A little web research will tell you that the average wedding costs about $27,000. That might be a lot more or a lot less than you’re planning to spend, but it does give you a rough idea of what kind of costs you’ll be working with. Bear in mind that every wedding is unique and that the costs will be unique, as well. Maybe your beach or back-yard venue will be free, giving you more to spend on food and beverages. Or maybe your favorite flower is a bit pricey, in which case you might opt for a chicken dinner instead of filet mignon.
A little more web research will bring up something similar to the following cost breakdown of the typical wedding. While there are no rules about what to spend on each component of your wedding, the following chart might be a good place to start. Your wedding day is your individual vision that will reflect the two of you, so definitely change or break the rules and improvise where necessary!
Lets say you want to work with a $30,000 budget, here are the numbers you should look at spending…
Wedding Budget Breakdown*
- Reception: 50% (Site fee; rentals; food; beverages; cake) = $15,000
- Ceremony Site: 2% (Location; officiant; marriage license) = $600
- Wedding Attire: 10% (Gown; accessories; groom’s attire) = $3,000
- Photography/Videography: 10%-12% = $3000-3600
- Flowers: 10% (Bouquets; boutonnieres; décor) = $3000
- Entertainment/Music: 4-6% (Ceremony; reception) = $1200-1800
- Stationery: 2-3% (Invitations; programs; thank-you notes) = $600-900
- Wedding Rings: 2-3% = $600-900
- Transportation: 2-3% = $600-900
- Gifts: 2-3% (Attendant gifts; favors) = $600-900
- Tax/Tips: 5% = $1500
*This is just a sample of a possible $30,000 budget. Depending on your budget and the services you want you can increase or decrease each individual item.