Let’s get right to it – The average wedding costs $25,000 to $35,000. But, that number means little to nothing when you are considering the unique needs for your big day. Proper budgeting can help you plan and save enough money to cover the essential details of your dream wedding.
A comprehensive wedding budget that considers every aspect of your wedding day will reduce stress and ensure that your wedding ceremony and reception are spectacular.
Who Will be Contributing to the Wedding?
One of the first things to consider when calculating the cost of your wedding is where the funds are coming from. Is it the bride’s family, the groom’s family, the couple to be wed, or another party? Are the funds already available, or will the person or people paying need to start setting aside money for the big day?
These questions will help you set budget limitations and commit to savings goals. They will also help guide you in the discussions necessary to solidify payment agreements with family members. Understanding the boundaries and sources of your budget is an essential step in wedding planning.
Set a Wedding Budget Before You Start Shopping
When you finalize the decision to start planning your wedding, it’s hard not to spend money at every bridal boutique and show. Limiting this temptation will save you lots of money, as these items can limit your options if your budget becomes tight later on.
Set your budget early. You can always revisit a well-planned budget if you face financial opportunities or struggles.
Initial budgets may be rough estimates of how much you want to spend, which makes creating real numbers difficult. Instead of throwing out wild guesses about how much things will cost, categorize your wedding budget by percentage. For example, you may want to allocate 10% of your wedding budget to a dress and 40% to the venue. Setting percentages allows you to prioritize the most important details of your day.
Wedding Budget Considerations
A good wedding budget calculator includes every detail, from flowers to thank you cards. Here’s a list of details you may want to include in your budget. Many of these items are optional, and some can become DIY projects instead of hiring professionals, which is a huge money saver. In addition, some venues offer discounts or a preferred vendor list to make your wedding shopping more convenient and cost-efficient.
Here’s a quick breakdown of things to look at when you’re trying to figure out the full scope of your budget.
Ceremony
- Number of guests
- Invitations and thank you cards
- Wedding planner
- Venue
- Officiant and marriage license
- Flowers and decor
- Music
Reception
- Venue
- Furniture and tent rentals
- Flowers and decor
- Caterer
- Food and dessert
- Cake
- Bar and alcohol
- DJ or live band
- Staff
- Décor and signage for seating arrangements
Photography
- Photographer
- Videographer
- Prints and video duplicates
Wedding Attire
- Wedding dress (including alterations)
- Wedding Shower/Bachelorette/Bachelor party outfits
- Bridal party dresses, hair, and makeup
- Groomsmen suits or rentals
- Wedding rings
- Jewelry and accessories
- Flower bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages
Transportation
- Parking
- Travel options for couple to arrive and leave event
Wedding Party
- Gifts for your wedding party
- What you’ll want them to wear while you get ready for your big day
Wedding Venue Opportunities at Green Acres Event Center
Visit our website to learn more about our incredible wedding ceremony and reception venue at Green Acres Event Center. Our onsite amenities make it easy to plan your big day while putting every aspect of your dreams within reach.
We understand that budgets are a priority in wedding planning, so we do our best to provide a variety of amenities and a detailed vendor list. This makes shopping for your wedding venue easier and more affordable, so you can include the little things in your wedding to ensure that it remains in your memories as one of the biggest and most special days of your life.
