Budgeting for a wedding can be a stressful endeavor, especially if couples are working within certain parameters. Of course, as with any event planning, there are times when to spend a little extra to make the experience more memorable and enjoyable, and times when to know to put the checkbook away.
Here are six instances when it's more than acceptable to splurge, even if it's just a little, to ensure your wedding day is everything you ever dreamed it could be:
Venue
With all great stories, it all starts with the setting -- and with the story of your wedding, there's no greater importance than the venue. It sets the tone for the rest of the ceremony and celebration; rustic, minimalist, traditional, and/or elegant -- everything else will fall into place once the venue has been chosen.
Further, spending your money on what counts -- and this one counts -- is what it's all about. Of course, that's not to say that this is the ultimate splurge. Rather, choose the location wisely, and sometimes the location will reward you. Many wedding spots offer built-in décor and designs that might save you money in the long run.
Take The Courtyard at Gaslight Square as an example. Nestled in the downtown Corpus Christi area, The Courtyard's "captivating scenery and timeless elegance" create the perfect atmosphere for any event, with stained glass and festoon lighting providing "old world charm" to set the tone for your event.
Photographer
Ensuring how your wedding day will be captured forever is one of the touchstone decisions any couple must make when planning a wedding, and wedding photographers are not all uniform. They each come with different sets of eyes, approach, equipment, styles, and process. Choosing the right one is paramount, and this is where price comes in.
Most in-demand photographers -- the best ones anyway -- don't come cheap, and they are booked well in advance. But the trade off is worth the splurge, most definitely. The right photographer will know where to be and when, and will deliver those perfectly timeless photographs that will be cherished forever.
Catering
Much like the venue, the food served during a wedding reception has the power to make or break the entire event. Thusly, as mentioned time and time again in this blog, choosing the right caterer is one of the most importance decisions any bride-to-be and groom-to-be must make.
When it comes to planning the menu with the caterer, this is where a good portion of the wedding budget is usually and should be allocated, but for good reason. Whether you go all in with Prime Rib or Lobster, or more organic, with Farm-to-Table options, this is where you truly have the capacity to make your most important celebration very much your own.
Of course, many couples forgo the lavish dinner, and choose simplicity; finger foods, appetizers, etc. But having the capacity to make that decision, and to land wherever you need to on the food barometer, is why budgeting correctly for it -- and having the ability to spend a little extra on it -- is so important.
READ MORE: 10 Love Songs For That First Walk
Attire
Spending a little extra on your wedding attire is perfectly acceptable. After all, this is what you'll be pictured in, not just by your official wedding photographer, but also most assuredly by nearly every guest in attendance.
While they don't necessarily need to break the bank, finding the right wedding dress and tuxedo are reasons to allocate a little more of the budget for attire. Even beyond the dress and tux, ensuring the proper footwear and accessories can also add up, be it a Cowboy Wedding with boots, or high heels for the more traditional ceremony.
Above all else, you want to feel comfortable, you want to shine -- and you want to do so while being the best version of you.
Hair & Makeup
Much like wedding attire, the budget for the perfect Hair and Makeup come your big day is also an important piece of the pie. Brides need to feel beautiful, stunning even, as they walk down the aisle and say "I do." In order to do so, spending a little extra for the right professionals to work their magic for the bride and her bridal party come wedding day is more than acceptable.
Honeymoon
Deciding where to spend your first days as husband and wife can be a little daunting, but having the flexibility to choose wisely within a certain means can make the process more enjoyable. This all about the couple, after all, and spending time one-on-one, well after the party has come to a close.
Whether it be on a tropical island, a cross-country road trip, or anything in between, splurging on the perfect honeymoon affords the blissfully new married couple the opportunity to -- finally and together -- make lifelong memories.