As kiwis we are notoriously bad when it comes to talking about money. We avoid the subject; quickly change the topic or fluff over any details. This may be an underlying contributor to why when it comes to weddings we suffer unnecessary anxiety over who will pay for what; and how much we will spend.
My advice is to treat it as you would a band aid... and rip it off quickly! Get it over and done with so you can move forward. If anyone is going to contribute financially to your wedding then talk with them upfront and set the right expectations
Traditionally the bride’s parents pay for the wedding, however now days it can be a mix of the bride and bridegroom’s parents and/or the bridal couple themselves. No matter the funding make up, just know that as soon as someone is contributing financially to your wedding there is a good chance they will want to be involved in the plans and decisions (even if they say they don’t)
While having people help out financially may sound like a compromise that will be easy to make, when you get in to the details it may be anything but!
To avoid issues here are my key call outs:
1) Have a conversation upfront; agree on who will contribute to what and what the budget will be
2) Set expectations between and your significant other on what is really important to you
3) Set a budget and stick to it. While this seems utterly boring it can save your wedding both financially and mentally! Get the wedding you really want without the money headaches and remember have fun!