Envision seven year old you. You are staring into a full-length mirror, your Grandmother’s heels on your feet, wearing the sparkly pink dress your Mom just had to buy, attempting to get your princess crown to stay on while applying hot pink lipstick. All the while, going through your mind are thoughts of how some day you will look beautiful, just like you do in that moment, only when that some day comes, you will have a Prince Charming, Cinderella’s carriage, eight thousand roses, twinkling lights, every guest will get a puppy, and the wedding will be held in an enchanted castle.

Fast forward twenty years later. You are no longer that little girl in your Grandmother’s heels playing dress-up, instead your role is now to play the Fairy Godmother to your brides-to-be and make their wedding dreams come true. While many people assume it is a cinch to listen to a bride and groom’s wedding plans and throw it all together, what they fail to take into account is the budget factor. There is nothing wrong with wanting the enchanted castle and horse drawn carriage at a wedding, but when a couple has a budget that is simply unrealistic for their demands, how does a wedding planner make them see the line between real and well, not-going-to-happen?

During the very first consultation with a couple after they hire you, pull out your budget guide. If you didn’t have one for your clients up until now, then make one. This will not only help them see what they can actually afford, but it will help you see where the money can and is going. Numbers don’t lie. As the couple is rattling off their must-haves of ten signature cocktails, silk table cloths, and wine flown in from Italy, put down the cost to do all of this on paper so they can see what it would take to make that happen. Assuming the bride and groom get over the initial shock of how much being flown to the altar in a helicopter costs, help them narrow down their vision and really focus on what they want to look back on about their wedding day and remember most. Once those details are in place, assist the couple in budgeting for those important elements and then see where the money can be cut or dispersed elsewhere.

As a wedding planner you will find that attacking the budget from the get-go will save you months of planning headaches and panicked phone calls from couples who can no longer afford groceries because the groom spent the last of their money so he could have Justin Timberlake serenade his bride at the reception. Remember when in doubt, pull out a calculator!

This is a guest post from Christine Pirkle. Christine Pirkle resides in Galena, IL where she lives with her husband of almost two years. She works as an Author Account Manager for Kendall Hunt Publishing in Dubuque, IA and also works as a wedding coordinator part-time for her own business Rise Events Planning.