may be times that the band could be available less than six months in advance, so never assume that the band is not available. However, if you feel the band is the one for you, trust your feelings and save the unnecessary stress. Trust your instincts; If you suspect that something isn’t right about a band, you’re most likely correct.
Research The Band When Budgeting for a Wedding
The first step is to do your research by checking out the band’s website which should include the band’s bio, videos, reviews, and song list. Call the band leader or the band’s agent and ask questions and of course the band’s availability for your special wedding day. If an agent or a band leader is reluctant to have that conversation, it’s not a very positive sign.
If a friend or friends have been to a wedding where a band that you’re considering has performed, great; it’s always good to have someone you respect recommend a band, but always check out the website and speak with the band leader.
Your image of what you deem important in a band may differ from your friend. Every couple is special and unique. Your wedding day is the perfect opportunity to reflect that image.
Save the Date When Considering your Dream Wedding Band
Perhaps there’s a wedding band that you would love to have at your wedding, but you need a few days to make a 100% decision. It can’t hurt to ask the band leader or agent if they could hold the date.
There have been many times that couples hesitate on reserving, and will call back in a few days, but we already have booked their date.
Don’t be reluctant to talk with the band leader or the band’s agent that you are interested in booking the band of your choice, but the price is more than you have planned to spend for a band. What do you have to lose?
Your wedding is a rare opportunity to share all the things that you love in life with all the people you love. Therefore, the band you choose is a very important decision. Of course, the band’s cost is a factor in choosing your perfect wedding band.
Just as a decorator will create a unique environment for your wedding, entertainment should do the same. An experienced band leader will create an unforgettable experience by moderating every special moment so every special moment happens on schedule from the introductions to filling the dance floor with your friends, relatives, and guests.
Once you have prioritized your order of importance, don’t let the price dictate the choice of a band. In the course of a lifetime, money spent on a dream wedding need not be a major factor.
Music For The Perfect Wedding Reception
The differentiating factor between bands is the quality of the wedding reception music, the vocalists, and an experienced band leader who has a sense of order and of building momentum. It’s not easy being a great wedding band, and the experience pays off. After all, it’s your special night and the entertainment needs to be beyond what you have always envisioned.
Every couple is unique and special, and your wedding is the perfect time to reflect that. It’s a rare opportunity to share the things you love with the people who are important to you.
You face many important decisions when you plan your special wedding reception. There’s nothing like the sustained, interactive energy that comes from an experienced wedding band.
A great wedding band delivers the ambiance needed during a wedding reception by setting the tone. A great band leader has the skill to create a joyful fun-filled evening that ‘wows” everyone. Great live wedding bands create great wedding reception. Here is a link to the Sid Miller Dance Band about page.
Tool to use When Budgeting for a Wedding
Here is a great tool provided by wedding wire that will help with tracking costs when budgeting for a wedding.