Sure, you know that wedding budgeting takes no prisoners. But no one is ever TRULY prepared for what this means without having hiked through the hells of wedding planning already, and no one – not even a wedding planner – has your best interests at heart as much as you do.

So, it’s time to get educated. Here is your introduction to budget boot camp:

1. Pick A Wedding Budgeting System That You Understand

Many systems exist that help you track all the money coming in and out for your wedding – but picking the right one is essential. One example is The Knot Budget Calculator, which calculates how much you should be spending on all aspects of the affair, and tracks all your payments along with their due dates.

2. Anticipate Extra And Hidden Wedding Costs

These’ll get ya. But with so many others who have already experienced this, you can budget them in ahead of time. Here are some of the most common fees that sneak up on you:

Overtime Fees

Of course, you’ll rent your space with ample time for everything to wrap up, but after all that delicious wining and dining, no one’s going to want to leave the party – including you. Nor will they have the clarity of mind to make that responsible decision. And the venue is ready and waiting to capitalize on it. In fact, they eagerly await it, so ask them ahead of time how much it’s gonna set you back – and budget for it.

Tips

That’s right – every professional whose counsel you seek out along the way is expecting a tip in some form. Even conservative tips can add hundreds to the wedding bill at the end. And don’t forget the bellboy.

Trials

Changes equal charges. Pre-wedding trials aren’t usually free, so don’t plan to change your mind too many times. And just because they don’t hand you the check upfront doesn’t mean they won’t bill it to you later.

Miscellaneous Extras

Invitation materials, marriage license fees, party favors and “the little things” you “just have to include” may seem small at first, but they add up. If something is over the budget, do not tell yourself you’ll make the cut somewhere else unless you do it right then and there – you won’t, and you and your bank will regret it.

Our estimate? Extra fees will cost the equivalent of 5% of your total budget.

3. Pencil In Periodic Budget Reviews

Yes, this is something you need to plan in advance if you ever want to find the time.

Blake Shelton has taken the country music world by storm in recent years. As he’s simultaneously seen his fame increases due to his place as a judge on The Voice. It’s his high profile relationships, however, that have put Blake in the headlines.

Blake and Miranda were happily married for 4 years until the couple parted ways. Their public divorce, which made headlines thanks to Blake’s quick turnaround with The Voice co-star Gwen Stefani made fans questions everything. Although, Blake and Miranda parted amicably, it’s Shelton’s latest news that has Miranda Lambert reeling.

Their chemistry quickly became clear to viewers who began to suspect that there was a romance simmering beneath the surface. When the two made a joint pit stop on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to battle one another in a lip-syncing duel, the audiences could no longer deny that something was there. The source from The Voice confirmed, “The chemistry between them is off the charts. Everyone on set sees that Blake and Gwen are falling for one another.” Miranda looked on as their relationship blossomed…

Unfortunately for Blake and Gwen, neither was single and able to pursue the relationship. Gwen was married to Gavin Rossdale, while Blake was married to Miranda Lambert. It was a surprise then when in 2015, each ended up getting a divorce only one month before the other did. Many fans began raising their eyebrows, accusing Blake of all sorts of things. The break up of Gwen’s marriage after 13 years and three children, was all the more unexpected, however.

Though they only married in 2002, Gwen and Gavin had first been introduced in 1995, dating their relationship back more than twenty years. Their marriage had suffered some early controversy when Gavin discovered that his goddaughter, Daisy Lowe, was actually his daughter from a past relationship with the designer, Pearl Lowe. Gwen was unfazed by the revelation, and the pair would go on to have three children of their own in 2006, 2008, while their third, Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale was born in 2014.

In 2003, rumors began to creep their way into the tabloids that Gavin Rossdale had enjoyed a relationship with the androgynous musician, Marilyn, after Marilyn released a song dedicated to Rossdale. This was not the first time the two had been linked, as tongues were wagging back in 1995, when their alleged relationship occurred. By the time the song hit the airways, Gavin was finally ready to admit the truth, and said the relationship had been “part of growing up.”

Like many other celebrities, Gavin and Gwen had a slew of nannies to help them parent their boys while maintaining their busy careers. One of their many helpers was the Australian born Mindy Mann. After years of service with the family, Gwen one day discovered that Mindy had utterly betrayed her trust by engaging in an affair with Gavin for many years. When discussing the revelation, Gwen said that the time had been “a year that was so full of horror- the worst, worst.”

It’s no surprise that after Gavin and Mindy had completely shattered her world, Gwen wanted to stay as far away from Gavin as possible. Her house felt haunted by the ghost of his presence, as his essence lingered over places that had once been her respite, from the hot tub to the pool, the gym, and even their outdoor kitchen. Little did the public know that Stefani had privately taken on her husband’s last name when they married. Rossdale soon legally reverted back to Stefani.

Divorce wasn’t easy on either Gwen or Blake Shelton. The stress took its toll on Blake’s body as he tried to cope with all the changes, resulting in a noticeable weight loss. The change was so apparent that he was forced to confront it when he stopped by America’s Morning Show. When asked what changes he had made in his routine, Blake revealed that he hadn’t consciously done anything different to lose weight. “I just stopped eating,” Blake said.

It wasn’t a hard puzzle to piece together. Little hints had been increasing over the months that Gwen and Blake had become an item. First Blake was spotted entering the Four Seasons hotel in New York City, while Gwen followed just a few minutes later. Several days after, the two attended the actor Jared Leto’s Halloween party together, where they were even supposedly spotted holding hands. To cap off the week, they then appeared to be on more intimate terms at Adam Levine’s party.

Gwen didn’t have a care in the world, she was in such ecstasy while with Blake. She said that he “made her feel good again.” His kindness too was a big change after being with Gavin for so many years. Nevertheless, Gwen still harbored hard feelings for Gavin, who she deemed as a “control freak.” Gavin for his part felt he was being unfairly maligned by the burgeoning lovers. A friend of Gavin’s claimed, “[Gwen] “just didn’t let [Gavin] work.”

After working with the happy couple on a day to day basis, Adam Levine, another Voice judge had a lot to say about Blake and Gwen. I see it every day. I have a pretty unique perspective on it, and it’s real, man. I’m so affectionate and gross with my wife- this is a whole other level of…vomit.” Levine continued, “They’re so in love it’s disgusting.” Since they are happy, the couple has a new goal.

The magazine, In Touch Weekly, has reported Stefani’s plans to try having a baby via IVF, though she is on her “final embryos.” Even with the incredible advances in medical technology, the chances of success are still slim at Gwen’s age. Despite it all, they said that they “believe that God has a bigger plan for her, and that includes getting pregnant.” In such a tricky circumstance, sometimes faith is the only crutch you have to rely on, other than your partner.

As talk of their baby plans continue to grow, their wedding seems to have taken a back seat. For his part, Blake might not be ready to walk down the aisle quite yet after the heartache induced by his second divorce. Someone close to the couple told in In Touch Weekly, “Blake had hoped that time would ease the pain of the divorce…but sadly, it just hasn’t.” The split may have occurred two years prior but, “Blake admits he’s still devastated.”

In the wake of Blake’s two high profile relationships with first Miranda Lambert and now Gwen Stefani, fans often forget about Blake’s first wife. He met Kaynette Gern when they were only in high school. At the time, Blake swore that “Kaynette was the one.” Kaynette dutifully took on the role of both wife and manager to Blake, however, their marriage was doomed to fail. When they split only three years later, Kaynette alleged Blake engaged in “inappropriate marital conduct.”

Kaynette packed up her bags, returning to their native Oklahoma. She was dismayed when Blake moved back into the neighborhood with Miranda Lambert on his arm. Kaynette stated, “It just felt like Oklahoma wasn’t big enough for all of us.” Kaynette too needed to rid herself of her ex husband’s memories, even going so far as trying to sell her wedding dress on eBay. Kaynette has returned to an ordinary life, working for an elementary school. She has since married Cody Joe Scheck.

Blake wanted to uphold traditional family values and sought out permission from Miranda’s father before he proposed to her. They had been dating for four years, and it was time to move the relationship forward. A year after getting engaged, they married in a low key wedding in Texas. Though their nuptials were attended by other celebrities, including Kelly Clarkson, Cee Lo Green, and Reba McEntire, the affair was humble enough that Miranda even wore her mom’s own wedding dress.

Despite Blake Shelton’s two marriages and divorces, he never ended up having children. During his marriage to Miranda Lambert there were constant whispers that they would announce a baby any day, when instead they suddenly announced their divorce. How did he get there? Recently Blake speaks out against Miranda in latest cryptic tweet “Wait!! Could it be?! Yep!! It’s karma!!”.

Perhaps the two should have suspected that the union wasn’t going to go the way they expected when they were often separated for long periods of time as their careers took the to different corners of the world. Miranda was touring, while Blake was at home recording. Miranda felt the distance would be good for their union, noting that the guys in the studio with Blake would say, “Blake’s been talking about you so much,” whenever she had the chance to visit.

When Blake began working as a judge on The Voice, he was pulled even further away from Miranda, who was still busy touring the USA. Even so, Blake knew it would be important to put his wife first. “Early on in my career I wouldn’t say no to anything, because any little opportunity I got I thought might be the last one,” Blake would say. “I got a wife now. I say no to the things that might not matter as much.”

Once the couple had been married for two years, it was time for the rumor mill to kick in, prophesying that they would soon announce that they were expected a child. However, when asked directly, Blake said they “[didn’t] have any plans on it. That’s kinda how [they] live [their lives]. If it happens one day then it happens and we’re not trying to make it happen or avoid it.” Of course, that far from implied Blake didn’t want children.

By 2013, Life & Style magazine began surfaces reports that Shelton had been unfaithful to Miranda. The couple were surprised by the headlines, and took it all in stride, joking that they were honored to have been noticed enough for a tabloid to cover their lives. Blake laughed, “I have an album coming out! Put my album right next to it and pick it up.” Lambert, however, revealed, “My mom said to my dad, ‘Divorce is not an option.'”

On July 18th, 2015, Miranda was performing a show for Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming when she stopped singing in the middle of “The House That Built Me.” Miranda was generally a steadfast performer, so as she felt herself overcome by emotions, she asked the audience to sing along with her, covering up her strained vocals. The song had been given to her by Blake, and with the finalization of their divorce two days away, it was too much for Miranda to handle.

In the fallout from the split, fans couldn’t get enough of theorizing what ultimately pulled the couple apart. As with any break up, it’s normal for a variety of factors to contribute to a split. Among the reasons things couldn’t be smoothed over, surprisingly, was Blake’s ties to The Voice, which required him to spend the better part of his time in Los Angeles. Miranda couldn’t stand L.A. and felt that Blake wasn’t coming to visit her often enough. Loneliness was not the only issue though.

Fans were shocked to discover that it was Blake who filed the petition for divorce. TMZ reported that Blake caught wind that Miranda had engaged in multiple affairs, unbeknownst to Blake. When Blake found evidence that confirmed his fears, he made up his mind to end the marriage. Legally, it was an easy split given that the couple had signed a prenup, but even so, things soon took a turn for the worse as Miranda revealed her own allegations against Blake.

Though Blake had supposedly filed for divorce because of Miranda’s cheating, Miranda fired back that he was the party who had been unfaithful. Miranda claimed that Blake only managed to preserve his public image while defaming hers because he had hired a serious PR team. Miranda’s confidant implied that it was Miranda who had upheld their vows, while Blake was the one who strayed. The conflict would only to continue to worsen as the mud slinging continued.

Even with a prenup, dividing up a household is often a difficult task. Blake’s Oklahoma house quickly filled with Miranda’s boxes as he packed up her things in her place. At a certain point, Blake even began threatening Miranda that he would have all of her possessions taken to the dump if she delayed picking them up for any longer. Even worse, he wouldn’t allow her animals to remain on his property, meaning Miranda had to rush to find alternate accommodations for them.

Just as Blake managed to find himself a new love quickly after their heartbreaking split, Miranda too didn’t remain single for very long. Several months later, she picked up with Anderson East, who is an aspiring R&B artist, four years her junior. When Miranda was ready to announce the relationship to the world, she posted a photo of the two of them snuggled up in Aspen, under which she commented, “The snuggle is real.” The two artists quickly began collaborating with one another as well.

When it comes to relationships, Blake is the one who doesn’t have the best track record, since he is already twice divorced. It could be, however, that Gwen is the partner he’s really been looking for all along. Two years after the split, Miranda released a new album titled, The Weight of These Wings. She explained to her fans that should they “want to hear [her] side of the story or my opinion of what happened, it’s all on there.”

It can be particularly uncomfortable to encounter an ex while you’re out and about with a new love. Given that both Miranda and Blake are country artists, they knew it would be hard to avoid each other at awards shows like the Academy of Country Music Awards. A confrontation between Blake and Anderson may have been expected, but instead, the two couples never met face to face. Miranda showed she’d moved past the break up by following Gwen on Twitter.

Parents of blended families know that when you find a new partner, your kids still have to come first. It’s been great that Blake has been so game to participate in Gwen’s family fun alongside her boys. The family is often seen cavorting around Lake Arrowhead on the weekends, or even more exciting Disneyland! In all of Blake’s 40 years, he had amazingly never visited the Happiest Place on Earth. Blake was such a good sport, he even attached a “1st Visit!” button to his shirt.

Given the depths of Blake’s despair following the break up of his marriage, it’s incredible how well he snapped back. Blake shared just a few months after his split was finalized that he was in a “good place.” Shelton explained to the CMT Hot 20 Countdown, “it’s amazing how quickly life can turn around for you.” Still he played coy, only saying that he, “had some pretty cool things in recent times that’ve happened and [he’s] loving it.”

When your life is already under public scrutiny, it really doubles down when you embark on a new romance. As Blake’s commitment to Gwen became apparent, he had to have wondered how his peers in the country music genre were reacting after he left someone from their own ranks. A good friend of Blake’s, the frontman for the band Lonestar shared, “I love Gwen Stefani,” Rich said, “we all love her… happiness reigns at the end of the day,” which must have taken a load off.

The new relationship progressed so quickly that in only a matter of months, rumors began that marriage was imminent. Though they haven’t announced an official engagement, Gwen seemed to have employed the services of Jerri Woolworth, a celebrity wedding planner. The allusions to marriage become even more obvious when listening to Blake’s latest hit, “I’ll Name the Dogs,” which is about a couple getting married later in life. He also invited Gwen’s kids to appear in the music video for the song.

Even as their relationship has progressed, Blake and Gwen haven’t let their demanding careers fall by the wayside. In fact, they’ve been working on performing more together, as Blake joined Gwen in recording her album of holiday songs, including “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.” Another friend says that music isn’t the only thing the pair is focused on creating. Even though Gwen is almost 50, they’re “hyper-focused on getting pregnant.” It might seem unlikely, but Gwen is still hopeful that there’s a chance.

Miranda has been finding ways to have fun too ever since the break up. For her 32nd birthday, Miranda felt it was high time to create her own fairy tale. Miranda is an animal enthusiast, but it had always been her dream to meet a unicorn. Since chances were slim that she’d meet a real one, she attached a pink horn to a horse named Sophie. Miranda had a blast, letting loose after a particularly rough year.

Rocky relationships certainly take a toll on the body and mind, but it’s even worse when the tabloids begin publishing falsehoods about your difficulties. Recently, In Touch published an article titled, “Rehab For Blake.” Blake was furious when he saw the allegations that he was drinking uncontrollably, as the article insinuated sometimes he would begin even before 11 am. Shelton took the magazine to court over the slanderous lies they published, and a judge ruled in his favor, citing libel.

While things seem to be going well for Blake and Gwen, every rose as its thorn. Blake has a legacy of divorces behind him, though this isn’t Gwen’s first rodeo either. Outside of her relationship, some trouble has befallen Gwen after she persuaded an audience to surge towards the stage at one of her concerts, which caused at least one injury. Because of her incitement, Gwen has found herself embroiled in a lawsuit over the broken leg.

As Blake began to realize he had a crush on his co-star, he turned to another former Voice judge for advice: Christina Aguilera. When Blake asked for her advice on asking out Gwen, Christina supposedly laughed in his face, unconvinced that Gwen would ever go for a country star. Once their relationship went public, Christina backtracked on her previous doubt, clarifying, “Everyone deserves to be happy, and I’m glad we’re keeping it in the family [of Voice co-stars]!”

As much as fans hope that Blake and Gwen will soon make some more happy announcements, apparently the music stars don’t quite have plans for marriage yet, even if they’re otherwise deeply committed to one another. As one friend of theirs explained, “They’re still madly in love and beyond inseparable. Blake has wanted to take his time with marriage, but he is absolutely committed to Gwen. They both feel they’ve found their true partner in life and plan to be together forever.”

The couple made waves this past Thanksgiving when they posted a picture of their turkey on social media. The couple spent the holiday at Blake’s ranch in Oklahoma, but even if they were out in the country, their celebration was certainly out of the ordinary. The couple shared a video revealing a shockingly orange turkey that had been crusted in Flamin Hot Cheetos, which they explained was for Stefani’s son Zuma. But their shared preparations inspired some jealousy.

While Blake continued to celebrate his love with Stefani, Miranda has continued to profit off of her divorce, which has been coming in the form of new music, even years after their divorce. Her latest single doesn’t even try to disguise the subject matter, as it’s titled “Got My Name Changed Back.” If that weren’t enough, Miranda seems to allege once again that Blake was the one who hadn’t stayed faithful to her while they were married.

Miranda may still be seething at the seams, but Blake and Gwen are using their music to continue to show just how much they love each other. The two collaborated once again in a new music video for Gwen’s song, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas” which could almost be considered a mini romantic comedy, as the couple dons some old-style Hollywood costumes and involve themselves in some of the most romantic winter activities known to man.

It seems that divorce and heartache have only strengthened Miranda’s resolve. At a recent show she played with her band, Pistol Annies, Miranda had no fear when the ladies noticed a belligerent fan was leaning up against the stage, disregarding everyone else’s experience. Miranda momentarily stopped the show to tell the fan to get out of the audience, but even that once enough. One of her band members finally personally escorted the woman out of the concert.

It seems that Miranda’s heartache wasn’t over just yet, as she ended up splitting from her long-time boyfriend, Anderson East, in April 2018. The reason behind the split from East seems to have more to do with Lambert than anyone else, and it may shed new light on her split from Shelton. As Shelton alleged in one of his post-divorce songs, he had an ex who cheated on him. Shortly before Miranda’s break up with East, it appeared she’d already found a new beau.

Eventually, it became time to go public with their new love, and when push came to shove, they knew where to make a showing. At the last second, the two decided that they would attend the Country Music Awards in Nashville together. Unfortunately, Gwen realized she wouldn’t be prepared to show up to an awards ceremony on such short notice, so she only went to the parties. It was the wrong move, as the country music world assumed Gwen was trying to evade Blake’s ex Miranda.

For years, Miranda has tried to make most of her publicity about her music, rather than her relationships, but she’s still discovered that it seems the last thing anyone wants to talk about is her work. Now, she’s finally got a number one hit, “Drowns The Whisky” with Jason Aldean, under her belt. However, she explained in a recent interview that no matter how hard she worked as a solo artist, it seemed that the only way to make it to the top was to record with a man.

Miranda shouldn’t have been totally shocked by how her marriage ended, given how the relationship began. Shelton was also married when he met Miranda, singing together for the CMT 100 Greatest Duets concert. As they crooned “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” Blake knew, “I was falling in love with her right there onstage.” Blake still felt remorse for the situation, revealing that he “was a married guy … standing up there going, ‘Man, this shouldn’t be happening.'” Once the divorce was final, the two started dating.

Miranda has refused to confirm whether or not she was involved with Evan Felkner while she was still attached to Anderson East, though she had some harsh words for those speculating continuously on social media. Even if Lambert’s split from East was inevitable, the man she turned to next wasn’t exactly single either. In fact, Felkner was still married, only filing for divorce once his relationship with Lambert went public a few months after they got involved.

Blake’s relationship with Gwen, however, is still going strong, a fact he reflected on in a recent interview that will air on Sunday Today with Willie Geist. “I think if Gwen and I were being honest right now talking about this, I think in the back of our minds, we both kind of thought this is a rebound deal because we’re both coming out of a pretty low spot in our lives and we’re kind of clinging to each other to get through this,” he revealed.

Both Blake and Gwen feel that they might not have connected had they not suffered the heartbreak that ended their respective marriages. Blake shared, “It’s a miracle that I met somebody that was going through the same exact thing that I was at the same exact moment in time.” All three musical artists have been adamant about the fact that they can at least be happy their romantic struggles have been relatable to the fans listening to their music.

Blake shocked the world in a candid interview about his 2016 album If I’m Honest. When asked if a specific song was about Miranda, he responded, “When we recorded the vocals for some of these songs, I was only six months removed from when all the crap went down. When you have a broken heart – at least, when I do – you got to get it out of your system. You want people to sympathize with you. I was at rock bottom, in the middle of hell.

As Miranda shared some big news, many were waiting to see how Blake would react. However, a friend of Blake’s weighed in for him. The friend explained, “He put Miranda in his rear view mirror long ago. Miranda brings nothing positive to his life. Their marriage ended and he moved on. Ever since, he is grateful every day.” Rather than keeping an eye on the past, Blake has continued to maintain the status quo with Gwen Stefani.

Shortly after revealing her new relationship with Brendan McLoughlin, a New York City police officer with a shady past, Miranda had a big secret to share. This past Valentine’s Day, she decided to let the world know that she and McLoughlin had been secretly married for three weeks. While we wish Miranda the best with her new love, there’s a chance that her new husband’s past will rear its ugly head in their relationship, sooner rather than later.