What are your wedding numbers?

When you think “wedding,” you might envision dresses, rings, flowers…

It would be smarter, though, to think about numbers.

Not very romantic, I know. But numbers are monumentally important. (In fact, they’ll dictate exactly what those dresses and rings and flowers will be like later on.)

So which numbers should you focus on first?

1. The Budget. How much money do you have to spend? (Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?) Take a look at your financial status. Estimate how much you can spare for a wedding, then break that number down into specifics. (For instance, a third of your budget could easily be spent on food and drink alone.)
2. The Guest List
   How many people will you invite? (30? 130? 300?) Large events can be a blast, but smaller ones are usually a lot less hectic. No matter which you want, each guest needs to be accommodated (seats, meals, drinks, favors, etc.), so you’ll need to be sure your budget covers everyone.
3. The Date and Time
   What year, month, and time of day are you aiming for? Off-season wedding months might be chilly, but they’ll be easy on your wallet. Similarly, a Sunday afternoon wedding will cost less than one on Saturday night. Take the budget and size of your wedding into account as you try to nail down a date and time.

These numbers are interrelated. (Inviting fewer people might allow you to nab a more desirable date, for instance.) So if you change one number, don’t forget to go back and adjust the other two accordingly.