Planning Your Wedding - The Budget
It’s time to get down to the nitty gritty- the cash flow- the pricing and budgeting portion of your wedding day! I have invited Jennifer of Creating Memories Forever back to share some more of her knowledge and expertise on those extra details when budgeting for your big day. Keep in mind- These numbers are based on the experience and average wedding price points seen by the vendors in the wedding business- every wedding is different! Use this as a guide to help get your feet wet in your planning process.
Average Money Spent
Jennifer says, “Most couples spend an average of $20,000 to $40,000 for their special day. Don’t be afraid to splurge on the items you really want for your wedding day; such as, a photographer/videographer, your venue, or even a band instead of a DJ. Most brides (such as myself), regret not having a videographer. You miss those small moments during the ceremony while your waiting for your cue to go down the aisle. Your wedding day is going to go by so fast, that you don’t even remember it. Below are some of the averages that couples spend on their wedding day:
Reception/Ceremony - $10,500
Photographer - $2,500
Videographer - $2,000
DJ - $1,200
Dress - $1,600
Cake - $500
Catering - $70/person
Hair/Makeup - $200
Florist - $2,000
Invitations - $600
Transportation - $1,000
Party Favors - $500
Are the above numbers scary? Don’t worry, there are many ways for you to cut costs; such as, DIY, ask family/friends, cut down on your guest list, etc. The most common item for a wedding is the flowers. You will need to book a florist twelve to six months before the date of your wedding. Now, florists can become very pricey! Another option is to find your flowers through an online wholesaler or even kroger. The minimum flower arrangements to think of are-bridal bouquet, bridesmaid’s bouquets, groom’s boutonniere, groomsmen boutonnieres, corsages and boutonnieres for the family and officiant (parents, grandparents), flower girl and ring bearer, aisle decorations, arrangements for the altar, and table centerpieces. You may even want to think about decorating the gift and cake table. To really cut back on the expenses of the flowers is to reuse the ceremony flowers for the reception.
Recommended things to consider
While keeping all of this in mind, you will need to also think of the small details that most couples forget. Those items are:
Gratuity for your vendors
Booking a hotel room after the wedding
Setting up a room block for out of town guests
Including your vendors in the total amount for your caterer
Having a back up plan if mother nature doesn’t corporate
Arranging transportation
All of this can be overwhelming- with that said, if you think you need help or you think you’ll forget something, hire a wedding planner! They are trained and ready to be by your side for anything that may happen.
The Dress
Now that we’ve talked about the stressful and overwhelming part of the wedding planning process, let’s talk about something fun- dress shopping! The most important thing before you walk in is to have a budget. If you don’t have a budget, you can be walking out spending as much money as what you budgeted on your wedding. It’s recommended to start thinking about finding your dress about a year in advance. Don’t worry, your alterations won’t be until about one to three months before your wedding day. Some extra costs you don’t think about while dress shopping are- a veil, alterations, waist bands, corset/Slip, shoes, and jewelry.
Keeping that in mind, don’t be pressured to buy anything at the bridal shop. There are many other places you can buy the little things for your dress a lot cheaper. This experience is suppose to be exciting and spent with the most important people to you. Remember, this is YOUR day and YOUR vision and NO ONE else!”
You can reach Jennifer through her Facebook or Instagram for questions and for booking her as your wedding planner! There’s lots of ways to make your wedding unique and special to your relationship and celebration. For more tips, view our post Planning for your Wedding where you can see where to start and view a sample timeline as well.
Gabriella Sutherland is a Wedding and Elopement Photographer based out of Columbus Ohio with travel available to your wedding worldwide. To contact Gabby about your wedding date, click the link below.