Keeping track of all the different – and in many cases unexpected or overlooked – costs involved in organizing a wedding can be difficult, particularly when there are so many hidden expenses that can sneak up on you before your wedding day arrives. Planning a wedding is stressful enough, so imagine the feeling that you may get when expenses begin to get out of hand, and often with no end in sight.

Creating a functional and accurate wedding budget that includes all of the most commonly forgotten wedding costs can help you to avoid last minute problems. It can also help you save money in the end. Here are just a few planning steps that future brides and grooms can use to help them properly budget their wedding day:

• Start with a Wedding Budget – Set a financial goal and stick to it. There are many do-it-yourself approaches to help keep your costs in control. We all want a fairy tale wedding, but not all of us can afford all the bells and whistles.
• Wedding Costs Often Forgotten – Registration or license costs, stationary, invitation mailings and wedding favors are often overlooked expenses until it’s too late. Decorative e-mails can take the place of mailing a traditional invitation. So can making your wedding an event on Facebook. Not everyone is Internet savvy, but if you can put a dent in mailing costs, then it’s a good start.
• Decide What is Really Needed – Credit cards make it easy to spend money, but they are not as easy to pay off in a timely manner. Make a list of what you have to have, and also what you would like to have but can live without.

Wedding planning is not any easy task. For more wedding spending tips and advice, please read Sneaky Wedding Costs You Need to Look Out For. It has sound advice and gets right to the point. It also was the inspiration for this article!