You’re engaged! It’s all so exciting – you’ve said yes, set the date, picked the color scheme and maybe even the venue, but now comes the dreaded talk of money and budgets. Whether you’re on a tight budget or have unlimited funds for your big day, budgets are necessary to keep realistic expectations of what things cost and what your priorities are. There are a lot of things to account for, and it’s important to make sure that you’ve planned for everything. Here are a few tips that will help make budgeting for your wedding day a little bit easier.

1. Write it out.

In order to get a good idea of what you have to spend, you’re going to have to crunch some numbers. Sit down for an hour and make a list of everything you have to pay for (be detailed!) and how much money you have to spend on the whole thing. This way, you’ll know EXACTLY what you’ve budgeted for and there won’t be any surprises.

2. Set priorities.

Decide what’s important to you. What are your “must-haves”? Is it great food, incredible pictures, or do you have to have the best DJ in town? Whatever it is, put it at the top of the list. List those things that are most important to you, and then put everything else below them.

3. Distribute funds.

Now that you know what you have to pay for, how much you have to spend, and what’s most important to you, it’s time to put those numbers to use. Are you budgeting the most money for the things you listed as most important? If not, you should be, so adjust your budget accordingly. Make sure you’ve done your research and are being realistic about what things cost, so that there are no surprises later.

4. Emphasize guest experience.

You want your guests to have an amazing time. These are the people that came out to celebrate with you (and who probably paid for a gift!), so you want to make sure they’re staying entertained. What are they going to remember the most when they leave? Make sure that there are some things on your priority list that are going to give your guests the best possible experience, and make them wish the night wouldn’t end!

Following these simple tips will have you the fast track to a wedding budget that’s reliable and realistic, and best of all, DONE. As long as you stick to it, you should have no problem.