Calling Hudson_Hawk!

[mrscushion]

Hey Hudson_Hawk, I saw you post this in another thread and didn''t want to thread-jack:

Date: 4/25/2009 8:19:30 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I would NOT use the knot''s budget''er as it''s built with TONS of extras that will make you spend more money than you really need to.

I''m really interested in your opinion as to what things in the Knot budgeter aren''t really necessary and can be cut. I''m just starting the planning process and am already a bit overwhelmed by all the expenses that need to be budgeted for. I hope you don''t feel like I''m calling you out, I just thought your feedback would be really interesting. Thanks in advance!

 

[redfaerythinker]

I''m not Hudson, but I do use the budgeter on the knot. I like it because it gave me something to go on. And I can add and take away whatever I want to tailor the budget to my wedding. I think that it can be a great tool, but that it should be viewed as you would view everything else in this process. The wedding industry is out for your money... and they''re going to do all that they can to make you think that you need more stuff. Just take a moment with every budget item, and think about whether or not you would really miss it, or would your guests miss it. Hope that helps!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I just feel like the knot is SUPER commercial and they''re always throwing "stuff" and services at you to buy or new "traditions" that you MUST take part in. I guess my issue spans the budgeter tool AND the checklist. I think the budgeter tool is bogus in how it tells you what % of your budget should go to what.

I found it much easier to follow a simple budget in Excel.

 

[mrscushion]

Thanks, ladies. I''ll think carefully about every item. If other people want to chime in on what things they think are expendable (I guess ceremony programs are one of those things, judging from another thread going on right now), I''d love to hear opinions.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Things we''re not doing are:

Band (we have a DJ but contemplated using an ipod)
videographer
wedding coordinator
Professionally printed invitations and STDs(I did them at home)
limo/transportation for guests
church ceremony
programs
we''re still on the fence about favors
we''re not doing the standard dances other than bride and father and b/g first dance
no cake cutting
no speeches
the bridal party will not be announced
no sand ceremony
no centerpieces (too much is already going on in the room)

 

[Octavia]

The thing I don't like about the Knot Budgeter is that it's really inflexible. You put in your budget, # of guests, and # of bridal party members and it tells you what it thinks your budget for each item should be. You can delete items, but you can't adjust the budgeted amount -- you can only put in your actual amount. This doesn't work for me because I'm planning to DIY a lot, so I know my bouquet won't be $187 even though I don't know the "actual" cost yet -- but it won't let me change that to $30 and use the extra $$ somewhere else without adding a whole new budget item and deleting that one. Too many steps for me. I think the budgeter on Weddingwire is much better and much more customizable.

 

[sammyj]

Date: 4/26/2009 5:23:44 PM
Author: Octavia
The thing I don''t like about the Knot Budgeter is that it''s really inflexible. You put in your budget, # of guests, and # of bridal party members and it tells you what it thinks your budget for each item should be. You can delete items, but you can''t adjust the budgeted amount -- you can only put in your actual amount. This doesn''t work for me because I''m planning to DIY a lot, so I know my bouquet won''t be $187 even though I don''t know the ''actual'' cost yet -- but it won''t let me change that to $30 and use the extra $$ somewhere else without adding a whole new budget item and deleting that one. Too many steps for me. I think the budgeter on Weddingwire is much better and much more customizable.

I found the Knot Budgeter inflexible too for the same reasons as Octavia. Although I''m not really following my budget tool and we''ll probably end up using Excel, I really like the one on the Martha Stewart website.

 

[mrscushion]

Date: 4/26/2009 5:14:45 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Things we''re not doing are:
videographer

That was the first thing I cut, too. I want killer photos much more than a video memory of the event.

 

[mrscushion]

Date: 4/26/2009 6:16:00 PM
Author: sammyj

Date: 4/26/2009 5:23:44 PM
Author: Octavia
The thing I don''t like about the Knot Budgeter is that it''s really inflexible. You put in your budget, # of guests, and # of bridal party members and it tells you what it thinks your budget for each item should be. You can delete items, but you can''t adjust the budgeted amount -- you can only put in your actual amount. This doesn''t work for me because I''m planning to DIY a lot, so I know my bouquet won''t be $187 even though I don''t know the ''actual'' cost yet -- but it won''t let me change that to $30 and use the extra $$ somewhere else without adding a whole new budget item and deleting that one. Too many steps for me. I think the budgeter on Weddingwire is much better and much more customizable.

I found the Knot Budgeter inflexible too for the same reasons as Octavia. Although I''m not really following my budget tool and we''ll probably end up using Excel, I really like the one on the Martha Stewart website.

You know, I agree. ...

goes off to check out weddingwire...