Diy Your Decor And Use Seasonal Items
An easy way to have a wedding on a budget is to do your own decor! Take advantage of the talents your friends, bridesmaids, and family may have! Enlist their help in creating your wedding ceremony and reception decor.
, and you can find a ton of great decor items from your local craft store at a fraction of the cost that you’d pay to a florist or event designer.
And since floral arrangements can be a huge budget-buster, consider buying flowers, boutonnieres, and corsages in bulk from Sam’s Club and Costco. Doing so can save you thousands when compared to working with a florist.
Figure out your wedding colors, then watch a few YouTube tutorials on how to put together an arrangement. Its totally doable!
Limit Your Guest List
Less is sometimes more! You might feel tempted to come up with a guest list as long as the royal weddings, but think of it this way: Every guest is an expense. It sounds harsh, but its true, you guys! With each addition to your guest list, youre only driving up the overall cost of your wedding.
To save money on your wedding, you may want to host a smaller, more intimate affair. If the number of people at your wedding isnt important to you and your fiancé, try cutting your guest list by 20%, then another 20% on top of that. Or invite more guests to the wedding ceremony and host a smaller reception with your family and closest friends.
Priced Per Head Vs Priced In Full
Items such as catering and beverage, venue space, and seating can usually be priced by the guest. These days, it is extraordinarily difficult to get catering for less than $10 per person. Bar services and beverages can usually be priced out at $10 per person or charged by the service to be inclusive of guests in this manner. A venue with a built-in bar service, or included beverage policy will normally be more expensive than a venue that allows BYOB.
Some counties have preferences or laws surrounding the bar and security, so make sure you ask these questions before booking your venue! You will want to include this in your wedding budget, as food and drink is a large spend in most cases.
You May Like: How To Prepare For A Wedding
Bridal Jewelry And Accessories
A bride often wears a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet on her wedding day. These items can range anywhere from very costly to quite affordable.
For example, a pearl necklace can cost a couple of thousand dollars. Or it could be something you already own or borrow from your family members or friends.
On average, expect to spend between $100 and $500 on bridal jewelry and accessories.
Gifts For People Who Helped Out
Many couples choose to give gifts to the people who helped make their wedding day special. This could include the parents, relatives, friends, your wedding planner, and others who went above and beyond to help out.
Generally, gifts for people who significantly helped out with your wedding range from $100 to $250 per person. At the higher price range if you know that a person has spent own money and quite some time to make your wedding a success.
Don’t Miss: Wedding Venues In Covington La
How To Allocate Your Wedding Budget
Plan your dream wedding day without breaking the bank.
Getty Images
Breaking down your wedding budget is one of the trickiest wedding planning tasks. Since this figure influences all other decisionsvenue, guest list, meal options, and if you can spring for that pricey DJit’s essential to create an accurate budget for the big day.
No matter your starting number, think about dividing your wedding budget in terms of for you and for them, says Alicia Fritz of A Day in May Event Planning & Design. A budget begins with a guest list that informs most of your costs. Be prepared to spend the most on taking care of guests basic needsthat’s venue, food, and beverage.”
Meet the Expert
Alicia Fritz is a Michigan-based wedding planner and the founder of A Day in May Event Planning & Design.
The remaining amount includes fixed costs including your , videographer, and entertainment. Then, there’s the more logistical and arbitrary stufftransportation, labor, lighting, stationery, and anything else deemed essential.
Ready to get started? Use this handy guide as a rough outline for spending breakdowns, and adjust according to your priorities.
Keep this question in mind: Is your dream venue non-negotiable? If it puts you over budget, cut back in another area that matters less to you and your partner. And if it isn’t a deal-breaker, find another option that you’re sure to love just as much.
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.
You May Like: Diamond Wedding Ring Sets For Women
If Your Wedding Budget Is $10000 To $15000
If you have a $10,000-$15,000 wedding budget, youll be able to splurge a little more on certain things like your photographer, venue, and food. But still be mindful of added service fees, gratuity for staff, and high-season catering and venue prices. Wedding costs can add up quickly, so be sure to track expenses accordingly. Now, without further ado, heres our wedding budget breakdown for this price range!
- Wedding dress and alterations: $1,000-$1,400
- Number of guests: 75-150
- Grooms attire: $100-$150
- Venue: $1,200 to $2,300
- Music: $800-$1,000
- Food and drinks: $1,000 to $2,000 to $3,000
- Wedding cake: $150-$300
- Bouquets: $50 to $200 to $300
- Décor: $700 to $1,000
- Day-of coordinator: $0 to $1,200
- Grand total: $13,360 to $15,800
PC: Jaimee Morse Photography
Find Out How Much Family Members Are Willing To Contribute
Are parents or other relatives planning to contribute to your wedding? If so, find out how much they plan to give and add it to your budget. If a family member says they’d like to buy the bridal gown rather than contribute cash, for example, take note. You can remove the cost of buying a dress when you break down your budget.
You May Like: How Do You Budget For A Wedding
What To Consider When Allocating Your Wedding Budget
Now that you know what a typical wedding budget breakdown looks like, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the top things to keep in mind when allocating your funds. As mentioned above, a number of factors go into how you actually spend your money. This means that no two wedding budgets will look the same. Here are five key factors to consider when determining how to allocate your wedding budget.
Church Ceremony With Ballroom Reception Blowout
If your budget is $30,000, you could spend your money like this:
Venue and full-service catering: $15,000 for tables, chairs, linens, food, beverages and staffAttire: $1,000 for a dress $200 for a tuxedo rentalFlowers and decorations: $2,000 for bouquets, centerpieces, other arrangements and lightingWedding Planner: $4,000 for a full-service planner $2,000 for a top-rated professional photographer and an assistantEntertainment: $4,000 for a live bandDessert: $500 for a cakeInvitations: $200
Read Also: How To Set Up A Snapchat Filter For Wedding
Wedding Budget Breakdown Example
After determining your “number,” it’s time to set up a typical wedding budget breakdown. Let’s say you plan on spending about $20,000.
Remember this is just to use as an example you may decide to spend more or less on your big day. Below are items you’ll want to include in your budget, along with the possible percentages for each category:
- Reception costs
- Wedding insurance
- Miscellaneous and unplanned expenses
Let’s go over each of these categories in more detail as well as what the average budget percentage could be for each one.
Have The Wedding Budget Talk
Everyone paying for the event needs to sit down and look at the total wedding budget. This might be your first experience budgeting with your future spouse as a team. What a priceless experience! Learning to talk openly and honestly about how much you can spendand how much youre willing to spendon your wedding is going to lay the groundwork for wonderful budget date nights once youre married!
As uncomfortable as this budget talk might be, just rememberits a heck of a lot easier than still paying for your wedding day on your fifth anniversary!
When I say budget here, Im not just talking about how much money you can spend totalIm talking about how much you should spend in each specific area.
I suggest breaking the total wedding budget into categories and figuring out what percentage to devote to each:
Reception: 55%Dress and Tux: 8%Miscellaneous/Cushion: 5%
These arent set numbers thats just the ratio Winston and I used. You should set your ratios based on whats important to you. Maybe youre willing to splurge on photos, but flowers dont really matter to you. If you care more about one area than another, change up the percentages.
Read Also: Cartier Wedding Band For Men
A Template For A Well
We’ve made a free template for you with a typical wedding budget breakdown. This template will help you organize your expenses and allocate your budget in a much more efficient way.
A summary of this template is given here first. Next, we’ll go through this template step by step, with a rundown of all the costs you may expect.
Think About The Kind Of Wedding You Want To Have
This may be the one part of wedding planning that youve already knocked out of the park. But if not, its time to get to dreaming. Do you and your partner want a picnic in the park, an intimate urban party, or a huge shindig with all your friends and family? There are so many different kinds of weddings out there, and so much inspiration, that it can get overwhelming quickly. You shouldnt spend too much time on specifics initially, but you should determine the general feel you want for your wedding. Think about the look, the style, the people, and the emotionsall the pieces that will make your wedding unique to you two. I often tell couples to think about weddings theyve been to or seen, and figure out the words to describe them. Because while fun and fancy can coexist, they dont always. For example, you may want your wedding to be low key and relaxed like your cousins last yearbut a little more formal, while still avoiding a stuffy feeling. You can even start to get more specific, think: Low-key ceremony, with a relaxed upbeat dance party, and a family-style dinner that feels casual but looks kind of fancy-ish.
Related Post
Also Check: How To Make Diy Wedding Invitation
You Dont Have To Go Into Debt To Have A Beautiful Wedding
If theres one thing we believe here at The Budget Savvy Bride, its that you can have a beautiful, meaningful wedding no matter what budget youre working with. We wholeheartedly encourage couples to plan #debtfreeweddings so that they can start their marriages off on solid financial footing.
Starting off your marriage in debt for a wedding you couldnt actually afford is not the best idea. Learn more about planning a debt-free wedding here.
If you want more guided help in planning your wedding, make sure to pick up a copy of our best-selling wedding planner:The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer.
Setting A Budget: What Are The Big Ticket Items
One way to get organized is to figure out the big ticket items that youll be putting the most money into. Experts agree that these are generally the venue and the food. And our survey supports this, 61 percent of our survey respondents who included a venue in their budget expect it to be among their top three biggest budgeted items, and half said the same for catering. Interestingly, wedding rings tied venue for most likely big ticket expense.
Art by Tiana Crispino
The median budget for jewelry and the venue is $3,000 each, and catering is $2,000. The other biggest expenses budgeted for are travel, wedding planner , wedding attire , and alcohol .
While all these things are important aspects, experts also advise investing in a good and good DJ/band .
You don’t have to get the most expensive in your area, but you should definitely have someone other than Uncle Bob and his cell phone taking pictures, Gardenia jokes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime day for you and you want beautiful, professional to remember it.
As for DJs, Gardenia says they bring much more to the event than just the soundtrack. For some reason, a lot of couples think a DJ is the vendor to nix if you’re on a tight budget,” she admits. “This isn’t a vendor you can just replace with a Spotify playlist! The DJ is largely responsible for making your ceremony crisp and heartwarming. They also keep your reception lively by feeling out the crowd and playing music that works and shifting accordingly.
Read Also: Lab Created Diamond Wedding Band
With A Wedding Budget Breakdown Of $15000 To $20000
With a wedding budget in the mid-range, your have flexibility to put your own unique spin on things and invest in the aspects of your day that really matter to you. Ways to make the most out of a $15,000 to $20,000 wedding budget include choosing 3-4 things you want to splurge on, then staying modest with the rest. That way, youll still stay within your wedding budget and be able to focus on what really matters to you.
- Wedding dress and alterations: $1,400-$1,800
- Number of guests: 150-200
- Bouquets: $200-$300
- Décor: $1,000-$1,200
- Wedding planner: $900 $2,000
- Grand total: $15,500 to $20,300
PC: Rachel Laxton Photography
Costs Of Services Vary According To Location
The Cost of Living Index compares the average amount of money a population spends on housing, clothes, food, and other necessities. The index concluded that Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Arkansas have the lowest cost of living index. In contrast, Hawaii, California, New York, Oregon, and Massachusetts have the highest cost of living index in the United States.
Areas with a high cost of living are bound to charge higher prices for services and products. Thus, your budget of $20,000 may be more than enough in some cities while being not enough in others.
Read Also: How To Request Rsvp On Wedding Invitation
Attire For The Bride And Groom 10% Of The Budget
While renting suits and gowns is an option, many couples prefer buying their attire for multiple reasons. Firstly, they can have their clothes tailored to get the best and most flattering fit these alterations will also factor into your budget. Secondly, brides can preserve their dress and pass it on to their daughter when the time comes.
Also included in this portion of the budget are the hair and makeup of the couple.
Moreover, although optional, the bride and groom each have accessories to complete their outfit. Some are for embellishment, such as jewelry, gloves, cufflinks, and so on others, like these alterations, may be part of a tradition.
Not Included In This Template
The purpose of this budget template is to provide a comprehensive list of expenses for the wedding day itself. You will most likely have more costs when you are getting married, such as:
- Wedding attire for the bride and groom
- The wedding ring or band
- Hairdresser, make-up, manicure
- Pre-wedding parties such as an engagement party, a bridal shower, and bachelor and bachelorette parties
Recommended Reading: What To Wear To A Wedding Women
How To Plan A Wedding On A Budget
13 Min Read | Oct 31, 2022
Congratulations, youre engaged! Youre probably flying high with visions of wedded bliss in your head, but heres a statistic thats sure to bring you back to earth: According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is $19,000. That’s a pretty steep wedding budgetand it doesnt even count the honeymoon expense!
After reading that you may be ready to elope! Compared to footing the bill for a lavish wedding, taking a simple trip to the courthouse is obviously more economical. But dreamers, dont despair. You can still have a traditional wedding ceremony and reception without going overboard. You just need a budget!
Figuring out your wedding budget can be confusing if youve never planned a large event. Its difficult to nail down a dollar amount if youre unsure how much bang you can get for your buck. Sometimes the wedding a couple wants doesnt align with what they can afford, and thats when the trouble begins.
Your wedding is one of the best days of your life, so you may feel pressure to plan an elaborate celebration. But theres no need to go into debt. You can have a wonderful, memorable weddingno matter what your budget is!
If you dont want to sink boatloads of money into one day, I have some practical tips to plan a wedding on a budget youll still love!
Wedding Planner: 3% Of Total Wedding Budget
There are lots of advantages to hiring a wedding plannerperhaps the biggest one is that they can actually help you save money! With their knowledge and connections in the industry, a wedding planner will ensure that you stay within your wedding budget and on schedule, and will keep your planning experience as stress-free as possible. Learn more about wedding planner costs»
Also Check: Where To Rent Tuxedos For Wedding
