Weddings are probably not what Sean P. Diddy Comes, formerly Puff Daddy, etc. etc., had in mind when he came out with that famously catchy rap tune; but they sure can require a lot of benjamins! Fortunately, Daryl & I aren’t as scraped as some may be when it comes to our wedding budget. We are lucky enough to have generous parents who are forking over most of the benjamins required to have the wedding. Yet, despite this, benjamins have still been on my mind lately. Even though we are fortunate enough not to be paying for most of our wedding, there are still some important decisions to be made that require some creative accounting and decision-making regarding the benjamins. Here are my current $$ issues and my decisions, or lack there of, regarding them.
Benjamin $$$ issue #1. Wedding rings. Since weddings rings are meant to symbolize your marriage and your love I have absolutely no problem shelling out the benjamins $$ for our wedding rings. I fully expected to pay a decent price for the rings Daryl and I will forever wear. While this expense could potentially be a large one, depending on the preferences of the to-be wed couple it shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Obviously, I have known since we were engaged that this expense was not far off and Daryl and I would be paying for it. This expense, while a large one, is taken care of and saved for. In conclusion, wedding rings: a large amount of benjamins $$$, but doable and expected, not a hidden cost by any means. I can deal with that. Decision: easily spend the benjamins $$$ baby.
It's ALL about the BENJAMINS!
Benjamin $$$ issue # 2. Honeymoon. If you have been able to browse our website www.meghananddaryl.com you might notice that Daryl and I still haven’t come to a final decision on a honeymoon destination. Officially we have decided it will be a ski getaway. What else is there for two ski nuts like us getting married in the middle of winter? We have also decided it will be in the state of CO in one of those adorable little ski towns like Aspen, Vail or Breckenridge. However, all of this still remains somewhat unofficial for now because we haven’t yet decided on a specific place to stay in any of these towns, nor on a specified budget. I have been saving some money slowly to put to use for our honeymoon. Yet, with the other wedding-related expenses, saving money in general has now become a little harder. To further complicate things, we have not yet decided if we are going to allow guests to contribute to our honeymoon via a honeymoon registry. So all in all, the whole honeymoon thing registers pretty large on the Benjamin scale. Man, I wish there was an all-inclusive ski resort! To sum it up, honeymoon: an expected and not hidden cost but not yet doable and/or entirely paid for. Decision: spend the benjamins $$$, within reason, when you have them…key but vital part.
Benjamin $$$ issue #3. Ironically, reason #3 for me is the most minimal of the cash related issues that I am most concerned with lately; however, it is a gray area because it involves not an expense for me but for my bridal party. In fact, it is the entire reason I have decided to feature today’s post on this issue; I have literally been toying over this decision for months, so much so that it has caused me to procrastinate in telling the girls to go ahead and order their bridesmaids dresses. The debate is whether or not to pay for a portion of the girls dresses and if so, how much? Yes I know, when my best friends agreed to be in our wedding they knew they were going to incur some expenses, largely the cost of their dress. However, a few months ago, mainly when I was more financially optimistic, I was ready, able and willing to pay for a portion of the dress for my each of my girls. This was especially more true once we found the dress they would wear because it was a little pricier than I had hoped. So I decided I would pay a portion of the dress costs for each of the girls, insert amount here X 6, knowing for sure it would be a large help to some of them. But of course, me being famous among those who know me for my indecisiveness, I couldn’t decide on the proper amount especially considering my multiplier of 6. Well as I toiled over this thought more and more time went on. And as I very briefly alluded to, my other personal expenses got greater and more foreboding. Now, with the dresses still unordered, and the wedding getting closer and closer, I am unsure what to do. Should I take on some of the cost myself, even if it means going out of my budget due to recent unexpected and expected costs, both wedding and non-wedding related? Or should I let the girls pay for their own dress since they never knew I was planning on paying for a portion of it at all? Or should I let the girls pay for the dress themselves and reimburse them once I get my own budget back on track? Lastly, I could also just get them bigger and better bridesmaids gifts. Who knows? These are some of the thoughts going through my mind. In conclusion: bridesmaids dresses, not an expected cost, a volunteer cost therefore, perhaps hidden and low on the benjamin $$$ scale. Decision: not yet made. Please feel free to share your opinion….
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