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Our editors, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, are experts in the world of weddings. We take great pride in our work and take great pride in part of this journey.
Breaking down yourwedding budgetis one of the trickiest (yet most important) wedding planning tasks. Since this figure influences all other decisions—venue, guest list, meal options, and if you can spring for that pricey DJ—it'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 (around 40 percent) on taking care of guests’ basic needs—that's venue, food, and beverage.
Wedding Budget Wedding Vendors Vendor Contact Worksheet
The remaining amount includes fixed costs including your photographer, videographer, and entertainment. Then, there's the more logistical and arbitrarystuff—transportation, labor, lighting, stationery, and anything else deemed essential.
Ready to get started? Use this our wedding budget checklist as a rough outline for spending breakdowns, then adjust according to your priorities.
Before making any decisions, it's important to figure out exactly how much you can afford to spend on your wedding. To do this, you and your partner should look at your savings account and determine how much you will be able to save throughout the engagement period. You may also want to talk to both person's parents to see if they're willing and able to contribute. Once you've got your total, it's best to break down your budget based on our wedding cost checklist, which encompasses the ten biggest planning categories. Our rough estimates are a good starting point, but you'll likely need to adjust buckets according to your priorities and preferences.
Wedding Cost Checklist: How To Make Your Wedding Budget
dress, or those imported peonies, or whatever is on your wish list) 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.
To track your spending, follow in the footsteps of wedding planners and create an Excel workbook or Google Doc to include everything that makes up your big day. Divide each category's cost into its component parts. For example, under bride's attire, make line items for the dress, accessories, and alterations.
Fill in the columns with all the necessary information. Every spreadsheet should include vendor contract information, estimated cost, actual cost, additional service fees and tips, transportation and parking costs for off-site vendors, and taxes. Create a line for your total and use the auto-sum function to add as you go.Well first things first, you have to have the money talk with your fiancé and BOTH of your families. Ugh, I know. Soooo awkward but believe me, it’s necessary.
Manage Your Wedding Budget Like A Boss With These Spreadsheets
Nowadays the financial burden is no longer shoved on the bride’s family. However that doesn’t mean it no longer happens but help from both families is even better. Weddings are expensive. Another strong possibility is that the bride and groom-to-be are handling the bills, either partial or in full. This has become somewhat of the “norm”, my fiancé and myself fall into this category.
Whatever your financial situation is, find out who is contributing what amount. If you two love birds are putting money in, look at your financials and figure out how much you are able to save and can afford. The absolute worst thing you could do is plan a wedding that puts you in debt at the beginning of your marriage. Yes, it’s fun to dream of all the things you could do for your special day but come back down to reality. You do not want to put financial stress on the beginning of your life together. So, make sure you two sit down together and discuss what you BOTH want the most and what you BOTH could live without. ::Emphasis on ‘both’::
Once that’s all figured out… How much money should be allocated to what part of the wedding? Well according to a few sources (AKA the knot wedding planner- read my post about this tool here), there is a somewhat standard guideline to follow. Each chart varies slightly but looks very similar to the wedding budget pie chart I put together for you:
Free Wedding Budget Worksheet
Now, don’t feel like you HAVE to follow this 100%. It’s a guideline that is meant to help but can definitely be altered to fit your wedding needs.
For instance, my fiancé and I are lucky enough to not have a ceremony rental or an officiant charge (thank you MOG 😘). Plus, I’ll be saving money (but not time) by making my own wedding dress, AHH! The money saved will be allocated into the reception budget to accommodate our ever-growing guest list 🙈.
Speaking of my bespoke wedding dress i made… (small business plug here) if you are interested in a custom gown or accessory for your day, i would love to work with you! I’ve done both women’s and men’s accessories, wedding dresses, second looks, robes, and more. take a look at my bespoke page to learn all about the process. ❤️
How To Create Your Wedding Budget
Some other ways to save and allocate your funds is just by shopping around smartly for vendors. There are tons of wedding professionals out there that are high quality AND affordable. Usually these are the vendors that will be new-er to the industry or they are small local businesses. Don’t discredit new vendors or the one-person small business, just make sure to do your research!
Wedding Wire, The Knot, Google, and Facebook are great places to start looking for reviews but just keep in mind there’s always a few people out there that live to give bad reviews- no matter what. The best referral in my opinion is through word of mouth from previous brides and grooms, friends, and family. I suggest you do this for all of your vendors, big and small, before signing those contacts.
Lastly, just because a vendor is inexpensive does not mean they are the best “bang for your buck”. if they have GLowing reviews, great referrals, AND their business fits your wedding aesthetic, then go for it! just make sure you do your research, i cannot emphasize that enough.
How To Budget For A Wedding
Taxes are usually included in the bill and some vendors (like venues, caterers, etc.) will include a set gratuity in their bill. However, if they don’t that means it’s up to you to include it in your final payment. Even though it’s your wedding, these people are busting their asses to make this day everything you want. So make sure to thank them verbally and tip them, well. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t put together another chart for you 😉. Take a look at this suggested tip chart
Also, don’t forget to factor in potential overage charges and miscellaneous expenses. Some vendors will specify these charges in their contracts but if they don’t it’s safer to leave some room in the budget to cover them. As for the miscellaneous, this can include postage, emergencies, sudden additions, etc. The last thing you want is to not have the money to pay someone for their services.
I hope this was filled with helpful tips for deciding on your wedding budget. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below!
Unexpected Wedding Costs
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Planning a wedding on a tight budget is possible but it requires couples to do two key things: compromise and prioritise! If you and your partner are able to compromise on certain aspects of your day and prioritise what’s most important to you, you can absolutely plan a gorgeous wedding for £3, 000. It's also worth considering booking outside of the typical wedding season, as prices tend to be lower outside of the peak time for weddings.
We've put together a clear breakdown on how you can get married for £3, 000 - read on to discover how and get ready to make some savings! And remember, the
