Money tips: Wedding planning during the lockdown

To help alleviate some of the financial planning concerns during this unprecedented time, Emma-Lou Montgomery, associate director at Fidelity International has shared her expert advice and tips to manage your current wedding plans during the lockdown period.

Emma-Lou commented: "While weddings are a joyous occasion, planning them can be very stressful. For anyone dealing with this in the current climate, the likelihood of having to postpone the date or cancel for the foreseeable is a very upsetting prospect and can be a real hit on your personal finances. However, taking even a few small steps to efficiently manage the wedding fund you do have in play now, will significantly help you and your partner in the long-run."

Stay up-to-speed
While right now is a very stressful time for anyone trying to keep their wedding plans in order, staying in-the-know on the important issues and getting to grips with how they affect you will put you in better control of your wedding finances. It will also help you keep a bit of perspective on what is, and what isn't, worth worrying about month to month.

Cut down your outgoings
Going through your bank statement is a quick and easy way of identifying unnecessary outgoings that you can turn into additional wedding savings. For example, cancelling unused subscriptions and limiting your purchases to only necessary items could potentially save you hundreds of pounds over the next few months; a saving that you can then put towards your big day.

Postpone instead of cancel
Rescheduling your wedding may be the last thing you want to do, but the sooner you understand your options, the more prepared you'll be when speaking to your suppliers and your guests. Often, you'll risk losing more money by cancelling outright. Try to prioritise by speaking to your celebrant and chosen venue first as they are likely to be trickier to re-book than caterers, florists or car services, where you at least have other options, if your first choice isn't available.

Stick to a plan
Whether you're hoping to wed this year, next year or in the next five years, it's best to get an adaptable budgeting plan in order. List your goals, map this against your current income and expenditure and you have the beginning of a financial plan, which, if you stick to it, can make a huge difference to you and your partner's celebrations and future financial position. Because starting married life up to your eyeballs in debt does not pave the way to wedded bliss.

Take advantage of technology
Getting through the next couple of months is one thing, but it's equally important not to lose sight of the end goal and let your finances suffer too much. To help you manage, why not use this time to explore the range of money apps available. These will give you real-time information about your savings, investments and spending habits. Indeed, our research found 49% of women are increasingly turning to online platforms in order to better manage their money.