Example Wedding Budget
- Thread starter timsvpr
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zoebartlett
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2006
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Hi Tim,
Welcome to PS! What type of wedding are you hoping to plan -- large, small, destination? Prices for just about everything wedding related vary greatly, as you may have noticed. It all depends on what you''re looking for. If you can give us more information, I''m sure others will chime in.
zoe
Welcome to PS! What type of wedding are you hoping to plan -- large, small, destination? Prices for just about everything wedding related vary greatly, as you may have noticed. It all depends on what you''re looking for. If you can give us more information, I''m sure others will chime in.
zoe
neatfreak
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 14,167
Lol, this totally depends on thousands of factors. Do you have a top end budget? If so, we can help you "work backwards" from there with what you should spend on different parts of the wedding.
Theknot.com has a fantastic calculator for that. You just enter your desired total budget and it tells you how much to allot to different parts.
The knot''s calculator is a great tool to tell you what an "average" amount is to spend on something for a particular budget - but it doesn''t tell you how hard it will be to find that item at that price in your area or what the quality will be.
A whole lot depends on where you live in the country, how many guests you are having, if you want a sit-down dinner or cake and punch, etc.
My best advice is to type in your budget to the knot budgeter and look at what it says you should spend on some of the big items. Then start pricing those items and see if you can find options you are happy with in your price range.
I live in an expensive area of the country and had priced out catering and site fees early in the process when we were setting up our budget, so I was prepared for that. But there were a number of rude surprises later in the process when it turns out that photographers in my area are really expensive too, and florists that specialize in weddings weren''t interested in working with my budget, and djs in this area charge more than I wanted as well.... And on and on. Yes there are workarounds, but you should price out a fair bit of stuff early on in your area to know what you are in for.
A whole lot depends on where you live in the country, how many guests you are having, if you want a sit-down dinner or cake and punch, etc.
My best advice is to type in your budget to the knot budgeter and look at what it says you should spend on some of the big items. Then start pricing those items and see if you can find options you are happy with in your price range.
I live in an expensive area of the country and had priced out catering and site fees early in the process when we were setting up our budget, so I was prepared for that. But there were a number of rude surprises later in the process when it turns out that photographers in my area are really expensive too, and florists that specialize in weddings weren''t interested in working with my budget, and djs in this area charge more than I wanted as well.... And on and on. Yes there are workarounds, but you should price out a fair bit of stuff early on in your area to know what you are in for.
JenStone
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2006
- Messages
- 490
I personally like the calculator on Brides.com better than the Knot one since it has a slider budget where if you adjust one, the rest adjust accordingly. There are also shaded areas on each slider that shows you average/suggested prices. Good luck!
amileegirl
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2006
- Messages
- 144
Budget is very varied.
Don't forget the "little things"!
When we did our original budget, both of us totally forgot to figure in wedding bands and the honeymoon! Seems obvious, I know, but we were so focused on venue and other expenses that it slipped our minds that those things cost money too
In some familes it is tradition to get ones parents a small gift. If this is true for you, include that in the budget along with small bridal party gifts.
Don't forget about passports (if you need them for the honeymoon), liscense fee, and officiant fee. (These will be more than you think so find out ahead of time what the cost will be in your area)
Also don't forget about figureing dress alterations. It will be more than you think so better to over estimate than under estimate. If you want to save money in this area, shop around for a seamstress and don't go through the bridal shop.
Will you be doing your own hair and makeup? Do you want a manicure? Pedicure? Facial? Will you go to the place to have these things done (cheaper) or will you have them come to you (sometimes they charge more). If you intend to have someone do your hair and makeup, be prepared to spend money on the trials.
Buy the small things early, that way you can take advantage of sales, clearance, and discounts.
I wouldn't scrimp on photography but you CAN find a decent one for $1000 or under. Look for ones that won't keep your proofs but will give you everything once your bill is paid. If they retain your negatives then they will charge you through the nose to make copies or to buy them.
You can find a bargain in a videographer in those entering the business (even students) rather than going with one who charges $3000 (or if you have cooperative friends and family they can do it for free or a small fee). You also don't have to get all the bells and whistles. Ask for videographers that do "in camera" editing; in other words they are careful in how they capture things as they happen so editing and futzing with the video is unnecessary. Because that's what most of the fees videographers charge for...editing.
DJ. Don't let them over charge you. You can find ones for under $700 and if you go for a new DJ looking to build clientele you can get an even cheaper price. Be sure your DJ can emcee. Just because they can put together music doesn't mean they are good at reading a crowd and making seamless announcements.
Flowers. Don't let them take advantage. You are better off picking colors and letting them choose the flowers that are in season because they are cheaper and fresher. A lot of ceterpieces and boquets (I worked at a florist for a number of years) end up being expensive because of the insistance on certain kinds of flowers. For instance, Lily of the Valley can be insanely expensive out of season like $50 a bunch (and I've got them growing like weeds in my yard). Spray roses (smaller) are cheaper than your standard roses. It is wiser to have a list of the few flowers you can't stand or don't want instead. Look for shops that are unspecialized. Shops that specialize in bridal tend to charge more. Find a shop where they don't charge for mock-ups (or at least show you examples of their work already made or pictures) and explain to you what will be in season during your wedding and who will work for your budget. Some places will even rent centerpiece glassware and refund a portion or all of the fee when they are returned. I am having three boquets and 7 bouts and four corsages made for under $300 (and that's without a discount). Figure out if you want table centerpieces and how much you want to spend on each. Do you need flowers for the church or place where you are to be wed? You can spend as little as $10 or as much as $100+ per centerpiece.
Decide where you want to put your money and be flexible. We saved a lot on venue so I was able to not feel bad about doubling my dress budget to $1200 so I could get the one that I loved (I could have looked more and found cheaper but when you like a dress nothing else will do unless it is nearly identical). We spent more on cake than expected but we came under estimate with our photographer who is a friend of mine.
The more expensive of a place you live the harder it will be to find lower prices and the harder it will be to maintain a small budget. Keep that in mind.
Don't forget the "little things"!
When we did our original budget, both of us totally forgot to figure in wedding bands and the honeymoon! Seems obvious, I know, but we were so focused on venue and other expenses that it slipped our minds that those things cost money too
In some familes it is tradition to get ones parents a small gift. If this is true for you, include that in the budget along with small bridal party gifts.
Don't forget about passports (if you need them for the honeymoon), liscense fee, and officiant fee. (These will be more than you think so find out ahead of time what the cost will be in your area)
Also don't forget about figureing dress alterations. It will be more than you think so better to over estimate than under estimate. If you want to save money in this area, shop around for a seamstress and don't go through the bridal shop.
Will you be doing your own hair and makeup? Do you want a manicure? Pedicure? Facial? Will you go to the place to have these things done (cheaper) or will you have them come to you (sometimes they charge more). If you intend to have someone do your hair and makeup, be prepared to spend money on the trials.
Buy the small things early, that way you can take advantage of sales, clearance, and discounts.
I wouldn't scrimp on photography but you CAN find a decent one for $1000 or under. Look for ones that won't keep your proofs but will give you everything once your bill is paid. If they retain your negatives then they will charge you through the nose to make copies or to buy them.
You can find a bargain in a videographer in those entering the business (even students) rather than going with one who charges $3000 (or if you have cooperative friends and family they can do it for free or a small fee). You also don't have to get all the bells and whistles. Ask for videographers that do "in camera" editing; in other words they are careful in how they capture things as they happen so editing and futzing with the video is unnecessary. Because that's what most of the fees videographers charge for...editing.
DJ. Don't let them over charge you. You can find ones for under $700 and if you go for a new DJ looking to build clientele you can get an even cheaper price. Be sure your DJ can emcee. Just because they can put together music doesn't mean they are good at reading a crowd and making seamless announcements.
Flowers. Don't let them take advantage. You are better off picking colors and letting them choose the flowers that are in season because they are cheaper and fresher. A lot of ceterpieces and boquets (I worked at a florist for a number of years) end up being expensive because of the insistance on certain kinds of flowers. For instance, Lily of the Valley can be insanely expensive out of season like $50 a bunch (and I've got them growing like weeds in my yard). Spray roses (smaller) are cheaper than your standard roses. It is wiser to have a list of the few flowers you can't stand or don't want instead. Look for shops that are unspecialized. Shops that specialize in bridal tend to charge more. Find a shop where they don't charge for mock-ups (or at least show you examples of their work already made or pictures) and explain to you what will be in season during your wedding and who will work for your budget. Some places will even rent centerpiece glassware and refund a portion or all of the fee when they are returned. I am having three boquets and 7 bouts and four corsages made for under $300 (and that's without a discount). Figure out if you want table centerpieces and how much you want to spend on each. Do you need flowers for the church or place where you are to be wed? You can spend as little as $10 or as much as $100+ per centerpiece.
Decide where you want to put your money and be flexible. We saved a lot on venue so I was able to not feel bad about doubling my dress budget to $1200 so I could get the one that I loved (I could have looked more and found cheaper but when you like a dress nothing else will do unless it is nearly identical). We spent more on cake than expected but we came under estimate with our photographer who is a friend of mine.
The more expensive of a place you live the harder it will be to find lower prices and the harder it will be to maintain a small budget. Keep that in mind.
fleur-de-lis
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2007
- Messages
- 1,343
A good starting point would be the budget calculators on brides.com, weddingchannel.com, or knot.com, but it''s been the experiences of my friends and myself that they''re useless in my local area (CA) other than to make sure that you''re not accidentally overlooking a category and that you have a rough idea of the percentage of budget that item should be.
For example, when we first started to plan for a wedding that we were hoping would be small yet elegant, I think we put in a figure of 20K total budget. The amount budgeted for the church portion (ceremony site fee) was $200.
Unfortunately, the local church charges $2350, and frankly it seemed a little unreliable to do the reverse math and think that the average run-of-the-mill wedding for 50 guests was working with... a $235,000 budget.
Among my friends who are already married and started with the online calculators, the final tally wound up being 50-70% more than the initial budget because of the local market. But for the person who is completely new to wedding planning, it''s good to know the rule-of-thumb averages, like the brides'' attire is normally around 10% of the total budget before you spend 30% on the dress like my one impetuous friend did.
For example, when we first started to plan for a wedding that we were hoping would be small yet elegant, I think we put in a figure of 20K total budget. The amount budgeted for the church portion (ceremony site fee) was $200.
Unfortunately, the local church charges $2350, and frankly it seemed a little unreliable to do the reverse math and think that the average run-of-the-mill wedding for 50 guests was working with... a $235,000 budget.
Among my friends who are already married and started with the online calculators, the final tally wound up being 50-70% more than the initial budget because of the local market. But for the person who is completely new to wedding planning, it''s good to know the rule-of-thumb averages, like the brides'' attire is normally around 10% of the total budget before you spend 30% on the dress like my one impetuous friend did.
ladyciel
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2007
- Messages
- 1,769
I just picked up a copy of the book Bridal Bargains at the library and it seems like a GREAT resource. They also have a website. So far I've only read the chapter on dress shopping, and it had tons of advice on not only budgeting for and saving money on a gown, but also how to avoid getting ripped off. Sadly, many bridal shops are HORRID to their customers, so it's in your best interest to have your eyes wide open and be proactive about protecting yourself. Having a budget set out doesn't help much if you get surprised by extra hidden costs. The book also has suggestions for figuring out your budget. They also make a planner to go along with it, but I haven't seen it myself to comment on it.
Do be careful when looking at sites like Brides and The Knot that they don't sweep you up into their marketing hoopla. They're funded by their advertisers as well as their own branded products so they are always throwing "cute" and "so great" and "what a bargain" ideas out at you about what else you can buy for your wedding. Though their budget planners may help with their detailed lists, don't start thinking "wait, I'm supposed to have that??" for things you don't care about or need.
Do be careful when looking at sites like Brides and The Knot that they don't sweep you up into their marketing hoopla. They're funded by their advertisers as well as their own branded products so they are always throwing "cute" and "so great" and "what a bargain" ideas out at you about what else you can buy for your wedding. Though their budget planners may help with their detailed lists, don't start thinking "wait, I'm supposed to have that??" for things you don't care about or need.
Pandora II
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Messages
- 9,613
If you have a huge space to decorate do look at artificial. My venue is huge but doubles as ceremony place and after dinner place so it worth spending the effort and $$.
I have found an online site that does amazing 6 ft artificial vines, ivy and rose garlands that look amazingly real for around $6 each.
I''m adding some real stuff into it but it will save me $$$$ and even better I can sell it all on ebay afterwards.
I have found an online site that does amazing 6 ft artificial vines, ivy and rose garlands that look amazingly real for around $6 each.
I''m adding some real stuff into it but it will save me $$$$ and even better I can sell it all on ebay afterwards.
Pandora II
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
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- 9,613
This is the link for the rose garland
http://www.carnmeal.com/details/1942/mini-diamond-rose-garland
It''s a UK site, but I cam across loads of US sites with similar things in my hunt - I was trying to track down the actual manufacturer as I need quite a large number!
http://www.carnmeal.com/details/1942/mini-diamond-rose-garland
It''s a UK site, but I cam across loads of US sites with similar things in my hunt - I was trying to track down the actual manufacturer as I need quite a large number!
Everyone thank you for the awesome replies. I am going to have to do some more research before I can answer any questions. So far all I know is the top budget for this wedding is 18,000 (with honeymoon included) with 150 people being invited, held in a church, and wanting a middle of the road place for the reception around 40-60 a person.
blueyes157
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2007
- Messages
- 297
Hi everyone. I was on Brides.com (I think?) and got a fabulous budget from another woman. It is a good place to start. Hope this helped, it really helped me!
P.S. The budget is accomodating 120 guests, but she thinks only 100 will come.
It is an excel spreadsheet. I am not sure how to post that. If anyone knows please fill me in. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet please send me an email at [email protected]....
P.S. The budget is accomodating 120 guests, but she thinks only 100 will come.
It is an excel spreadsheet. I am not sure how to post that. If anyone knows please fill me in. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet please send me an email at [email protected]....
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