Wedding Budget

[elrohwen]

Our budget was around $25k. We live(d) in Connecticut (had the wedding in the Hudson Valley) and had about 85 guests. I had hoped to do it a little cheaper, since we paid for the majority, but I'm absolutely thrilled with the wedding we had and the little bit extra was totally worth it. That doesn't include rings, honeymoon, or rehearsal dinner.

 

[kelpie]

$15,000
175 guests
Baltimore MD (lots of MD brides!)

It seems like a lot of dough (to me) but I am not even having flowers other than bouquets and a only allotting a small about to "cake" which will hopefully be canoli.

 

[Blackpaw]

Lozza!! where are you off to on your honeymoon? (im all about the honeymoon...)

 

[emilyalyse]

Wedding Budget: Likely around $4,000-$5,000

Guests: 45 at the ceremony/reception, around 150 at the brunch the day after

Location: The wedding is in NE. (September 3!)

We've managed to pull together a fairly large (compared to our original plan of courthouse+dinner) wedding weekend on a budget (we know money will be better spent during our move a week after the wedding from FL to KY). Our ceremony is at the Capitol building (free location), and the reception at a nearby members' club that my mother is a part of (The Nebraska Club). Our flowers are being done by a family friend who owns a floral shoppe. Photography is by my aunt as a gift who is a portrait and wedding photographer. The day-after-brunch is to be held on my parents' farm, to accomodate at least 150 people coming in/out throughout the day. While we've employed plenty of DIY, we've also included several items that will make the days quite memorable for all of our guests (photobooth, etc.) that we didn't have to worry about on our own.

 

[paris29]

Our budget is 50,000 not including rings. As of now we are looking at 35,000 total. We have a guest list of about 45-50 people. The wedding is in California.

 

[rosetta]

In US dollars, the budget is 75,000. This is for the wedding only, not rings, dress, honeymoon.

That amount will buy a lot less I the UK. Wedding's bigger than needed. I'm trying to cut down on the cost and hoopla.

 

[vc10um]

I just retooled our budget because FI's parents offered to pay for the rehearsal dinner.

Our budget, including rings, transportation to/from (we live in DC, the wedding is in Kansas City, MO, FI's hometown), hotel while in town, food for days leading up to the wedding...pretty much everything but the honeymoon...is $16K.

Without those things, we come in around $12K.

We're expecting to spend $6-8K on the Honeymoon and started saving for it 6 months before he proposed.

 

[oobiecoo]

Wow Oobiecoo that is really fantastic! Did you do a the full dinner/dancing thing?

We had a lunch buffet with roast, ham, salad, steamed veggies, and roasted potatoes as well as some fruit/veggie sort of stuff before the meal was actually served. We did have dancing but I nixed a DJ and just hooked my laptop up to the venue's sound system. I made 2 different playlists... one for when guests arrived to the reception and mingled and ate... and the other was for when the dancing started.

 

[Lozza]

We're Aussies, and we're heading off for 7 weeks to Mexico, Cuba, and Canada. Can't wait!

 

[meresal]

Our budget ended up at about $35k in North Texas. (Not incl RD, rings, or homeymoon)
apprx 230 guests

Tammy- Having free photogs and floral is a huge expense saver! Also, eventhough I had a pretty pricey wedding, my wedding dress and alterations only cost me $541. The dress I fell in love with was on a clearance rack for 50% off since the style had been discontinued. You just have to look in all the racks!
FYI, alot of the cost is going to be based on your venue and what they charge for food. Mine was apprx $100 pp. If you can find a venue that is inexpensive, then you can most definitely do it for under $10k!

 

[nkarma]

$25K, all us
Destination wedding in Mexico
41 guests

This includes everything including welcome cocktails & salsa dancing lessons, coordinator, scouting trip, flight for my mom, hotel rooms for family, and wedding night hotel room for bridal party. I have seen a lot of brides do it for less than half or twice as much if you want lots of live music and fireworks.

 

[diamondringlover]

I got married in 1984 in Ohio, my parents paid for alot of the wedding, let me think:

Guests I am guessing here, around 250-350, I had a triple wedding me and both my sisters got married:

Rings mine and his $100, we bought them used from my cousin, the are matching bands about 6mm yellow and white gold
Venue Teamster union hall, free, my Dad was a teamster
Music, live band, I think my parents paid around $200 for 3-4 hours
Food, buffet style cold cuts, around $300-$500 parents paid for this
Open bar....not sure on that one probably around $300-$500 parents paid for this
Stunning 3 tier cake for each of use so a total of nine cakes, connected with with plastic bridges, $300, our neighbor was a chef and he made it for us alot cheaper, us we paid for that (me and my sisters)
Flowers $50, we didnt have alot of flowers, I paid for my flowers
Decorations maybe $200, we didnt decorate a whole lot, room was hugh lol, parents paid for that
Wedding gown $200 straight off the clearance rack at JC Penney, I paid for that, I think alterations were around $30
We didnt have a honeymoon, we just spent a couple of nights at a fancy motel.

So, total would be around $2000 give or take, not bad for the biggest best party I have ever had

 

[Babyblue033]

For my October wedding in Long Island, NY, our current budget is at $32K for 210 guests. We already have our rings and it also doesn't include honeymoon. Due to the higher number of guests than I would've liked, we've really tried to cut down on a lot of things so we can keep our budget at 30K-ish but I must say even 2 months before the wedding I'm still shocked at how much some things cost

 

[ladypirate]

Our budget was around $15K. We ended up right around $20K for 125 guests including everything except the honeymoon and gifts to each other.

ETA: Biggest splurges were our photographer ($2500) and the open bar ($3000). Food was the most expensive single item at around $6000 - $6500, but that's to be expected. It was a fabulous party though--I would do the same exact thing if I had to do it over.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Budget: $60,000
Location: Toronto, Canada
Guests: 150 to 200

Does not include: Rings, gowns, honey moon, engagement dinner, bridal party gifts ..

Trying to re-think this whole budget and see if we can significantly cut it down. However, already splurged on the photographer and videographer.

 

[Mashira]

Wow Oobiecoo that is really fantastic! Did you do a the full dinner/dancing thing?

We had a lunch buffet with roast, ham, salad, steamed veggies, and roasted potatoes as well as some fruit/veggie sort of stuff before the meal was actually served. We did have dancing but I nixed a DJ and just hooked my laptop up to the venue's sound system. I made 2 different playlists... one for when guests arrived to the reception and mingled and ate... and the other was for when the dancing started.

I love the laptop idea, I'm going to have to see if my venue will let us pull that off. We don't have many 'dancers' in the guest list, so saving on the DJ is something I wouldn't mind/miss. Thanks again to everyone contributing to the list, very interesting stuff!

 

[Mannequin]

We will be coming in under 15K for our MI wedding, including our wedding bands. Our guest list is near 200 for a buffet dinner/dancing reception, but I am anticipating a handful of declines. We cut our dessert costs in half by having a pie buffet instead of serving wedding cake! My estimate also does not include my wedding dress or accessories, since my parents are paying for those. The custom gown my mother is making for me would average about $1000 in materials and labor.

 

[winelover23]

Our budget was around 7k-8k and we'll probably be right at 8k not including our honeymoon. Our guest list is 51 and we're getting married at a winery in Washington State.

 

[jaylex]

We live in a suburb of Cleveland, Oh.
200 guests
About $12,000...
not including rings, dress, alterations, jewelry, shoes, hair, makeup, undergarments, honeymoon, rehearsal dinner, bridal/parents gifts, gifts to each other, gratuities, alcohol..
including ceremony site, reception site, food, Photog, Videog., DJ, Florist, Cake, Photobooth, Linens, transportation...etc.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Our budget was around 30K, we ended up spending around 25K, not including rings or honeymoon. Our was for 65 people in NJ.

 

[Amys Bling]

35,000 - NJ not including rings and honeymoon

 

[nicoleben]

15,000 budget.

but this does not include, my dress, alteration, jewelry, undergarments, shoes, bridal shower and part of the reception which will be paid by my parents.. his parents also want to help us out, so i am guessing when everything is said and done, it'll be about 20,000

I live about an hour from philadelphia in pennsylvania! 150 guests, and 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen.

 

[Autumnovember]

15,000 budget.

but this does not include, my dress, alteration, jewelry, undergarments, shoes, bridal shower and part of the reception which will be paid by my parents.. his parents also want to help us out, so i am guessing when everything is said and done, it'll be about 20,000

I live about an hour from philadelphia in pennsylvania! 150 guests, and 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen.

Nicole, our wedding is in Philly too! Where are you having yours?

 

[pancake]

Rough conversions to USD:

Ceremony and post-ceremony dinner (includes planner fee): ~$2500
Dress, suit, shoes, bag etc: ~$2200
Flowers: ~$150
Hair and MU (including trial): $200
Photography (images on DVD): ~$1500

So around $7000 for our elopement.

For our return leg celebration (next year)
~80 guests
~$8000 for winery restaurant hire, food, service and drinks
~$2000 for photography

There are probably a few extra little costs in there somewhere, so probably around $18K - $19K overall.

 

[rosetta]

Ack I'm not going to be able to come in under budget.

Just signed contract for food and venue for $35k and another $7k for photography and video.

Eek!

 

[Dannielle]

Guests: 45-50
Location: Sydney
Budget: $30,000 including honeymoon and rings, we are probably going to come in a little over

 

[kittybean]

We ended up coming in at about $40K for our 180-person wedding last summer in Colorado (exclusive of rehearsal dinner, rings, or honeymoon).

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ours was $25k for 110 people in Southern Ontario.

Not counting the rings or honeymoon.

 

[turboflgrl]

Location: Florida
Budget: $30k - Not sure where we're at right now but probably somewhere around there.
About 80-90 Guests
Does not include: Rings or Honeymoon

 

[Rose_Dust]

Location: Pennsylvania
Budget: Not really given/~50K
Size: 200-250 guests
Excludes: Honeymoon and Rehearsal Dinner