Once upon a time in a land far far away, the bride’s parents paid for everything wedding-related. The bride herself paid for the groom’s ring and bridesmaid gifts. The groom’s parents paid for the rehearsal dinner and the groom paid for his clothing, bride’s ring and his groomsmen’s gifts. While this ultra traditional arrangement does still occur, it is far more common to find that weddings are paid for through combined efforts. Let's break down your wedding costs. It's time to talk about the "B" word...budget!
Download our free wedding budget planning printable!
Today, wedding costs are typically covered in a variety of ways:
- • Couple pays
- • One/both set of parents pay
- • Couple + parents pay
- • Money is contributed in flat amounts
- • Money is contributed by percentages
- • Money is contributed for specific budget items (i.e. band, dinner, flowers, etc.)
As a couple, have these conversations with each set of parents prior to establishing a wedding budget. It is recommended to talk to each family separately so there isn’t any sense of competition or animosity before the wedding planning begins. While the average national wedding cost is approximately $30K, your personal budget may differ greatly. Knowing what each contributor can honestly afford to spend on your special day is the best way to create a wedding budget. The truth is beautiful weddings can be budget-friendly too!
Where does the money go? Be prepared to ask yourself this many times as you plan your wedding! Trust us, it will go faster than you think, which is why experts suggest keeping wedding money in a separate account. Other tips include: keeping diligent records and holding yourself accountable when you veer off course. And, you will veer off course. Shiny ball syndrome strikes every bride-to-be! Don’t beat yourself up when you make an impulse purchase of the newest, neatest and shiniest must-have. When it happens, reign yourself back in and remember your plan and budget. You may find it helpful to stay on track by keeping tear sheets, screen shots and inspiration images alongside your budget in a special binder with journal inserts. If you want to go all out, you can even organize your wedding planning materials in this carry-all organizational caddy. Design your own using after choosing your wedding colors. Unless you are one very lucky bride with an endless budget… start your planning by deciding which parts of the wedding matter most to you and allocate more money toward these top priorities. You might personally rank venue over flowers or photography over food versus another bride who insists on a plated-meal and a 16-piece band. Once you’ve set your top priorities, you can decide how to save money on items that fall lower on the list. Of course, black-tie weddings likely cost more than afternoon garden soirees. Larger weddings cost more than smaller weddings. Gold-foiled invitations cost a pretty dime more than creative DIY versions. Open bar versus a selection of wine, beer and perhaps a signature cocktail. You get the gist…
Here is the overall “average” breakdown of wedding expenditures. Ready. Set. {deep breath} Spend.
- • Food/Drink: 40%
- • Reception venue/Rentals: 10-15%
- • Photography/Video: 12%
- • Attire/Beauty: 10%
- • Entertainment: 6-12%
- • Flowers: 5-8%
- • Stationery/Paper goods: 3-5%
- • Transportation: 2%
- • Rings: 2%
- • Gifts: 2%
- • Ceremony: 2%
- • Misc.: 1-5%
Beware the Hidden Costs:
- Overtime (Ending your event on time, regardless of how much fun everyone is having will save you morning after regret and big time bucks.)
- Gratuities (Well-deserved but often overlooked in the budget. Assume your team will do a great job and leave some tip money in the budget)
- Service fees (These additional fees occur from venues who have to cover the cost of hiring servers, coat checkers, parking attendants, etc. Expect these fees to typically amount to 20 to 25% of the event's total food and drink fees.)
- Tastings and trials (First time demos from your florist, caterer and baker may be complimentary but repeated requests will make their way to your bottom line.)
Hooray! You’re on the way to having some major wedding decisions out of the way and you still have twelve months to go! Find tips on saving money, hiring a wedding planner, choosing your wedding dress, throwing an engagement party and setting up a successful registry. Don’t miss our tips on making Pinterest your wedding BFF and also download our free wedding budget planning printable!
Follow our Month-by-Month Wedding Planning Guide for more tips for every phase of your planning process. Feeling crafty? We’ve handpicked our favorite DIY wedding projects too!
Article written by: Melissa Collier
