A lot of West African couples are not planning one wedding. They are planning three: the traditional marriage, the church or court ceremony, and the reception. Many budgets fail because they were built for one.
A wedding budget does not need to be complicated, but it does need to be honest. Here is a practical way to build one.
1. Agree on the total first
Before looking at venues or dresses, sit down together and agree on how much you can spend. Include savings, expected contributions from family and any money you are willing to set aside from income over the planning period. Decide now whether you will borrow, and remember that a loan for a single day is still being repaid long after it.
2. List every event
Write down each ceremony separately: knocking and engagement, traditional wedding, church or court wedding, reception, after-party, thanksgiving service. For each, list the costs: venue, food, drinks, decor, clothing, photography, music, transport, stationery and gifts. Separating the events shows where the money really goes.
3. Include the engagement list
The items on the bride’s family’s engagement list, from cloth and jewellery to drinks and the bride price, can be a large part of the total. Get the list early and cost it item by item.
4. Choose your priorities
Every couple values different things. Some care most about photography; others about food, fashion, music or the venue. Pick your top three priorities and give them the largest share. Be willing to keep costs lower in other areas.
5. The guest list drives everything
Food, drinks, chairs, souvenirs and venue size all depend on how many people attend. West African weddings often attract uninvited guests, and families may add names. Decide on a realistic guest number, and plan for extras.
6. Watch the hidden costs
The costs couples forget include: transport for the bridal party, feeding vendors, tips, alterations to outfits, hair and makeup on more than one day, extra hours for venues and photographers when events run late, and printing and sharing aso-ebi.
7. Keep a contingency
Set aside a portion of the budget, often suggested at around ten percent, for surprises. Something always costs more than planned, and prices can change quickly when currencies move.
8. Track spending
Keep a simple spreadsheet or notebook of every payment, who it went to and what is still owed. Keep receipts and contracts.
9. Consider what can be smaller
Some couples combine the traditional marriage and reception on one day, choose a smaller church wedding, or hold a court wedding and thanksgiving service instead of a large white wedding. These choices can save a great deal without losing the meaning.
10. Remember the marriage
The wedding is one day. The marriage starts the next morning, with rent, bills and plans. A budget that leaves room for your first year together is a better gift to yourselves than an extra hour of hall rental.
The best-planned weddings are not always the most expensive. They are the ones where the couple still has money for dinner the week after.
