Where should I focus my budget?

You should focus your budget on what is most important to you. Ask yourself of all the things that could potentially be average (e.g food, photography, venue) what would you be most upset with? That answer is usually what is most important and I would invest a bit more money into that component of your wedding but not enough to disadvantage yourself in other areas.

Sit down with your partner and work out what is most important to you both. If you both really want a sit down meal, but don't really care about fancy cars or cake, then that is already going to help you direct your budget. Work out what is not negotiable - if you want a certain location but can't afford it with your current guest list - is the location what you 100% want, or a specific group of family/friends? 

On your aboslute must haves. It helps to create a Excel document with a running total, allocate how much you would like to spend on each item and you're on your way!

everyone has a different image of what their dream wedding is.. remember its what matters to you not what everyone else thinks. if you want your dream location then focus your budget there or if you want to decorate it amazingly then thats where your budget will go 

Focus your budget on the things that matter to you. If the venue is the most important thing (such as location etc), focus your budget there. If decor and floral arrangements are the most important and the location of these are secondary importance, focus your budget there. We often get clients to list their most important items as well as inspo pics so we can determine how their budget should be allocated.