Congratulations you are engaged! I know you are excited about getting started with the planning process, the venue, the food, your dress, picking your wedding party, and the list goes on. Before you get started with all of those, you need to first figure out what your budget will be. Decide how much you can spend and what is important to you and your fiancé.
The chart is an average of what couples spend in which areas for their wedding. Sit down and decided what is important to each of you. Figure out how much you are willing to spend. You both may need to compromise or cut back in certain areas. Once you are both on the same page you can move forward with the planning.
Ways to Save
Now that you have a budget, keep these money-saving tips in mind. The size of your guest list will impact the cost tremendously. Not to mention some venues have a guest limit. So go through your list and decide who will be invited. This will help you figure a per-person cost for your meal.
You might want to consider booking your wedding during a season not as popular. Maybe booking it on a weekday or Sunday. Checking with venues to see how their rates may vary on different days, times or seasons may help save you money.
The style of your wedding may also affect the cost. A more formal event can end up costing more because you will need to match the food and entertainment to your more upscale event. So instead of a buffet-style meal, you may end up needing a 5-course meal served to each guest.
Don’t forget the potential extra fees. If your event goes longer than agreed upon in your venue and vendor contracts, you will be charged additional fees. Venues and caterers usually charge a service fee for the hiring of servers, bartenders, parking lot attendants, etc which typically cost 20-30% of the event's food and beverage total. The first floral demo may be free but changes could be an extra cost. Remember to figure in a trial with your stylist before your wedding. You will need to budget for the marriage license. Even though you budgeted for the invitations, did you remember the postage for the invitation and the RSVP? Even though some of these are small costs, they will add up and can bust your budget.
One last thing that sometimes gets overlooked, is gratuities. Some wedding vendors, hairdressers, the individual cleaning the church, food servers, and more may need to be tipped. This could add up to several hundred dollars. This should be included in your budget, so you are prepared for the cost on the day of your wedding.
Be realistic about the costs, stay on top of your budget, and plan for overages. It is so important to track your spending and make sure you know when all of your payments and deposits are due. Following these steps can help to reduce your stress while planning for your wedding.
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