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Wedding Budget

Mashira

Mashira

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
501
For those who are willing to disclose, I would like to get a general idea.

What is your wedding budget (not including rings)?

How many guests are you expecting?

Where do you live? (No specifics necessary, just the state would be lovely)
 
Baltimore, MD
150ish guests
Budget 25k, our parents are making significant contributions.
-Includes two ceremonies, venues, catering for lunch/dinner, all clothing, music, flowers/decorations, photogs/video, officiants, flights, gifts... pretty much all odds and ends
-does not include rings, honeymoon, rehearsal dinner, hair/makeup for anyone, any engagement stuff (we've been engaged for two years)
 
Ours was about 22-23K (not including rings, honeymoon, or rehearsal dinner). 115 guests, Maryland.
 
Our budget was around $25,000

100 guests

Wedding was in Iowa.
 
Our budget is 375 000 South African Rands. If you convert it to US Dollars I think it's about 50 000.
Includes everything except the rings and the honeymoon.

We're inviting about 180 guests but expect that only 150 or less will attend (we have a lot of out of town guests).

My parents are paying for the whole thing. I'm their first child (and only daughter) that's getting married now so they want to go all out. They might even increase the budget. A part of me loves that I'm going to have this fairytale wedding but another part of me would have preferred a much smaller wedding.
 
Chicago, IL

120 guests

Approximately $30K - includes rehearsal dinner, morning after brunch, and honeymoon.
 
Suburb of Chicago, About $12,000 (I am guessing when all is said and done), around 160 guests, and does not include rehearsal dinner, wedding bands, hotel that night.
 
Budget it 30K
Guests--about 90
Wedding location--Downtown Philadelphia

I hired a wedding planner...mainly because I DO NOT want the budget going any higher, and I'd prefer it if we can do the things we want to with a lower budget.
 
I'm really early in planning, since my wedding is not until 10.1.11, but... I plan to spend $10,000.
$5,000 is coming from my mom.

Milwaukee, WI
Does not include Honeymoon
50 ceremony/dinner guests, dancing/drinking reception with up to 200.

I have a feeling I may go over my planned budget, but as long as it's not over by several thousand, 1 or 2 thousand I would be ok with.
 
Hm I wonder if I'm under estimating. :shock: We'd figured around 8-10K. There are several big ticket items that we're either foregoing or friends/family are offering to contribute for free (photography by a pro and all of the flowers from a family member that has her own business). We also expect around 50-60 guests.

My dress will also definitely be under 1K. Still, I wonder now if we need to reevaluate our budget to make sure it's realistic!
 
Thanks to everyone who has replied, this is very interesting!

As of right now, we are expecting 50-60 people
Budget: $10,000 (not including rings, or honeymoon)
State: Texas
 
Just for fun:

I was married in 1975 in front of 60 odd guests
State : California
I don't remember all expenses but here are most of them
My ring set 1/3 carat marquise $200
His ring custom made lost wax with three colored stones $300
Venue for the ceremony and reception My brother's Victorian home.... Free
Limo................................My brother's ...........Free
Celebrant ..........$50
My dress......$100
Flowers My bouquet and headband in lieu of veil, 3 Ladies corsages 4 mens boutonnières..........$50
Cake three layers vanilla with lemon curd ...........$60
Champagne punch coffee......$100
Music.......a tape of our favorites including the Wedding March. We got lots of compliments ....Free
Pictures..........................My brother in law .........Free
My parents paid for the invitations and all paper goods
 
budget....$7,000 (not including rings or honeymoon)
expected guest count....45-70 (i think we're going to end up on the low end, so may even be a bit under budget =) )
state....california (but not a large metropolis area)

just wanted to point out this is for an apps/dinner/drinks/dancing reception. so many times i read things about "budget" brides who's wedding only cost [blank] but they did only champange & cake or appetizers or self-catered & who had photography donated by a bff who happens to be fabulous. not to say there's anything wrong w/these choices but i rarely see a bride w/my budget who's actually having a dinner (of course we went buffet b/c we could have fewer servers) and a bar (limited to beer, house wine, and well drinks) and dancing for under 10 grand and paying for everyone of her vendors. and i do realize that we are having a smaller number of guests which does help the budget & it would be near impossible if we were in a metropolis area. our wedding is a "destination" wedding for almost our entire invite list (a plane ride away), so we naturally had a lot of declines.

**lulu steps down off her soapbox** sorry about that, guys. it just irks me sometimes reading these "budget bride" blogs & apparently i needed to get that off my chest. not trying to start an argument or say that the way someone else spends their money is wrong, so please don't take it like that. i just wanted to share a budget on the lower end of the spectrum. and say of course it CAN be done for more, much more or less, much less. (i have a friend who's doing a $2,000-$3,000 wedding for 80-100 guests in kentucky. of course, they are self catering (buffet & bar), ipod dj-ing, doing their own centerpieces, & having photography donated.) wedding budgets are such a personal choice. one that should be made amongst the people who are paying for the wedding. ok, really done now ;) ;) ;) ;)
 
Hubby and I spent 25,000. for our daughters wedding in 06.That did not include their rings or honeymoon or the rehearsal dinner which
the grooms parents paid for. It did include a few rooms for guests. She had her wedding at the Chart House overlooking the
ocean in Dana Point, CA. The venue was wonderful, the food awesome and a wine, beer and champagne bar. It was a lovely wedding.
However, had we known that there were difficult economic days ahead we would have spent far less. But she is my only daughter. :love:

Like MissMina, DH and I married in 1980 and I think the whole thing was under a couple thousand dollars.

Oh, grooms parents paid for the flowers which were about 2400. I believe. We had about 150 guests for daughters wedding.
 
Future Mrs. Sterling said:
I'm really early in planning, since my wedding is not until 10.1.11, but... I plan to spend $10,000.
$5,000 is coming from my mom.

Milwaukee, WI
Does not include Honeymoon
50 ceremony/dinner guests, dancing/drinking reception with up to 200.

I have a feeling I may go over my planned budget, but as long as it's not over by several thousand, 1 or 2 thousand I would be ok with.
Click to expand...


we are wedding date twins!
 
Mashira said:
Thanks to everyone who has replied, this is very interesting!

As of right now, we are expecting 50-60 people
Budget: $10,000 (not including rings, or honeymoon)
State: Texas
Click to expand...


We had about 100 people and spent roughly $8000 in Texas.
 
Wow Oobiecoo that is really fantastic! Did you do a the full dinner/dancing thing?
 
22 people total
Destination wedding in Vegas
<$20k.

I could figure it out if I tried...Not sure I want to.
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
Budget: $7500
Guests: Expect 40-70, though 101 are invited (it's a destination wedding for 90% of the invitees)

Includes rehearsal dinner and all other wedding costs except for the honeymoon and rings. And dinner will be served at the reception.
 
Our wedding ended being about 30,000 if you take out the rings. 70 people attended. Lots of alcohol (not intentional). In Northern California. That doesn't include the honeymoon or anything.
 
30-ish people
$5000 (that's including a party the night before, not including rings)
Southern California
 
Mashira said:
For those who are willing to disclose, I would like to get a general idea.

What is your wedding budget (not including rings)?

How many guests are you expecting?

Where do you live? (No specifics necessary, just the state would be lovely)
Click to expand...

Hi Mashira!

What is your wedding budget (not including rings)? 10 000 South African Rands. Probably about US$1200. Yup, twelve hundred dollars.

How many guests are you expecting? Around 34. Maybe 40, if absolutely everyone comes.

Where do you live? I live in a small town in South Africa. My SO's family lives on the other side of the country. My FMIL would like us to get married half way between the two towns. We're still bouncing around ideas, but as long as it fits our budget, it's fine with us.

Diamondbuggy, that's an impressive budget, by South African standards! I am sure it will be a beautiful wedding - should I keep an eye on Top Billing, just in case you show up? :naughty:
 
Trekkie said:
Mashira said:
For those who are willing to disclose, I would like to get a general idea.

What is your wedding budget (not including rings)?

How many guests are you expecting?

Where do you live? (No specifics necessary, just the state would be lovely)
Click to expand...

Hi Mashira!

What is your wedding budget (not including rings)? 10 000 South African Rands. Probably about US$1200. Yup, twelve hundred dollars.

How many guests are you expecting? Around 34. Maybe 40, if absolutely everyone comes.

Where do you live? I live in a small town in South Africa. My SO's family lives on the other side of the country. My FMIL would like us to get married half way between the two towns. We're still bouncing around ideas, but as long as it fits our budget, it's fine with us.

Diamondbuggy, that's an impressive budget, by South African standards! I am sure it will be a beautiful wedding - should I keep an eye on Top Billing, just in case you show up? :naughty:
Click to expand...

Trekkie, it's so funny that you mention Top Billing. I'm actually working with the Wedding Emporium to coordinate my wedding. They've planned a few of the weddings that have appeared on Top Billing, that's where I first saw them and knew I had to have them! Now I sound like a spoilt brat! :lol: Unfortunately, I'm not famous so no Top Billing for me. :bigsmile:

Sorry for the threadjack Mashira!
 
We're in Sydney, Australia

Budget:$22k AUS (just under $20k USD).
80 guests
cocktail reception (which costs the same as a sit down dinner), with quality beer, wine and champagne.
Our parents are contributing just under half.

The honeymoon, on the other hand, it also $22k :oops:
 
We are looking at 28k for about 60 people. We might have closer to 50, and in that case it may be about $1000 less. We invited 89 people, but most are from OTT.

This does not include rings, honeymoon ect.
 
We are getting married at the Ritz Carlton in Maui, but the wedding is 2 years away. My parents are paying for everything, and I think the soft budget is 40,000. It would be nice to keep it lower than that. I'm not factoring in the costs for our wedding rings, my dress, and his parents will most likely pay for the rehearsal dinner. I'm not sure what the guest list will look like but it will probably be between 20-30. My family is coming from the east coast and his family is coming from Asia, so it is geographically in the middle of those two points, but its definitely a destination wedding (and then we'll be traveling on to his home country after the wedding for some celebrations there). I'm trying to cut my parents a break as they have 2 daughters (my sister isn't engaged or really seriously dating though) and also a son who is planning a wedding for next year. My future SIL's mother doesnt have any money at all and her father has plenty of money but is only giving her a very small amount for the wedding :roll: , so my parents are also paying for my brother's wedding (and they are planning for 200+ people). So I'm hoping to keep it around 30,000, but we'll see...
 
We are spending about $16,000 for 60 people in Orlando,Fl. The wedding competition down here is ridiculous,and there are literally thousands of vendors and locations,so I think your able to get a better deal.
 
About $25k for 75 people in NJ
 
Ugh, I was hoping to keep it around $30,000 but it's winding up being double (even with discounts for being in the business). Doesnt include honeymoon or rings.

Its 100 people, in New Jersey. Biggest expense other than the venue was the flowers, band, and my dress. Everything else cost around what I expected it to. I'm paying for it myself though, so I dont have to feel bad about going over budget. Hehe.

(Btw, kind of random, this is like my first post in MONTHS. I just noticed that. I have been so busy planning I haven't been on much. Ahhh the wedding is in 8 days!)
 
NakedFinger said:
Ugh, I was hoping to keep it around $30,000 but it's winding up being double (even with discounts for being in the business). Doesnt include honeymoon or rings.

Its 100 people, in New Jersey. Biggest expense other than the venue was the flowers, band, and my dress. Everything else cost around what I expected it to. I'm paying for it myself though, so I dont have to feel bad about going over budget. Hehe.

(Btw, kind of random, this is like my first post in MONTHS. I just noticed that. I have been so busy planning I haven't been on much. Ahhh the wedding is in 8 days!)
Click to expand...

Please come back and share details and photos after its over!
 
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