When talking about money, we often say we should save for a rainy day. For a day when we will not have work, for retirement, for a health issue. But really, we should also be saving for a sunny day – for travel, for college, for vacations, for … our wedding day!
A year ago my husband and I tied the knot during a quaint beach ceremony.
It was a small celebration. It was exactly the way I had envisioned it. And yet as small as it was, with only close family and my best friend, who officiated the wedding, it involved spending money. Our budget was tiny compared to what I hear people spend on weddings. But of course, we had to take care of a number of things ourselves.This was a second wedding for each of us. We had already had a larger, fancier event our first time we around. This time, we both knew that we wanted an intimate ceremony.
So you have an idea of what encore wedding expenses looked like for us, my dress cost a thrifty $99. My engagement ring was silver, and $250. Wedding rings added up to $150 (also silver). Clothes for the groom and our children totaled about $175. Food and drinks, maybe $300-400. Plane ticket for my sister, $450. Hotel for the officiant, $125. Our honeymoon in a nearby town, Sanibel was very affordable too, perhaps $300 or $400 tops.
As you can see, we did not make it an over the top event. Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to go all out on one of the most special days of your life! I recently attended and officiated the wedding of the friend who married my husband and me last year, and I know her budget was 10 times larger as mine, or more.
It was her first – and hopefully only – wedding, and she wanted the fairytale experience, ballgown, limo—the works.Now, if I had to go back and do it all over, there is one thing I would do differently. I would use a wedding planner. No, not the kind that helps you plan the event itself. I would use a financial planning tool, like the one that Suntrust, the bank where I’ve been doing business at for quite a few years now, has for future brides and grooms.
I hear you, I dislike dealing with budgets and money as much as the next person, especially when it comes to planning for a happy event. It should be fun, right?
But with Sunstrust’s Live for A Sunny Day tools, it’s painless and easy to set your saving goals and then do what it takes to make it come true. Men often wait to pop the question because they feel that they don’t have the resources to pay for the engagement ring, or the wedding itself. So why not plan for it ahead of time? There is never a right time to do anything in life, and it is always the right time to start saving for a sunny, heartwarming, beautiful day, that you will always remember.
Once you figure out the date of your wedding, and how much money you will need to fund it, you can start your Sunny Day Fund right now.
What I like the most about the program is that it guides you step by step, making it easy and accessible for everyone. Even for those, like myself, who are daunted by finances and financial planning.
What SunsTrust has to offer to help you save for your sunny day!
At SunTrust Bank their purpose is lighting the way to financial well-being. When you feel confident about your money, you can save for your goals and spend knowingly on what matters most to you. They know we all live for the sunny days and want to you help you live yours at yoursunnyday.com
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