Couples Planning Their Wedding Often Struggle To Know: What Is A Reasonable Budget For Our Wedding
As wedding photographers & videographers, weve seen our fair share of weddings all across Ontario. While weve been based out of Hamilton for the past six years, weve shot weddings of all different sizes and budgets in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, St Catharines, and all over the Niagara region. What weve learned is: there is no one right answer for everyone. Depending on your stylistic tastes, your number of guests, your location, time of year, day of the week, vendors you hire it can all change pretty quickly.
At the beginning of the month, we polled our Instagram audience about their budgets for their weddings. The results we got back were very telling!
First, its important to note that we limited the responses to weddings that took between 2016 to 2020 and 2021. We didnt want data that was any older than 4 years because so much has changed in the wedding industry since that time .
We had 42 participants respond, and concluded that across the board:
Whats The Average Honeymoon Cost
Honeymoons are common, if not expected, post-wedding. While you relax on the beach, your wallet will keep working Its estimated that couples spent an average of $3,882 on their honeymoons in 2015.
Newlyweds typically set out on their honeymoon right after the wedding, but modern couples are increasingly planning their trip for a few months out. Some even take a weekend mini-moon right away and plan a longer trip down the road.
Doing so allows them to both save up after the wedding, as well as spread out their vacation days rather than taking them all at once, as its not uncommon to take some days off around the wedding itself. Regardless of your honeymoon plans, keep in mind that expenses can add up, especially since many couples opt to spend a bit more on lavish accommodations for such a special occasion.
Browse Wedding Costs By Category
Everything you need to know from the expected to the unexpected.
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On average, most couples in the US spend nearly $30,000 on their wedding ceremony and reception. However, this can vary widely depending on the vendors hired and location. WeddingWires Wedding Cost Guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of average wedding vendor costs by area, along with details on factors that can affect pricing, so you can go into wedding planning knowing what to expect and easily create a wedding budget you can stick to.
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Ring Costs By States:
Just like any type of budget, wedding ring costs will vary by region. Trends, economies, and demographics will affect ring budgets.
In 2019, online jeweler Ritani released the average amount customers spent in their shop and broke it down by state. The average Ritani ring goes for $7,750, so their costs are higher than other national averages. But their ranking still reveals trends in wedding ring costs by state.
- California Californians come in second when it comes to shelling out big bucks for engagement rings. The average California customer spent $9,482 on an engagement ring from Ritani.
- New York Couples in New York also land on the higher end of the spectrum, spending an average of $8,785 on their engagement rings.
- Texas Everythings bigger in Texas, though engagement ring costs there are simply on the high end of average. Ritanis data indicates couples spend an average of $8,063 on their ring.
- Florida $8,809 is the average cost of a wedding ring in Florida
- Illinois Illinois couples are dropping an average of $9,197 for their proposal bling.
- Pennsylvania Wedding ring budgets are a bit lower in Pennsylvania, where $7,552 is the average cost.
- Ohio Ritani reports that Ohio residents spend an average of $7,796 on their rings.
- Arizona In Arizona, engagement rings cost an average of $6,684
- Washington Washington boasts the highest average, with couples spending around $10,109 on rings from Ritani.
- Michigan $8,535 is the average wedding ring cost in Michigan.
Average Cost Of A Wedding In The Uk 2022
Let your wedding be the joyful event you imagine it should beby planning a wedding you can comfortably afford. Regardless of who is paying for it or how much you’re spending, planning a wedding will be much less stressful if you decide on and stick to a budget. Start by understanding typical budget items, as well as how much they typically cost. Once you have a budget to work with, you can actually enjoy picking out and paying for your dress, flowers, venue, rings, etc. for this special day.
If wedding insurance will give you peace of mind about all the money you’re spending, please read our review of Wedding Plan Insurance to learn more.
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The Average Cost Of A Wedding In 2020
By: Christy Bieber | Published Sept. 2, 2020
Image source: Getty Images
Weddings have become more than just a chance for a couple to express their commitment to each other — they’ve become big business.
Couples budget, on average, around $23,000 for their wedding but end up spending around $30,000, with more than half of all couples increasing their projected spending during the planning process according to Wedding Wire’s 2020 Newlywed Report.
With couples spending enough money to buy a car or put a down payment on a home on a one-day event, let’s take a look at where this money goes, where it comes from, and who covers the costs.
Average Wedding Costs By Vendor
While the vendors you hire to help you pull off your big day do not account for all of your wedding expenses, they do make up the vast majority of your budget. Heres a look at typical wedding vendor costs.
Wedding Venue: $2,000 – $10,000+As you can see, the average price range for wedding venues varies widely. Many factors play into this cost, such as venue size, location, and if they include staff, rentals, or catering in their price. Nationally, most couples spend about $5,000 on their venue space.
The price of the wedding photographer depends on many factors as well, such as the photographers experience, how many hours youve contracted them for, and what extras the packages includes . On average, couples spend $2,000 on wedding photography.
Wedding Planner: $1,000 – $2,500+While a wedding planner may seem like an unnecessary extra expense, having one of these professionals in your corner goes a long way in helping you save money in other areas. They know all sorts of tricks for cutting costs, not to mention save you the hassle of managing all the wedding planning details on your own. The price of a planner is dependant on what type of planner you hire and the extent of the services they will provide. A full-service and day-of wedding plannera planner that helps you plan the entire wedding from beginning to endusually costs between $3,000-$4,000. However, top-tier planners can be as much as $10,000 or more.
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Honeymoons: How To Spend Less Than Average
Here are some eye-opening facts and figures from the folks at tripsavvy.com:
- The average cost of a honeymoon for U.S. couples is $4,466.
- The average length of a honeymoon is around eight days.
- About three-quarters of American honeymooners travel within the U.S. or Canada.
- The top U.S. honeymoon destinations are Hawaii, Florida, California, and Nevada.
- The top international honeymoon destinations include Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Italy, St. Lucia, France, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Many cruises will cost between about $3,000 and $7,000 per person, depending on where you go, how long youre at sea, and how fancy the vessel is.
If youre already planning, say, a $20,000 wedding, the thought of paying another $4,000-plus on top of that for a honeymoon can be a little alarming. Fortunately, you dont have to spend that much on your honeymoon. Here are some ways to spend less.
Travel during your honeymoon destinations off season: Hotels will be charging less, and the crowds will be smaller, too. Note that even if you get married in June, you can always delay your honeymoon for a few months if it means avoiding peak tourist season. Also bear in mind that traveling during the off season does not mean resigning yourself to bad weather. Some areas, particularly near the equator, have nice weather year-round but are simply more crowded at certain times like winter.
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Pare Down Your Guest List
Your guest list can not only impact how much you spend on catering, but it can also affect the size of your venue.
According to The Knot, in 2021, couples invited an average of 105 guests to their wedding. However, this number typically depended on what time of year their wedding was. Couples who were married anywhere from January to June tended to have less guests due to weather challenges. Those who got married anywhere from January to March had even less .
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What Are Couples Willing To Splurge On
Sticking to a wedding budget is important however, most couples have an item or two that they arent willing to give on. For most couples, this ties back to the experience that is created at their wedding. Whether its the design that their guests are stepping into that is simply unforgettable, the photographer to capture the memories of the day or the music/entertainment, its important to figure out whats most important to you and your soon-to-be-spouse, before you decide how to allocate your budget.
Here is a common breakdown explaining the typical breakdown per category of expense:
Looking Good For The Big Day
An average wedding dress will run you $1,000 . You may need to pay for alterations. An average tuxedo rental costs around $100, but if you’re buying a tuxedo or wedding suit, you could be looking at around $350. Bridal hair and makeup costs may also be in your wedding budget $300 is the average cost here .
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The Average Cost Of A Wedding Around The World
The United States is far from the only country where couples spend extravagantly on their nuptials. The data below from WeddingWire shows the average price of a wedding around the world in U.S. dollars, using currency conversion rates as of March 2019.
The United States is the most expensive on the list by a wide margin in terms of average cost, but couples across the globe have a keen interest in making their wedding special and are willing to pay a relatively high price in order to do so.
Wedding Packages Vs Individual Vendors:
In some cases, wedding packages can be much more affordable for you and your partner than researching and hiring individual vendors for every aspect of your wedding. However, you might have to forgo some personalization .
Looking at online wedding cost estimators and mapping out your wedding budget is a great first step. Since venues are often one of the earliest decisions, looking at how your top contenders compare to the average cost of wedding venues will help you start to understand how your area compares to the national average. This can help you to answer the question, “What is the average cost of a wedding in my area?” and to come up with a wedding budget checklist that is both realistic and works for you.
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What Else Goes Into A Wedding Budget
As if the wedding isnt expensive enough, youll also want to consider what the next stage of life looks like for you. Whether that includes an exotic destination honeymoon to celebrate your nuptials or even the downpayment on your future home and furnishings together, its important to start planning for your future.
According to a survey, the most common other items being budgeted for include starting a family , paying off debt , a car , and medical expenses .
How Much Does A Wedding Venue Cost
According to the Knot, in 2021 couples spent an average of $10,700 on their venue. About 75% of these venues included rentals, like chairs and linens, as a part of the venue package. Taken out of the total average budget of $34,000 , it represents a good 30% of what couples are spending on a wedding overall.
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Average Cost Of Wedding Flowers
Wedding flowers are surprisingly complicated, with more than 15 different types of possible arrangements to consider. Brides.com provides some details on what couples can expect to pay for some of the different floral items at their wedding.
- Bridal bouquet: $150 to $350
- Bridesmaid bouquet: $65 to $125
- Boutonniere: $24 to $45
- Pin-on corsage: $32 to $48
- Wrist corsage: $48 to $65
- Reception flowers: $75 to $250
- Flower girl petals: $65 per bag
- Altar flowers: $75 to $500
- Arrangement next to sign-in book: $150 to $250
- Arrangement next to place cards: $65 to $125
- Head table centerpiece: $65 to $150
- Sweetheart table garland: $12 to $45 per foot
- Guest table centerpiece: $75 to $400
- Cake flowers: $25 to $150
- Flower crown: $45 to $125
Mixing low- and high-priced florals can help keep budget costs down, as can reusing flowers from the ceremony at the reception and choosing flowers that are in season.
Wedding Venue Cost Estimator
To help get your wedding budget started, weve prepared a list of the average cost of wedding venue rental estimates to make sure that youre only looking into options that match your budget.
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The biggest opportunity for wedding receptions cost savings is to cut down your guest list as much as possible. This means less food, seats, drinks, security, and everything else.
The biggest impact comes with the fact that a smaller guest list opens the door to many more cost-effective venues.
If youre looking to pinch every penny:
- Choose a full-service venue that will perform the ceremony and host the reception. Paying for rentals and services once instead of twice really adds up.
- Bring Your Own Consider cash bar drinks and a potluck menu. It doesnt matter how many guests you invite if theyre feeding themselves.
- Enlist some help. If someone in your family or circle of friends fancies themself an up-and-coming DJ, consider that theyre wedding gifts. Use this same mentality of other functions that usually cost money.
- DIY. Youll no doubt be participating in several wedding-related celebrations in the months leading up to your wedding. Use these as opportunities for group DIY projects so that you can cut down on the cost of decor.
You only get married once, so we dont recommend skipping on important wedding experiences, but investing your time instead of money is always a good idea.
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What Does The Average Wedding Cost In Canada
By Michelle Bilodeau and Karen Cleveland on April 19, 2021
Spoiler: The average wedding costs between $22,000 and $30,000. But many Canadians would rather do other things with that money. And that’s why we asked the authors of The New Wedding Book to share their best tips for saving money on your big day.
But youre getting married! You have to! That empty statement is on the other end of everything from wedding cakes to bachelorette parties, lace veils, engagement photo shoots and selfie stations. It seems that from the very minute you are betrothed, everyone and their mother has opinions about what you should do at your wedding. The notion that couples will only have their big day once is also used to justify tossing their financial goals out the window, and the results arent very romantic.
According to a survey from BMO Financial Group, Canadian couples dip into their savings and investments to front more than half of their wedding costs. For most North American couples, it is almost accepted that getting married is going to end in a sizeable debt and some serious financial stress. Does that have to be the case?
At the risk of putting too fine a point on the matter, the financial implications of weddings are very, very real.
How Much Does The Average Wedding Cost
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Having a wedding isnt as simple as saying I do and can be a lot more expensive.
The average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000 , according to The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study.
Heres what you should know about wedding costs and how to realistically estimate how much youll spend to take the plunge.
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What Determines The Cost
A lot of factors go into determining the cost, but here are some of the biggest ones:
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Guest count: An event with a long guest list is likely to require a larger space as well as more food, drinks and table settings. Thats before you add on other costs, like invitations and favors. In fact, in 2021 the average cost per guest was $266!
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Date: The more desirable the date and time of your wedding, the pricier the venue is likely to be. Its simple supply and demand: Most couples want to get married on a weekend when the weather is beautiful. Venues for weekday and winter weddings are usually less expensive.
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Popularity: Again, basic economics can determine the cost of your venue, as well as its availability. If theres a long waitlist for a specific venue, their prices are likely to be higher than less-busy options.
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Add-ons: How much you expect your venue to do will also determine the cost. If youre looking for a package that includes flowers, decor, linens, food, beverages, cake, event planners, set-up and clean-up, its going to cost more than just the venue itself. For 2021 weddings where the couple packaged these costs with the vendor, the average cost rose to $15,800.
Planning Your Dream Wedding for Less
Planning Your Dream Wedding for Less
Your dream wedding doesn’t have to break the bank. We’ll show you how.
