Five compromises to consider when wedding planning

Marriage is all about compromise, right? 

Finding compromise during wedding planning is no easy task. Sometimes you’re not going to get your way and other times you’ll need to just say yes to your partner or family. BUT keeping it as fair as possible is always best, so neither you nor your partner misses out on anything on your big day. A good place to start is for both you and your partner to write out a list of what you must have at your wedding, and then a separate list of wedding items you are willing to compromise on. Overall, here are five things to compromise on for your wedding:

1. Your wedding budget

Your budget is going to be either the easiest or the hardest thing to compromise on for your wedding. You may both be able to agree on what the budget should be, but it’s staying on budget that is important. There are a lot of things that can distract you when planning a wedding. Go down the list of your wants/needs for your big day and itemize them in order of importance, then consider each of them separately to see if they could be affordable or not. For instance, when looking at your wedding day, do you need to get married on a Saturday evening? Could you compromise on a Friday or another day? Maybe for your menu, consider doing a buffet instead of a plated meal? Each of these options is an easy way to cut costs. Use your list of wedding ‘must haves’, get a bunch of quotes from vendors, and try to negotiate costs whenever possible. It‘s easy to get your budget off track by saying “what’s another couple of hundred dollars?”, but remember, those extra dollars do add up in the end! Check-in with your partner often to keep each other accountable and on budget.

2. Your wedding guest list

If you want to keep costs down, you’ll need to compromise/get creative with your guest list. During COVID-19 it’s easier to limit your guest list due to limited capacities at various venues, however, as businesses start to open up (check local COVID-19 protocols) your guest list will be something you’ll either want to splurge on or need to cut back on depending on your budget. One option to help you get creative with your guest list is to invite only close family and friends to the dinner portion and inviting all other guests to join later at the reception/’party’ portion. That’s a fun way to ensure everyone can come to celebrate with you, but it keeps the overall food, drink, and decor costs down. Read our blog on ‘Where to compromise on your wedding budget?’ for more cost-cutting tips!

3. Your wedding decor 

You can easily compromise on decor by minimizing extra decor items you add to your venue costs or rental costs. Consider choosing standard linens, colours, chairs, etc. Most wedding venues do have minimal decoration for you to use, regardless of your budget. Some venues are so beautiful on their own they may not need extra decor, so it is completely your choice if you want to add to your wedding decor. You could also compromise on decor costs by doing decor items yourself. DIY your decor by asking friends and family to help, or asking your florist to provide extra greenery or simple flowers, like baby’s breath, to scatter throughout the venue space. Asking your wedding party to help out could be a great bonding exercise for everyone! Whether you want your decor to be simple or more intricate, you will most likely need to compromise on it. Remember you and your partner are a team, if one of you doesn’t like an aspect of the decor, consider altering it so you can somehow get what you want but your partner isn’t bothered by it all day.

4. Your wedding party

Your wedding party is composed of all your favourite people, however, the more people you have standing next to you at your wedding ceremony, the more it will cost you and the more organizing you will need to do. Compromising the number of people standing next to you on your wedding day can save you costs on dresses, gifts, your time, etc. The smaller the bridal party you have could mean less stress and more budget for other wedding items. If you and your partner can’t compromise on the number of people in your wedding party, consider letting each groomsman and bridesmaid know what costs you are willing to cover for them. This will give them the option to think about their personal budget. 

5. Your wedding planning task list 

It’s important to compromise on your wedding task list. Asking for help during wedding planning is crucial as it’s too stressful to do everything yourself! Delegate tasks to friends and family to help you. It is recommended that you give specific tasks to friends/family with a specific skill set. For instance, if you have a creative friend/family member, they may be willing to help you with decor pieces or designing invites/thank you cards. Also, consider asking for help with simple tasks, such as picking up flowers or the groomsmen’s suits. This could save you time and stress. 

Compromising during wedding planning doesn’t mean sacrificing and missing out. It means, finding budget-friendly options, creativity on your wedding day, and asking loved ones for help. Keeping an open mind and being honest about what you want/don’t want will ensure that you’ll end up with a beautiful wedding day!