LAST BIG CHECK!!

We booked our DJ today with FM Entertainment!! We're so excited and I'm really proud of us, because so far, we're UNDER Budget!!

There were things we would have liked to add, for sure, but at the end of the day, it feels good to know we're being smart. If we have money left over, maybe we can go back and put it toward what we really wanted!

We're not using a Limo, so now I can focus on all my DIY projects and attire! WHEEE!!!!

Congrats!! Wish i was under budget!!

Could you FM me your quote from FM? We saw LI SOund this afternoon and I felt they were high. We have another meeting this week with a different company. Congrats on being done! I am in full-fleged photo mode trying to find someone to meet or beat my quote from Patken.

Congrats!

Congrats!!

Congrats!

Congrats on your final big check!

Congratulations!!!

good for u!

My tips for staying under-budget are skip the extras early on.

There were so many opportunities we had to tack on extras (RH, Photog & DJ) and it's easy to impulsively add stuff on, because in the grand scheme, what's a couple extra hundred? But it adds up quickly.

In every case, when we felt there was something 'extra' we held off on adding it to any contracts. Sure enough, when we went home and thought about it, we were glad we didn't add it. Plus, most vendors aren't going to turn you down if you come back saying, 'we'd like to add...'

There's one big extra that we're having a hard time letting go of, which is a string trio during ceremony & cocktail. It's not that it's not affordable, it's just out of budget right now and we're debating whether we'd like to use the money for the Honeymoon instead. We're going to hold off a little while longer and see if we really can't imagine the day without it and we'll see if there's wiggle room to fit it in. I was also thinking about paying for it as FH's Christmas and Birthday Gifts, since he wants it so badly.

So far, we're on-track for a $10,000-ish Wedding (excluding HM), which was what we wanted.