Meeting 2 — Budget & Family Workbook
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Session 2 Workbook
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Budget Clarity & Family
Creating a financial plan that honours both cultures — and both families
Before we begin
Vision Statement Check-In

Before any numbers, we come back to why. Bring the Vision Statement you drafted in Session 1 — and the individual versions you each wrote as homework.

The guiding principle for today
"Every budget decision lives at the intersection of two questions: what can we afford? And what does this mean to us? We're answering both — together."
Partner A — homework version
Partner B — homework version
Exercise One
Setting Your Total Investment

Before family contributions enter the picture — what is the maximum amount you would feel comfortable spending, knowing you'd wake up the morning after with no financial anxiety?

Write your number privately first. Then share.

Partner A
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Partner B
$
$
Exercise Two
Shared Priorities Chart

Rate each wedding category independently — no discussing yet. Use: Essential / High / Medium / Low / Flexible. Then compare. Where you diverge is where the real conversation lives.

Aligned One level apart Significant difference
Category Partner A Partner B Notes
On family contributions
"Family money is generous and it comes with feelings. A contribution with no strings is a gift. A contribution that comes with opinions about the guest list is a partnership. Know which one you're accepting — before the money changes hands."
Family contributions — map them here
Who
Amount (approx.)
What it covers
Strings attached?
Exercise Three
Cultural Costs & Grace Margin

A fusion wedding has a premium — and that premium deserves to be budgeted explicitly. Toggle on the layers that apply to your celebration. Then set your Grace Margin.

Estimated fusion premium
$0
Added to your working total — based on midpoint estimates
Grace Margin

Always reserve 10–15% of your total budget for the unexpected. Fusion weddings carry more variables — this isn't pessimism, it's planning intelligence.

Grace margin amount
—
Total with fusion premium
—
Working budget (after margin)
—
Exercise Four
Family Conversation Prep

You'll have at least one family money conversation before Meeting 3. Use this section to prepare. Pick the conversation you're most anxious about and build your approach.

The conversation we need to have
Who are you talking to, what are you asking or saying, and when?
Script starters — use what fits your situation
Accepting a contribution — opening the conversation
"We're so grateful for your offer, and we want to talk with you about it before we say yes — because we want to make sure we're all on the same page. Can we have a conversation about what's most important to you to see at the wedding?"
Opens the expectations conversation before the money changes hands.
Declining a contribution gracefully
"Your support means everything to us. We've decided we want to keep the planning decisions fully in our hands so we can make choices that feel right for both families equally. We'd love for you to be involved in other ways."
Names the reason (fairness to both families) without leaving anyone feeling rejected.
Making a specific ask
"One of the things that matters most to us is [specific element]. If you were open to contributing to that specifically, it would make a real difference — and we'd love for that part of the day to feel like it belongs to you as well as to us."
Specific asks feel less awkward and give the contributor meaningful ownership.
When a family member pushes for a larger guest list
"Our venue holds [number] guests comfortably — going beyond that would change the experience for everyone. We've made sure [their closest people] are on the list. Can we look at it together and talk through who matters most to you?"
Names the constraint (venue, not preference) and invites them into a collaborative solution.
When the conversation gets heated
"I can hear how much this matters to you, and it matters to us too. Can we take a breath and come back to this in a day or two? I want us to find a solution we all feel good about."
De-escalates without conceding. Buys time without avoiding.
When a family member expects a tradition you're unsure about
"Can you help us understand what [tradition] means to you — what it represents in our family? We want to include it in a way that actually does it justice, not just go through the motions."
Repositions you as wanting to honour the tradition well — not avoid it.
Before Meeting 3 — your homework

Have the family conversation you prepared above. Come to Meeting 3 with real numbers: your confirmed couple's contribution and whatever family has committed. In Meeting 3 we build the full budget together and start vendor prioritisation.

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