Wedding Details You Should Splurge On

Your wedding is supposed to be a magical day filled with love and happiness. But that can be tough to accomplish when you're haunted by the gaping holes in your savings. It's equally as hard to celebrate when you know that you've penny-pinched your way into a spartan, joyless reception.

Experts recommend setting a budget as one of the first steps of wedding planning-even right after you set a date. But how do you know what items are worth spending big bucks on? We've gathered a consensus of the opinions of various party planners, wedding day planners, and events specialists and come up with a list of four items that you absolutely must try to pay top dollar for.

For our splurge picks, we have food and alcohol, anything that the bride herself will wear, the couple's wedding bands, and video and photography services.

Feed your guests well

First on the list of worth-it splurges are food. If you are throwing a party, ensure the quality (and quantity) of the food and drink that you will be serving. Spend as much as you can reasonably afford good, filling food, and an open bar is always a crowd-pleaser. After all, these will make the most impact on your guests at the reception.

Say yes to the dress

The bridal gown is another aspect of your wedding that you shouldn't be shy about spending on. However, we aren't advising you to go over your budget just to bag your dream dress. If you find a dress that you absolutely love but can't afford, find other ways. Find out if you can borrow a fabulous gown from a designer whose work you love. Look for a similar (or the same) dress at a gown rental shop, too.

Don't be stingy with the memories

Don't forget that you will want to treasure the memories of your special day. Because of this, you wouldn't want to trust the serious task of capturing these precious memories to some part-time hobbyist without a portfolio.

You may let an amateur friend take photos if they want, but secure the services of a professional photographer and videographer. The pros should have the main responsibility to record the events. This is to save you the heartbreak of having nothing but poorly-lit, blurry photos of your back to look upon in your golden years.

Choose lasting symbols

Last but definitely not least on the list of "worth it" expenditures is the couple's wedding bands. These are going to be a lasting physical symbol of the day. If all goes well, you will be wearing them for the rest of your lives. Take your time and make sure that the bands are something that suits both partners. You don't have to match them exactly. You can even take things a step further and have custom design wedding bands made.

While these are pretty good rules to follow, remember that there is still one rule of thumb that trumps everything: Spend on things you love and symbolize your love for each other. If you bond over a love of music, pay for a good band. If you cosplay and it's your thing, spend on costumes for the wedding party. Ultimately, only you decide what is worth it. After all, it is your wedding.