1-Page Wedding Plan™

1-Page Wedding Plan

™

A simple way to create your best day.

Use the attached guide to complete the 1-Page Wedding Plan for an easy, down-to-earth overview of planning your wedding.

Couples that use the 1-Page Wedding Plan are empowered to celebrate their love in unique, personal ways without breaking the bank.

Pre-Planning

Next Big Goal

What’s your next big goal

after your wedding?

Post-Wedding Savings:

Budget

Starting Budget

Savings Plan

Contributions

Wedding Budget

Check the guide for helpful details!

Wedding Size

Wedding Budget

Est. Services Budget

Est. Cost Per Guest

Est. # of Guests

Tip:

Use a Honeyfund Wedding Fund to

organize contributions

Tip:

Cost per guest on average may be

between $130-300 depending on

the size and scale of your event

Wedding Plan

Vision

Time of Year

Indoor/Outdoor

Location

Sights, Smells, Details

Venue & Date

Ceremony Venue Fee

Reception Venue Fee

Per Guest Fee (if any)

Wedding Date

Tip:

Find unique vendors in Honeyfund’s Vendor Directory!

Services + Vendors

Fixed Costs

________ Attire

________ DJ/Musicians

________ Florist

________ Ofciant

________ Photographer

________ Planner

________ Stylist

________ Videographer

________ Other

Per-Person Costs

________ Cake

________ Catering

________ Favors

________ Guest Rooms

________ Invitations

________ Rentals

________ Transportation

________ Other

Total

Per-Person Rate

Guests

Guest List

Wedding Budget

Actual Per-Person Costs

Per-Person Rate

Actual # of Guests

Actual Fixed Costs

Invites & Registry

____/____/______ Save the Dates

____/____/______ Register for Gifts

____/____/______ Order Invitations

____/____/______ Send Invitations

Thank You

Print Honeymoon Photos

____/____/______

Mail Thank You Cards

____/____/______

Tip:

Cash is exible. Register at

honeyfund.com/signup

Tip:

Check your budget one more time

before making your guest list!

Est. Min. Fixed Costs

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

The Next Big Goal

Step one of our plan starts with a peek into your life beyond

the wedding day. Why? Because a good plan always begins

with the end in mind. Many couples make the mistake of

thinking that the result of all this time, effort and money is a

wedding. That’s wrong. The result is your marriage. That’s the

end that you should have in mind. More specically, imagine

the next big goal that you have as a couple. Is it buying a new

house? Starting a family? Finishing a graduate program or

paying off loans?

Whatever it is, it probably requires you to have some savings

on Day 1 of your marriage. So, take a moment to write down

your next big goal on the 1-Page Wedding Plan. How much

money would you like to have in the bank when you wake up

the morning after your wedding? You may not need the whole

budget for your next big goal on day one. If that’s the case,

just write down the amount you’d like to start with.

You’re embarking on the greatest adventure of your life:

marriage. And it all starts with one special day. In your

wedding planning journey, you’ll discover you’re up against

some pretty intense forces pushing you toward a bigger,

more expensive wedding. We know there are some amazing

vendors out there committed to making your day special. But

those forces can result in some serious fear of screwing up

the most important moment of your life. This plan is foolproof

against that kind of pressure.

The 1-Page Wedding Plan was created to help you make

your wedding day the best day of your life.

Welcome!

You see, Honeyfund was created by a real couple—like

you! —to solve a wedding budget problem. Over the past

15 years, we’ve learned a thing or two about making

extraordinary things happen on a realistic budget. And we

know something doesn’t have to be big to be great. And

neither does your wedding. In fact, when you focus more

on making the wedding authentic to you two, it becomes

something bigger than the cookie-cutter event with a

$35,000 price tag. Your wedding becomes something better

than you could have ever imagined. This plan will get you

there. Ready? Let’s go.

Not the BIG day, the BEST day.

Budget

Creating a wedding budget is simple. You’ll just use the

formula from the 1-Page Wedding Plan.

Wait, this plan makes you calculate formulas?

Don’t worry. We’ll help you do this simple math. All you need

are our calculators on the next page.

Starting Budget

+ Savings Plan

+ Contributions

= Wedding Budget

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

Savings Plan

Tip: We advise not to pick a wedding date before working

on the budget so you can create a timeline that works for your

savings plan. When friends and family ask you when you’re

getting married, you can respond, “We’re still working out the

details, but we’re shooting for a year (18 months, two years)

from now.”

Monthly Savings

Write in how much you can save each month.

Months Until the Wedding

How many months are there until your wedding?

Savings Plan Calculator

Contributions Calculator

Family & Friend Contributions

Name:

Contributing:

Name:

Contributing:

Name:

Contributing:

Starting Budget

Emergency savings is how much you’ll need to cover three

months of living expenses. That includes your rent or housing

payment, food, utilities and anything else you need to live

month-to-month. Now that you’re getting married, you have a

responsibility to protect your family in case of the unexpected.

Your emergency savings is how you do that.

Total Savings

Write in how much you have combined, today,

in cash or liquid assets

Next Big Goal

Write the number from your Next Big Goal box.

Emergency Savings

Write in your monthly expenses multiplied by 3

Starting Budget Calculator

STARTING BUDGET

The rst number is your Starting Budget. Think of it like all the

money you have available today, minus what you need to

have left over after the wedding. Use our calculator at right to

tally it up.

Tip:

If your Starting Budget is negative or very small, don’t

worry! This plan will help you come up with a workable

wedding budget anyway. All we need to do is add

some money.

Tip:

Calculate the formula with different numbers of months

to see how that changes the total Savings Plan.

SAVINGS PLAN

The rst way to add money to your wedding budget is with

monthly savings. How many months will you save? The

typical engagement period is 12-24 months.

How much can you each afford to save during your

engagement period leading up to your wedding day? There

are plenty of ways to nd additional funds in your monthly

income. Try taking on a side hustle, adjusting your paycheck’s

tax withholdings or asking for a raise. It’s hard for an employer

to say no when you tell them you’re getting married.

Use the Savings Plan calculator at right to see how much you

can add to your wedding budget.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY CONTRIBUTIONS

Next, you’ll calculate Friends and Family Contributions.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles often want to

contribute nancially or donate food, desserts, drinks or

owers. If you have no idea what this number might be,

one easy way to nd out is to set up a wedding fund in your

Honeyfund account. List the common costs associated with

a wedding and share the page with your closest friends and

family. They can donate the money right there or peruse the

list and let you know their intentions. Here’s an example of

what that could look like.

The other option is to simply call them up and ask. It will feel

awkward, but it’s a conversation each bride and groom need

to have. Use the Contributions Calculator at right to total up

the contribution.

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

Vision

By now, you should have a good sense of the size of the

wedding you’ll be able to pull off with your budget. With this

number in mind, it’s time to close your eyes and start to picture

your best day.

Do you have wedding guests watching? Or are you alone on a

mountaintop, jumping out of an airplane or in a Vegas chapel?

(Yes, people get married this way! For more “alternative”

wedding ideas, visit the Honeyfund blog.) Are you at your

favorite travel destination? Which country, state and city are

you in? What time of year is it? Are you in the church or other

house of worship? Are you outside in a wooded area, near the

ocean, or at a park? Do you have a wedding party? Whose

faces do you see? Look out at your wedding guests. Who are

the people smiling back at you from the rst two rows?

Try to imagine the SIGHTS, SMELLS, SOUNDS, COLORS, and

FEELINGS you are having. Now complete the Vision box on

the 1-Page Wedding Plan.

Tip:

You may want to do this visioning exercise separately,

then discuss until you have a combined vision. When

you do, write it into the plan.

Wedding Size (Skip for Elopements)

There’s one more simple calculation to do, and then we’re

done with the math for now. This box will help you get

a rough estimate of how many guests your budget can

accommodate. If you think of a wedding’s xed cost as the

bare minimum you need to actually get married, that’s usually

somewhere between $500 and $2,000. That would cover

the cost of things like a marriage license, an ofciant, and a

photographer.

To estimate your wedding size in terms of the number of

guests, write your wedding budget into the box. Subtract your

estimated xed costs and enter the new total. This is how

much you can afford to spend on everything else, including

the per-person fees, like cake, food, drinks, owers and favors.

Tip:

If you want a more elaborate wedding—the large

wedding cake, a plated meal, open bar and expensive

favors—divide your per guest budget by $200 or $300.

You can have a fancier event, but it will impact your

number of guests. See how that works?

Can’t afford to pay costs per guest?

Consider eloping, getting married in a standup ceremony, or

other ideas from our “Weddings For Every Budget” series on

the Honeyfund blog. We’ve got guides for $5000 weddings,

$1000 weddings, and even $500 weddings.

Let’s say the “per head” price for all these things is $130,

which is on the low end of the range (it can easily be $300 per

guest or more). You’ll divide your remaining budget by $130.

The result is the number of guests you can afford to host.

Congratulations! With these gures, you’re ready to calculate

your WEDDING BUDGET on your 1-Page Wedding Plan.

Write in the nal gures from your calculators on the Budget

box of the 1-Page Wedding Plan. Got it? Great!

Important: Think of your wedding budget, no matter the

number, as an aspect of your unique personalities.

Fun, jaw-dropping and surprising weddings can happen on

any budget. Pop-up weddings, ash weddings, backyard

weddings, park weddings, and potlucks have unique

character and charm because they are infused with YOUR

love and vision for your future together. You will have a great

wedding because this budget and the authentic day you

create represent the two of you at this moment in your lives.

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

Finalize Guest List

It’s time to make your nal guest list. You might be thinking,

“But wait, aren’t couples told to make the guest list rst? Why

did we do all these other exercises before that?” Because your

budget should be the guiding factor in your wedding guest list

size. Most of us only have a handful of truly close friends and

family who we must include. Our wider circle of family, friends

and coworkers will support us even if they don’t attend the

wedding. And if they don’t, aren’t you glad you didn’t blow

your budget to include them? It’s also a great excuse when

Tip:

If you absolutely must include everyone, you’ll have to

reduce the per guest price, do some things yourself,

and/or cut some services. Find DIY and cost-cutting

resources at honeyfund.com/TopResources.

your parents and friends start asking for additional guests to

invite. “I’m sorry, our budget only allows for a certain number

of guests. We’d love to plan a get-together with those friends

after the wedding.”

Services

Brainstorm about the services you plan to have for your

wedding. If you’re eloping or having another alternative type

of wedding, it won’t be many! Even for a traditional wedding,

you certainly don’t have to choose them all. Once you know

who you need to hire, start to research costs and choose a

vendor in each category.

Shop around to get the price that ts your budget. Remember,

if you need to make adjustments, you can always reduce the

guest list to t the budget. You haven’t invited anyone yet!

Need help asking the right questions? Check out “How to Ask

Venues, Vendors and Friends for Anything for Your Wedding”

on the Honeyfund blog.

Looking for nontraditional wedding resources that won’t break

the bank? Read up on our “Weddings For Every Budget” series

or check out the unique services in the Honeyfund Wedding

Vendor Directory.

Venue/Date

Ok, this is exciting. You are getting really close to setting a

date! But rst, you have to settle on the venue. Many couples

nd that the venue they fall in love with isn’t available on their

dream date, so they change the date or get a new venue. But

you won’t have that problem.

At least 9-12 months in advance, start shopping for a venue.

With your vision already done, narrow down the venues

you are going to consider. Are you looking for a church, a

restaurant, a resort, a community center, a friend or family

member’s home, or a public park? Are you eloping to a favorite

destination or seeking another alternative wedding? Find

unique wedding venues at honeyfund.com/TopResources. Or

nd a local directory of traditional wedding venues, circle the

venues that t your style and wedding size, and call them up.

Once you’ve seen several venues and chosen one, nd out

their availability and book a date.

Tip:

Ask if they can accommodate your budget before you

visit! Don’t worry if you get a lot of nos. There are plenty

of yeses out there.

Tip:

Be sure to choose a date that coincides with the

number of months you’ve committed to saving up.

You now have your wedding date! Write down your wedding

date on the 1-Page Wedding Plan. You can also write in the

essential venue-related fees here. Total these numbers and

subtract them from your overall budget. This is how much you

have left to book services and vendors.

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

What About the Honeymoon?

Honeyfund has been helping couples plan and pay for the

honeymoon of their dreams for 15 years. All you need is a free

Honeyfund account at honeyfund.com/signup. We’ll walk you

through the rest.

Need help deciding how to register?

Whether you’re dreaming of Vegas, Fiji, Italy, or another

amazing destination, we’ve curated starter registries you can

browse as inspiration for your romantic getaway!

Thank You Cards

Congratulations, you made it to your big day. You’re married!

Now make some time to write Thank You cards. Pick an

evening you’ll be together and write that date on the plan.

Handwritten cards are a lovely touch and inexpensive. Include

a picture of you both enjoying your honeymoon experience or

other gifts you received from your guests.

Tip:

You can even send faux-handwritten cards from a

service that prints and mails them for you. Find all our

recommendations at honeyfund.com/TopResources.

Invites and Registry

A great way to save on the cost of your wedding is to keep

communication with guests simple. The rst step: e-mail or

text Save the Dates. You save money, and your guests can

easily reply when you ask for their addresses. Boom! Mailing

list done.

Tip:

Create a Save the Date image in your Honeyfund

account under “Share.” Write the date you’ll send your

Save the Dates into the plan. Do this as soon as you

nalize your guest list.

Tip:

We have a ton of DIY invitation ideas on our website at

honeyfund.com/TopResources

About six months before your wedding date and before

you send invitations, register for gifts. Write that date in the

plan. Dreading the registry? Don’t worry. You can set up a

cash-based Honeyfund page in your pajamas. The best

part: Guests prefer shopping for experiences over dishes and

towels. How do we know? Honeyfund was started by a real

wedding couple to solve a real problem: no budget left for

the honeymoon. Since then, more than a million couples have

done the same, and guests always RAVE about the idea.

With your Honeyfund account, you can register for all the fun

experiences you’ll have on your honeymoon.

Got the honeymoon covered? Use your Honeyfund for a home

down payment or your Next Big Goal. It’s totally customizable.

Guest contributions end up as cash in your bank account,

giving you the ultimate exibility. Bonus: You can register for

nearly 200 popular gift card brands, too.

Check out some of our popular starter registries:

Starter Honeymoon Registry

Starter Home Registry

Fun! Registry

Anything Registry

About four months before the wedding, you’ll need to be ready

to mail your invitations. Write that date into the plan. If you are

ordering invitations, give yourself about two months before

the mailing date. Don’t forget to print invitation inserts from

your Honeyfund account. They include a link to your page.

1-Page Wedding Plan

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Guide

Questions or Feedback?

We’d love to hear from you. Visit honeyfund.com/ContactUs.

Check Out These Resources

TOP WEDDING PLANNING RESOURCES

https://www.honeyfund.com/TopResources

HOW TO ASK VENUES, VENDORS AND FRIENDS FOR

ANYTHING FOR YOUR WEDDING

https://www.honeyfund.com/blog/asking-vendors-venues-

and-friends/

WEDDINGS FOR EVERY BUDGET

https://www.honeyfund.com/blog/category/wedding-

budget/

$500 Weddings

$1000 Weddings

$5000 Weddings

HONEYFUND WEDDING VENDOR REGISTRY

https://www.honeyfund.com/blog/online-wedding-vendor-

directory/

HONEYFUND GIFT CARD SHOP

https://shop.honeyfund.com/gift-card

SAMPLE REGISTRIES

https://www.honeyfund.com/starter-registries

Anything Registry

Fun! Registry

Starter Home Registry

Starter Honeymoon Registry

Wedding Fund