The “B-word,” otherwise known as the budget, is the nasty little detail that no one wants to talk about. Your budget has a very big influence on your wedding. It will dictate the size and style of your wedding, as well as other aspects such as flowers, music, photography, video, transportation, and so on.

As you determine your budget, remember that a wedding can be beautiful whether it costs $5,000 or $50,000. What will make your wedding memorable are the love and the people, not the elaborate extras.

The Budget

Talking money is not an enjoyable part of wedding planning, but it is a vital part of the process. Too often, couples sit down to sort out the wedding budget with no sense of what a wedding costs or what it takes to get them from A to Z. They have grand ideas, but no concept of how those ideas translate into reality, or how much those ideas cost. When it is time to set the budget, it is important to be realistic and to figure out how your wedding is going to be paid for.

TIPS FOR SETTING THE BUDGET

• Is anyone contributing monetarily — the groom, your parents, his parents? Honestly discuss your expectations and the finances with them.

• Prioritize the areas of your wedding so that you can spend money on what's most important to you. Be willing to drop the notion of serving steak at the reception in order to afford a good photographer.

• The date you select will affect your final costs. Prime or high-season wedding dates are from May through October.

• Don't ignore your tastes. If you have grown up eating caviar at the finest restaurants, a cake and punch reception at the local community center is probably not going to satisfy you.

Traditional Expenses

While the bride's parents traditionally financed a major portion of the wedding, it is commonplace for the groom's parents to contribute to the budget. As couples marry later in life and have the financial means to do so, the bride and groom also finance a portion or sometimes the entire wedding. It is not uncommon for the groom's family to contribute as well.

TRADITIONAL BRIDAL EXPENSES:

• Bridal gown and accessories

• Invitations, reception cards, and announcements

• Fee for the ceremony site

• Flowers for the ceremony and reception

• Attendants' bouquets

• Bride's father's and grandfather's boutonnieres

• Music for the ceremony and reception

• Groom's wedding ring and gift

• Photography and videography

• Housing and gifts for the bridesmaids

• Limousines/transportation

• Reception costs (venue, food, liquor, and décor)

TRADITIONAL EXPENSES FOR THE GROOM AND HIS FAMILY:

• Bride's wedding and engagement rings

• Bride's bouquet and gift

• Marriage license

• Officiant's fee

• Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers

• Boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen, his father, and grandfather

• Ushers' housing and gifts

• Rehearsal dinner

• Honeymoon

BRIDESMAIDS' EXPENSES:

• Their dresses and accessories

• A shower gift

• A bridal shower

• A bachelorette party (a portion of)

• Their travel expenses

• A gift for the couple

GROOMSMEN'S EXPENSES:

• Their tuxedos or suits

• A bachelor party

• Their travel expenses

• A gift for the couple