Joanna Hu

Weddings are generally joyous celebrations of love and a time to be shared with your nearest and dearest friends and family. However, the logistical side of wedding planning can often derail the celebratory mood of the day. Weddings are often dictated by the personal preferences and tastes of the happy couple, however, they are often, unfortunately, also dictated by budget considerations. As we move away from the traditional model where parents would pay for the wedding, that financial burden has now fallen to the couple themselves. For younger couples, this can mean that the cost of footing a wedding bill comes at the same time as attempts to purchase their first home or caring for newly born children. Careful planning becomes all the more important to avoid creating undue stress during this time.