Harsanik’s Three Favorite Wedding Budgeting Tools

Modern technology has immensely simplified the process of creating and tracking wedding budgets for couples with apps, online trackers, and printable spreadsheets. Below are our top three favorite budgeting tools, in no particular order, based on effectiveness and usability.

Photo source Crown Complex

1. The Knot

The Knot’s budget tracker breaks down your expenses by category, such as “Ceremony,” “Reception,” ”flowers,” “music,” etc., and offers two columns for each category, “budget,” and “actual spend,” so you can track how far or close your are to your budget, whether you’re saving money, need to cut back, or right on point. The budget tracker is also available on the Knot app. All of this is done in a simple yet attractive layout, which earns and A+ in usability from us.

2. Wedding Wire

Wedding Wire’s budget tracker is far more specific than The Knot’s. When you first access the tool, it asks you to set your overall budget. Once set, you are taken to a worksheet, which, again, breaks down all of your expenses into categories. Wedding Wire’s worksheet also includes subcategories. For example, under “flowers,” you can track the individual costs of your bouquet, your bridesmaids’ bouquets, your centerpieces, etc. Based on the overall budget you provide in the beginning, Wedding Wire will provide you with a suggested budget for each category and subcategory. Since Wedding Wire also allows you to book and pay your vendors directly within the site, they can update your budget tracker based on the actual costs of your services, how much you’ve paid, and how much you still owe.

3. Brides

Brides is a thorough online wedding blog that includes guides, directories, photos, and wedding planning tools. They even have a magazine. When you first access their budget tracker, it asks you to enter your overall budget and number of guests. Based on this information, it generates a worksheet almost identical to that of Wedding Wire, where it breaks down your spending into categories and subcategories, and gives you a suggested budget for each based on your overall budget. You can plug in the rest of the information yourself, such as “amount paid” and “amount due,” but Brides doesn’t offer the option to contact and pay your vendors.

Each of these budgeting tools, along with most others you will find, offers the same core capabilities. Which is best for you will depend solely on your preferences: Are you looking for a simple, easy-to-use layout like The Knot’s tracker? A complete one-stop-shop wedding planning tool like Wedding Wire? Or a place where you can read articles and find ideas and inspiration, like Brides?

Share with us your favorite budgeting tool or personal method of budgeting in the comments sections below. One lucky user will win a $20 Amazon gift card. If you like someone's shared method please comment to help vote and choose a winner.