I try as hard as possible to stay away from the checkbook in our house. I will gladly take on just about any household responsibility, but making sure that our pennies are counted is NOT my forte. I rely on my money-smart husband to help me out there. Thank goodness one of us is good with money! If you are engaged and share my money sense, you may have your head spinning when thinking about balancing your wedding budget. Thank goodness, there are many tools out there to help you. I find that most websites are pretty close when they talk about what percentage of your total wedding budget you should allocate to what kinds of purchases, rentals, etc. Below, I have created a chart showing how your budget might be broken down depending on your total budget. Remember this is a guide...a starting point. You will also need to decide what kinds of wedding items are most important to you. You might borrow from one category to beef up another.
Generally speaking, here are the items that are included in each category:
Reception - reserving your venue, rental items, food and service, beverages, cake
Attire - gown, alterations, headpiece, veil, accessories, hair and make up, grooms tux/suit, groom's accessories
Flowers/Decor - floral arrangements for ceremony, flower girl's basket, ring pillow, bride's bouquet, bridesmaids' bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, reception decorations, lighting
Music - ceremony musicians, cocktail hour music, reception band/dj/entertainment, sound system, dance floor rental
Photos and Video - photography, videography, prints, albums
Favors and Gifts - welcome baskets for out of towners, bridal party gifts
Ceremony - site fee, officiant's fee
Stationery - save the date cards, invitations and RSVPs, programs, seating/place cards, menu cards, signage, thank you notes, postage
Wedding Rings - bride's ring, groom's ring
Transportation - limousine or car rentals, valet parking
| |
$5,000 |
$10,000 |
$15,000 |
$20,000 |
$25,000 |
$50,000 |
$100,000 |
| Reception 50% |
2,500.00 |
5,000.00 |
7,500.00 |
10,000.00 |
12,500.00 |
25,000.00 |
50,000.00 |
| Attire 10% |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
1,500.00 |
2,000.00 |
2,500.00 |
5,000.00 |
10,000.00 |
| Flowers/Décor 10% |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
1,500.00 |
2,000.00 |
2,500.00 |
5,000.00 |
10,000.00 |
| Music 10% |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
1,500.00 |
2,000.00 |
2,500.00 |
5,000.00 |
10,000.00 |
| Photos and Video 10% |
150.00 |
300.00 |
450.00 |
600.00 |
750.00 |
1,500.00 |
3,000.00 |
| Favors and Gifts 3% |
150.00 |
300.00 |
450.00 |
600.00 |
750.00 |
1,500.00 |
3,000.00 |
| Ceremony 2% |
100.00 |
200.00 |
300.00 |
400.00 |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
2,000.00 |
| Wedding Rings 2% |
100.00 |
200.00 |
300.00 |
400.00 |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
2,000.00 |
| Transportation 1% |
50.00 |
100.00 |
150.00 |
200.00 |
250.00 |
500.00 |
1,000.00 |
We hope this guide helps you to get started! Remember, when it comes to your budget, know what is important to you, make the plan, and then stick to it! It is very each for a wedding budget to spin out of control. Lots of brides and grooms become creative in certain areas to save money for other splurge areas on their budget. Good luck!
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