Wedding Budget:
WEDDING
BUDGEt 101
You might have a vision for how you want to get married the vision! backyard blowout or castle estate wedding? Whatever the dream, step 1 is knowing your budget and which style aligns best. The venue you choose has a HUGE impact on your wedding day costs. Choosing the right venue for your overall vision is the number 1 way to keep costs down, and we'll break down how.
Average wedding budget & cost by style
Church wedding (no reception): $1,000
Backyard wedding: $2,000- $10,000
Beach wedding: $10,000
International destination: $20,000
Ranch-style wedding: $25,000
Garden/Vineyard wedding: $40,000
Modern venue: $40,000
Classic US wedding: $60,000
Castle wedding: $100,000
Keep in mind that your wedding cost could be higher or lower depending on your location, and which elements you choose for your special day.
These numbers are just averages. But it can help to see that a $10,000 budget is far from the typical castle or private estate wedding in the US. But it might be great for a beach or a Ranch style wedding with certain adjustments.
Top 3 places where people go over budget?
This diagram from Business Insider demonstrates the typical price range for with each service.
Venue: Booking your venue on a Saturday in prime season will double venue costs. Also relying on your vendor's preferred list could add up to $10,000 more to your final wedding cost. Shop around to find a venue that will work with the vendors you're most comfortable with.
Catering: Getting a 10-course meal instead of 4-5 dishes for guests to enjoy. Trust us, 5 dishes + dessert is PLENTY. More stations require more staff which could an extra $3,000 in staffing costs to your bill. Buying their drink package. Hire a local bartending company instead where you can bring your own alcohol and you'll cut drink costs in half.
Couple's Attire: some people buy their outfits before booking their venue. This is a huge mistake that often leads to "dress regret" and can cost you thousands of dollars $$$$. You probably don't want a ball gown or a tux for your beach wedding.
How to stick to the budget!
The venue is the biggest driver for wedding day costs going over budget. And it's not just because of the overall price tag (we outlined a few tricks to bring down the overall price above) but because of the contract terms that are often ignored. Here's how each of these venue requirements can sneak up on you and expand the wedding budget.
Food and beverage minimum - It typically starts at $10K, covers a 50-person headcount, and doesn’t account for staffing expenses, service expectations, taxes and other fees. To be safe, take the F&B minimum and multiply by 1.3 to get an approximate value of the final minimum bill. In this instance a $10K Food and Beverage minimum becomes $13K. Then take that value and X2 for 100 guests, or X3 for 150 guests.
In-house catering - When in-house catering is required, you won’t have the option to shop around. Then there’s the general concern that you might not enjoy the meal. Wedding venues, unlike a local restaurant, doesn't specialize in food service and only serve people who are required to dine there. If you do go for a venue with an in house team, we highly recommend only choosing a place with an attached restaurant that is open to the public. That way you can see google reviews showcasing what people think of the food.
Preferred vendor list - These lists can be a great starting point! But when it comes to catering restrictions, make sure you would actually want to use the venue's preferred vendors before you sign. We’ve seen stories where people had to hire TWO caterers in order to meet the venue requires and have food at their wedding they knew their guests would enjoy.
Wedding decor - you can find low-budget wedding stage decorations and second-hand decorations with online marketplaces.
Read the contract clearly to make sure you know what it really costs to work with a particular venue. Staying on top of these things can save you $10-30K. Work with a planner and take the time to shop around and find the best combination of venue + caterer for your wedding goals.
Have a wedding budget spreadsheet. We provide detailed spreadsheets for all our couples who book us for full planning. We use these to compare every venue and catering vendor to make sure we get the perfect match with the couple's vision and budget goals.
If this sounds like a lot, don't worry. That's why we're here! Schedule a consultation call and we can start building the wedding of your dreams.
