Bright Budgeting for the Father of the Bride
I know exactly how it feels. By the time I hit age 50, I had lost all 4 of my daughters to marriage. Each instance caught me off guard, causing me stress beyond reason. After twenty-something years of loving, raising, and caring for them, it has always been difficult to release my daughters to another man. Unfortunately, I have found that letting go is part of the parenting process, as they transition from children into adults. Their marriages, through I often try to say otherwise, are an inevitable occurrence in their lives, regardless of my personal feelings. Once they have reached this point in their lives, my sole responsibility is to complete my duties as the Father of the Bride; trusting that my parenting will guide them for the remainder of their life.
Each time, this experience has shown itself to be dreadfully taxing, on both my emotions and my checkbook. However, with regards to my aforementioned realization, I have found that it is important to focus on the materialistic portion of the marriage, and let your emotions take care of themselves. The emotional distress will always be overcome, whereas a terrible marriage will be remembered forever. As the Father of the Bride, you take on all financing needs for the wedding, as well as being responsible to plan out each segment. This article is especially aimed at those, who like myself, have a limited expenditure to exhaust on this exclusive occasion. As males, it is unlikely that we will manage this role, but it is important that we maintain awareness regarding financial consumption. Because of this, we must sometimes oversee this project; to ensure that those enlisted (your wife and her friends) do not bring us unwarranted debt.
Tips for Choosing your Wedding Decorations:
Shop using Online Vendors.
It is now 2008, so we should all be familiar with online shopping. I have found that the internet market features a wide selection of wedding vendors, which cater much better to the specific needs you may possess. When shopping online, you are presented with 3x the selection which you could find inside a store. On top of that, internet shopping is quite reasonable in regards to pricing, and can present a great opportunity for those who are limited to a budget. While it may be fun to flip through the catalog at the wedding shop, the internet is the practical way to go.
Visit your local Dollar Store or WalMart
So many people disregard this market, especially the dollar store, when shopping for wedding favors. Still, after considering this option many will probably deem it as an unreasonable approach. However, I am of the mindset that price is just a number – quality is what really matters. In many instances, the products which are held by these markets were once in the higher stores, but were handed down to sell at a cheaper price. For items such as candles, lace, and balloons, these shops are much more reasonable, and offer the same quality.
Fake does not mean faulty
Keeping up with the Jones. That is the basic standard by which consumers live by – that of their neighbors and associates. In reality, fake can often be just as good as the real thing, especially in this case. When buying wedding flowers, and other decorative elements, it is wise to buy the artificial caliber. By doing this, you lessen the costs and make life a little easier on the decorator.
Less is More
This is one of those cute little phrases which we budgeted individuals like to say. In truth, less is sometimes more. When you consider it, the wedding is only one day out of the 1000s of days your child has existed. It cannot be so important that you would place yourself in undue debt, or drive yourself mentally insane. Rather than doing so, it would be a lot smarter to invest into the future of the wedding couple, by contributing more money into their wedding gifts, the honeymoon, or bank account.
Be Imaginative
This, I would say, is the most important part of this process. Regardless of the budget, there is always a fashion in which wedding decorations can be beautifully displayed. With the proper wedding theme, you can create a setting which contains just as much visual impact as one which required a massive checkbook. Decorating for the wedding can be a cinch – it all depends on the way you approach this process. As a father, responsibility should be nothing new. The only matter at hand is your mindset, and if you choose to make the best of this event.
