Budget

I wish I can say I stayed on budget but I super did not 😬 I spent about $10k more than planned. Luckily for us we already knew of some money we were being gifted and we’re not doing a honeymoon as we’re buying a travel trailer next year. So we used gift money to pay things off. But I did a lot of DIY or bought decor on sale. I did a lot of wood flowers instead of real flowers. Some I did myself and some I bought pre-made off Etsy. But yeah you think you have a budget until you actually look at what things cost. Wedding’s certainly aren’t cheap

We went about $5,000 over budget which didn't include our honeymoon. My parents also bought my wedding dress, shoes, and veil and his mom paid for our rehearsal dinner. At the beginning of planning we made an Excel spreadsheet stay organized. We knew what our overall budget was supposed to be and dedicated a percentage to each category then went from there. However we also knew that there was a chance we would go over so we had some extra money set aside so for us going over by about $5,000 wasn't a huge deal.

A few issues are becoming apparent. The vendors often only give the baseline fee but automatically have an array of other fees that are pretty much required. So you have to be ready either to get the overall estimated cost (before signing agreements) or to be budgeted for extra costs for the vendors.

Also, you may want to be ready to tip more vendors than you would expect to have tipped. So many vendor costs may have a significant additional tip to add on to the original cost. (But don't tip again if they already have a built-in payment of this.)

Well, all couples have a budget. To stay in budget, determine the money you have and can save, compile approximate guest count ($ per head), and vendor priorities. Do comparative shopping research. It's ok to emphasize one vendor and scrimp on another. Not everything is worth going big, including the venue which you can modify with decor. Most couples, however, do prioritize a good wedding photographer, and usually book after choosing a venue.

I think persons who are not tied to a specific vision are more flexible. I did not care about my wedding except for vibe, but my husband was very specific, and very grand. It was a battle, but it was up to me to keep us in line and say "no". One of your best internal guidelines is to say, "I will not pay that much for that". You will feel better finding alternatives rather than sulking about what you don't have. Work with your partner and rely on each other to overcome sticker shock and have a great celebration. **I was on the low end of my budget range, kept my vibe but maybe not my sanity consistently. ***No vendors tried to charge me outside my contracts.

Staying on budget is difficult! I feel like there are so many "hidden" costs and things that come up. One thing you could do is negotiate a little bit with your vendors! For example, if the venue contract includes a champagne toast and you don't care if you have one or not, you could negotiate a lower price with the champagne toast removed. Or if you find a photographer you like, but don't need an engagement photo shoot or if you want them there for fewer hours on the wedding day, you can try to negotiate a lower price with the extras removed.


If the price for any given vendor is higher than you want to spend, you could: 1. book them and try to make cuts elsewhere in your budget, 2. raise your budget (if possible), or 3. simply walk away and find a different vendor that better fits in your budget.

For cheaper venues, check out non-traditional venues, such as a museum, historical library, aquarium, city park, etc. These will often be cheaper than a traditional venue. However, keep in mind that you'll likely need to rent a lot of things (tables/chairs, lighting, tablecloths, restrooms, etc) with blank slate venues, so compare pricing of everything all-in with the pricing of an all-inclusive venue. For cheaper vendors, check out a local college for photography/film students, a beauty school for hair/makeup, etc. Also check out Facebook groups for local weddings for used decor - brides often sell their guest book signs, centerpieces, and other wedding decor for way cheaper than buying new.

We stayed on budget! Actually came in just under.

The main thing we did differently than other couples is look at venues and price per guest BEFORE setting our budget. Once we knew about what the venue fees and other costs might be we looked at what we wanted and was reasonable for us to spend.

Most people that go in to planning start by picking a budget without actually knowing the costs in their area. Its good to have a general idea of what you can spend, but actually setting a strict budget in my opinion isn't wise until you know your area's cost.

From there you can budget and determine how many guests you can have, what things are most important to you, what are your non-negotiables, and what ideas can you let go of.

View Quoted Comment This is actually a good idea!

Venues are ridiculously priced. I'm checking with churches, vfw, moose lodges, elks, community centers, city parks, state parks, etc. Some wedding venues do offer a good package where they come with dj, decorations, set up, clean up, tables, chairs, lodging, etc.. but..... just gotta really watch it if you are set on a venue. I have considered asking about payments

The items we were able to save a lot of money on were catering, dress, and photography. If you have a venue you can’t live without and that’s the most important thing, you’ll have to pick other items to spend less on. Careful of venues that restrict who you can use for catering because you have less control over the costs. If most of your guests are local and won’t need to take PTO, Sunday weddings tend to be cheaper; beer and wine bar only instead of full bar, etc.


I had to do a lot of research on cost before I was able to develop a budget. Picked a low cost venue and went from there. The budget planners in wedding apps are helpful.

Hi Shi-Anne,


Maybe this wedding budget planner I created can help. You can download it for free or give a donation, your choice!
Good luck to you all!
https://payhip.com/b/tiaoy

Kind regards,JP