Your wedding costs and wedding budget percentages will vary depending on where you are getting married and the size of your guest list.
Here is a guide on how to set up a wedding budget
CEREMONY (3%)
A portion of your budget should be allotted for the wedding ceremony; specific costs might include:
- Ceremony venue rental
- Marriage license
- Officiant
- Any decoration needed
RECEPTION VENUE, CATERING, & RENTALS (45%)
The majority of your budget should go to your reception, meaning the venue, food, and beverage costs. These may include:
- Reception venue rental
- Catering (food, service, rentals such as flatware, stemware, china, linens, etc.)
- Bartending (service, alcohol, rentals such as glassware, etc.)
PHOTOGRAPHY AND/OR VIDEOGRAPHY (12%)
Great wedding photos are a must to create a loving memory, so this is not something you’ll want to skimp on.
RECEPTION MUSIC/ENTERTAINMENT (10%)
Think of this as your party soundtrack. In general, DJs are more affordable than bands, but there’s nothing like a live band to get a crowd excited and on their feet.
STATIONERY (3%)
This include all of your wedding stationery, from engagement announcements and save the dates to your thank you notes.
WEDDING RINGS (2%)
Your wedding ring is very important, so don’t forget to budget for your wedding rings.
WEDDING ATTIRE (9%)
Here, you’ll want to budget for both of your wedding-day looks, and wedding party looks if you are covering any hair, makeup, or attire for them.
- Attire (wedding dress, wedding suit)
- Alterations
- Accessories (shoes, veil, jewelry, tie, pocket square, etc.)
- Hair styling
- Makeup styling
FLOWERS & DECORATIONS (10%)
Most couples do not have any idea how much to budget for florals, lighting, and other wedding decorations. It is advisable to allocate 10% of your overall wedding budget to this sector.
This would include personal flowers, as well as ceremony decorations, cocktail hour florals, centerpieces, and other non-floral decorations.
FAVOURS & GIFTS (2%)
Wedding favours are a sweet way to send guests home with a parting gift. Don’t forget gifts for your wedding party members to thank them for helping you prepare for the wedding day.
CAKE (2%)
Remember your cake. Afterall, what’s a wedding without a cake?
TRANSPORTATION (2%)
Hiring transportation services ensures that everyone gets to where they need to be safely and on time. This may include:
- Newlyweds’ getaway car
- Wedding-party transportation to and from the ceremony, reception, and lodging
- Parking
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