Budgeting for a Wedding: Understanding Wedding Costs
It's time to plan your wedding, and you're compiling a checklist of all the details and vendors you'll need to book for the big day. As you're creating this list, make sure you have one of the most essential aspects of wedding planning at the top — your budget.
Discussing your wedding budget is a necessary part of the wedding planning process. Weddings include various aspects to cover the costs of. You should talk to your fiancé, parents or anyone helping pay for the wedding and decide on a budget everyone is comfortable with.
You can plan a beautiful wedding on a big or small budget. Follow this guide for helpful tips and advice on how you can budget for your wedding and consider the cost of the details and vendors.
How Much Does a Wedding Cost?
The cost of your wedding is completely up to your unique celebration and how much you're comfortable spending on your big day. The average price of a wedding ranges from state to state, but overall the average cost of a wedding was $33,900 in 2019.
Average Wedding Budget Breakdown
Your wedding's cost can include anything like the rings, wedding vendors, venue, attire, decorations and other details you add. As you plan your wedding, you'll find options in those areas that suit a range of budgets. From extravagant details to a minimalist wedding, your celebration can be anything you dreamed of on any budget.
How to Set Your Wedding Budget
Setting your wedding budget with your partner is a crucial part of planning your special day. You're ready to go wedding dress shopping, taste cakes and browse through floral designs, but you first need to lay out your budget.
Budgeting for a wedding can be simple once you understand the wedding costs. Set a wedding budget with your partner by following these five steps:
1. Understand What You and Your Partner Want
First, you and your partner should agree on what type of wedding you both want. Couples can opt for a big gathering with different vendors and special additions like photo booths, live bands and extravagant decorations. Or you can have a quaint outdoor wedding with your closest friends and family.
Confining your wedding checklist to your budget doesn't mean you can't get what you want for your big day. Talk to your partner and decide what items are a priority to have at your wedding.
You can allocate more money to you and your partner's wedding priorities. Create a list with the top three things that are a must at your wedding, like your dream dress, catering or videographer.
After you decide your must-haves at your wedding, compile a list of aspects you can live without or that can have a small part of your budget. If you aren't prioritizing real flowers, opt for faux ones or DIY decorations for your bouquet or centerpieces, for instance.
2. Research Prices in Your Area
The cost of wedding venues, vendors and other wedding items may vary depending on various factors, including your location.
The average price of wedding expenses ranges from state to state. Wedding planning websites and search engines will be your best friend as you research different vendors in your area. You can compare prices on catering, entertainment, photography and other services. It's also helpful to ask around for vendor recommendations to see if you can find wedding vendors that fit your price range.
You can go to wedding conventions near you that have various vendors and wedding ideas, as well. Wedding and bridal conventions are a great way to meet local businesses and get an idea of what different aspects of your wedding may cost.
3. Set a Maximum Budget
After you decide what items are a priority at your wedding and have an idea of what each vendor will cost, set a maximum budget.
It's best to discuss your wedding budget with the people who will be paying for the wedding. These contributors might just be you and your partner. Or it might be family members who want to help, like your parents, grandparents or extended family. Finding out who is officially contributing to your wedding is crucial to establishing your wedding budget.
4. Establish Your Guest Count
Now that you have your budget, determining your guest count is an essential step in the wedding planning process. Your budget is dependent on your guest count because you'll have to pay for your guests to eat and drink. You'll also need a venue to host the number of guests you'll have attending.
You'll pay for certain aspects of your wedding on a per-person basis. It's best to be strategic on who you invite to your wedding so you stay within your budget.
5. Get Started!
You've narrowed down your must-haves, completed your research on wedding costs in your area, set your budget and established your guest count. Now it's time to start going down your checklist and begin the fun part of wedding planning.
How to Create a Wedding Budget
When you're organizing your wedding checklist, you'll want to know the average wedding cost breakdown. You'll need to know what items to place on your list and how much of your budget to allocate toward each section.
Here are the main items you'll need to add to your wedding checklist and about how much of your budget you should save for that part of your wedding:
Reception Costs
Your reception will be the party of the evening and will include your venue, rentals, cake and catering. This area will encompass about 50% of the overall wedding budget you chose.
Your wedding venue should be spacious enough to hold the number of guests attending your wedding. It'll likely be a significant portion of your reception budget. Consider planning an off-season wedding or checking for potential venue discounts during certain times of year.
Catering will also take up a big portion of your budget, and you'll likely pay per-person for your catering. There are so many options for catering, from in-venue options to finding your own. You can find ways for food and drinks at your wedding to fit your specific budget.
Wedding Attire
Your wedding day is one of the most memorable days of your life. You'll want to look your best and feel confident on your big day. You'll need to budget for the wedding attire, hair and makeup for your wedding day. Consider allocating around 9% of your budget toward attire and beauty. You can find gowns and suits at varying price points. Browse different stores in your area or shop for your wedding attire online.Many people decide to hire professionals for their wedding hair and makeup. But if you're confident you can complete your own look for your wedding day, you'll save more room in your budget for other areas.
Flowers and Decorations
You've looked through all the different wedding themes and design ideas to come up with your vision of how you want your big day to look. Flowers, decorations and other items to dress up your venue will take around 8% of your budget.If your ceremony and reception venue are the same, you may be able to save room in your budget by using the same flowers and decorations. You can also consider whether you'll rent decorations or make your own to preserve your budget.Music and Entertainment
After you've said your "I do's," it's time for the party. Your wedding reception will be lively with music and dancing. You'll have the option of booking a DJ or a live band to entertain the party. For this part of the wedding, you should set aside around 7% of your wedding budget for music and entertainment.Your DJ or band will usually act as your MC for the night. They will make sure the night runs smoothly after the ceremony and keep your guests on the dance floor. Complete some research before booking your entertainment to see which option fits your budget.
Photography and Videography
You'll want to capture every moment of your big day, and hiring a photographer and videographer for your wedding day will leave you with tangible mementos to cherish. You should save around 12% of your overall wedding budget to pay for your photographer and videographer. You can find numerous photographers and videographers that have different price points. These professionals take the time to edit your photos and videos to make sure you have quality images and a short film of your best day ever.
Ceremony Costs
For your ceremony, you'll need an officiant to legally marry you and your partner. This person will help make your ceremony run smoothly and prepare what will be said during it. You'll need about 2% of your wedding budget for your ceremony.
Wedding Bands
Remember to include your wedding bands in your budget. Your rings will be tangible items that signify your love and commitment to each other, and they're a vital part of your wedding ceremony. Use around 2% of your budget to purchase wedding bands.
Invitations and Other Stationery
You'll send out a few different printed products to your wedding guests, like your save-the-dates, invitations and thank-you cards. You can order stationery online, have a print shop create them or make them yourself. You may also need to print out other items like menus, programs, table numbers and escort cards. Your invitations and other stationery can encompass around 3% of your budget.
Wedding Favors
Many people decide to give their guests wedding favors. You can also provide gifts for your wedding party and family members. Save around 2% of your wedding budget for favors and gifts.
Some couples combine their floral and favor budgets by giving centerpieces to guests as favors. You can also consider making DIY favors for a personalized touch that can also save money.
Hidden Wedding Costs
Planning a wedding is exciting, but you'll need to pay attention to potential hidden costs. Most of these are pre-wedding costs you'll need to account for as you plan. While you're making your checklist, make sure you add some of these forgotten wedding costs to the remaining percentage of your wedding budget:
Wedding party proposals: When you ask your wedding party to be a part of your special day, you might want to buy them a few goodies. Decide on a price you're OK with and add it into your budget to avoid spending too much.
Bachelor and bachelorette parties: You'll want to celebrate before you're married with your wedding party. Before you book your bachelor or bachelorette trips, pick a price to add to your budget. Consider whether you have enough room in your budget to take a weekend trip or if you want to save with a day trip somewhere close.
Marriage license: Your marriage license is what makes your commitment to each other legal. The cost of your marriage license depends on what state or country you and your partner have your wedding in. If you need certified copies of the marriage license, you'll need to pay for those, as well. It's also important to know the laws surrounding how to make an appointment for your marriage license.
Postage: You need to send your guests a few different types of stationery for the wedding. You'll also need to purchase all the postage for the mail, which you might not think about when choosing your stationery. You can order postage online or visit your local post office to purchase the stamps you'll need to send out invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards.
Choose Weddings at Baywood
Planning your wedding and sticking to your budget may be challenging at times. You need to remember all the details you want for your big day and make sure you book vendors ahead of time to ensure they're available.
Consider choosing a wedding venue that offers all-inclusive packages so your wedding planning is more stress-free and you can save time to remember the small details for your big day.
At Baywood Weddings, you can host your wedding at one of Delaware's premier wedding venues. Baywood Weddings offers various services to make wedding planning run smoothly. Make your day special with our all-inclusive services, like an in-house florist, catering, wedding guestbook, complimentary tasting, award-winning event management and photographers.
We strive to provide quality wedding services that make your day as special as it should be. Whether you want a small and intimate wedding or a large and extravagant celebration, we have wedding packages that align with your wedding goals. Contact us to learn more about our services and all-inclusive wedding packages.