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đ The Wedding Finances Edition
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Happy Solstice Weekend Besties,
***THIS IS NOT JUST FOR FIANCĂS *** Whether youâre a guest, a parent, or married, weâve got The Wedding Finances Cheatsheet for you.
đŠ Bookmark this for when ya need it. đŠ
Before we get into The Cheatsheet, here are some wild Wedding dress code ideas if you need some inspo for your lookâŚ
Wine Formal: No heels, because youâll be walking on uneven ground. Birks it is.
Desert Formal: Go with light fabrics. See: Zendaya at the Dune: Part 2 premiere.
Garden Party Chic: Itâs the opportune time for guys to rock a pattern without standing out. But take Martha Stewartâs word for it.
đ¨đ¨đ¨ We just dropped a new episode of TBOY HOTLINE with influencer & media entrepreneur Lauren Riihimaki, talking Wedding $$$ from the couch â Listen or watch the full episode.
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe here to get our weekly edition.
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Financial Trickshots
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Jack & Alexâs duet to âHomeâ, by Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros
âFinancial Trick Shotsâ = Low-investment, high-return, value-adding hacks.
Nick: Instead of a welcome basket or a succulent upon arrival (scaled to all 200 guests), we wrote them all cards. But for the groomsmen, I sent Jack and the other guys each a small Harry's Razors travel pack with a note "Get Groomed.â
Jack: A surprise duet from the newlyweds. The expectation is zero (I am not a singer, but my wife crushes the vocals). We coordinated with the band and I belted it out on the stage anyway and everyone loved it. 12/10 would recommend.
Lauren: Had a choreographed first dance⌠which substantially decreased the nerves of getting up in front of everyone and awkwardly swaying.
Formulas
đ Our âWedding Budget Formulaâ: Your dream venue price x 2 (assuming it includes food & drink) = Your Wedding Budget. If you can afford that, great! If not, choose a lower priced venue. From what we've discovered in our own experience & research, the venue is the earliest, largest, and most decision-influencing choice you make, so it should anchor the overall budget.
đ Our âGifting Rule of 100â: Take the first digit of your age x100 = The wedding gift money amount (ex: 27 years old? 2Ă100 = $200 gift budget)
âď¸ There are discounts. If youâre in the wedding party (sweat equity), work for a non-profit, had to fly there, or are a student â take 25% off.
âď¸ âď¸ If you cross 2 time zones or international borders = no gift requirement (thatâs a destination wedding).
âď¸ âď¸ âď¸ If youâre an investment banker, pay double (share the wealth).
Wedding gifts and wedding budgets are case-by-case and can be tricky. But these formulas should give you a starting point.
Letâs Talk Dessert
NICK: 3 cakes is an investment, not an expense. Because itâs a conversation starter⌠âDid you try the carrot-vanilla-buttercream??â
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Nickâs 3 cakes. Plus Mollyâs wild bonus Groomâs Cake.
JACK: Like our Takeaway about corporate spending, you can invest in joy. Like a Ben & Jerryâs scoop truck.
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Jackâs ice cream truck
LAUREN: Had a dessert spread which included âicebox shotsâ (liquid cheesecake with a graham cracker crumble). âNuff said.
Prenups?
LAUREN: A prenup doesn't have to be an emotional conversation. They had one - and so do 47% of married Millennials (acc. to a Harris poll). America is in the middle of a âPrenup Pop.â
NICK: âThe Architecture Analogyâ: Your relationship is either a foundation or a capstone. If your wedding is at the beginning of your professional lives (âfoundationâ), a prenup is less valuable â If itâs after youâve developed separate professional lives (âcapstoneâ), a prenup is more valuable.
Organizational software of choice?
NICK: Asana
JACK: Google Sheets (includes training the in-laws)
LAUREN: Notion & Google Sheets
Letâs talk financesâŚ
NICK: Itâs not a revenue-generating event. Donât take out debt for it.
JACK: Are you paying with free money (parents are paying) or expensive money (youâre paying yourself)? That makes a huge difference in your budget calculus.
LAUREN: Parents, give your child the check after the event.
NICK & JACK: Donât tell your vendors âyou donât have a budget.â Theyâll assume your budget is limit-less, and anchor the price high. Always throw out the first number in a vendor negotiation. đ¤
Where to splurge & saveâŚ
JACK: Splurge on the horns â in the band. Save on top-shelf tequila â no one will care when theyâre taking shots.
LAUREN: Splurge on a planner #gamechanger. Save on invitations.
NICK: F&B arenât equal: Splurge on food, save on fancy wine â Guests remember the Mac & Cheese, not the Tuscan Chianti.
Who to inviteâŚ.
LAUREN: When it comes to plus ones, NO RING NO BRING.
NICK: If it rhymes, it works.
What else?
NICK: Write your toast on notecards, not a phone. Paper is timeless. Your iPhone 3 is not.
JACK: Stay with your partner the whole reception. Hand in hand.
LAUREN: A Q-tip in the tear duct will save ya.
LAUREN: Take 15 minutes after the ceremony just to yourselves.
LAUREN: Wedding Bingo is a go. âWill the dog pee on the aisle?â The perfect way to recap the wedding with humor the next day.
đ And if you want to see just how spectacular Laurenâs wedding was â this is the The Knot Exclusive coverage on it.
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If ya missed an episode this week, we gotchaâŚ
Monday: Why Jake Paul is launching deodorant, not a bullet train
TBOY Tuesday: Inside Out 2 saved Pixarâs Midlife Crisis.
Happy Teenth! Stock markets were closed. So no pod.
The New Friday: Chick-fil-Aâs summer camp
âď¸ Friday TBOY Hotline Wedding $$$ with LaurenDIY
And one more thing. You thought 4 cakes was a lot of sweets⌠Nickâs mom, Alice, made an additional 8 different types of homemade cupcakes for the guests, which was literally over 100 cupcakes. đ§đ
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Aliceâs cupcakes at Nickâs rehearsal Dinner
Got your own Wedding $$$ Rule, Formula, or Financial Hack? Email it to us at [email protected] â Weâll put a ring on it đ.
âNick & Jack
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Nick & Jack at Jack & Alexâs Wedding
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