The Ultimate Wedding Budget Guide

As much as I always want to promote hiring a wedding planner, whether it's me or someone else, I know plenty of people still choose to do it on their own. With that choice comes a lot of questions about the process, designing, and your budget. Are you spending too much on your venue? Your Florals? Rentals? My goal is always to help people as much as I can even if it's just providing the knowledge I've learned or the tips, tricks, and lists I use when it comes to my clients. One of these things is a guide to help manage your budget so you know how much is too much and how little is too little for each category of your wedding. Some things really shouldn't be skimped on as it will result in a poor quality product and poor service.

With wedding vendors, you really do get what you pay for. Things like cake and food are not things to skimp on as guests will remember their dry cake or dull food. Along the same boat, it really makes a lasting impression not only the day of, but also in pictures when the quality shows in the details of the flatware, glassware, china, linens, and chairs. However, every couple has different priorities. Some people might be big dancers so it's crucial that they find the perfect musician while some might have a more intimate reception with more talking so it would be perfectly fine to play music off their phone through a speaker. Some vendors also get booked farther in advance than others so you want to make sure to secure your date with a venue, photographer, DJ/band, and caterer earlier on in your planning process. With all that said, here is what you should expect to pay for the following vendors but you can adjust slightly based on your :

Alcohol/Caterer- 30%

Band/DJ or Ceremony Music- 7-10% or 2-5%

Cake/Dessert- 1-2%

Florals- 8-10%

Hair/Makeup- 3-4%

Officiant- 1%

Paper goods- 3-5%

Photographer- 7-10%

Planner- 10-12%

Rentals/Linens/Lighting/Draping/Decor- 7-10%

Transportation/Security/Valet- 2-3%

Venue- 10%

Videographer- 4-5%

Thank you for reading and I hope I made your day a little less stressful!

-Gabriella