How much does a wedding cost?

This is a question that I get all the time as a wedding planner. And honestly, it is the most frustrating answer in the book. Because the answer is, it depends. Many different variables will affect your wedding cost and all of these variables depend on what you actually want for your wedding. However when you are considering budget, there are a two different ways to figure out the financial obligation.

Establish a Dollar Amount

The first way to think about the budget of your wedding is to take into consideration your financial status. Based on your income and financial goals, how much money can you afford to spend on your wedding? This doesn’t have to be one single number. It can be a range. For example, one couple may be willing to spend $40,000-$60,000 on their wedding. While they would love for it to be at the $40k mark, they are okay if it creeps closer to $60k.

Don’t forget to consider other budget streams like parent contributions. Just make sure that you understand if there are any expectations on how that money will be spent. Will you be forced to invite people that you don’t want to invite? Will you be forced to pay for things that don’t align with your wedding vision?

When you decide your budget using this method, it is best to develop your vision using your budget as the guiding light. You will need to consider what is absolutely do-or-die about your vision. And then you will need to carefully consider how your guest list impacts those priorities because every single guest has a per person cost attached to them (food and beverage, tables, chairs, decor, transportation, etc.) You may need to be ruthless about your guest list to accommodate your do-or-die priorities.

This method is best for couples who want financial control over their wedding and have flexibility on their vision.

Establish a Wedding Vision

The second way to think about the budget of your wedding is to first set your do-or-die priorities and then research how much that vision costs. You can then edit the vision if the price tag is way too steep for you.

When you decide your budget using this method, you will need to have very clear idea of what you want and the level that you want it executed at. For example, you have to have a dessert tablescape or buffet. It could be as simple as a table with a selection of different desserts. The next level could be a table, but now you have desserts designed to the colour palette of your wedding and we are introducing more decor like risers and stands. And then the next level could be a work of art presentation where it is interactive and becomes a showpiece of your wedding. Do all of these hit the same priority? Yes! Are they executed at the same level? Absolutely not. Which means that they will have wildly different price tags.

One thing to remember is that you can’t always mix and match levels of execution without some disconnection. It may be better to execute everything at the same level and do a higher level of execution on some items and decrease the level of execution on others. Because at the end of the day, you want your wedding to look and feel cohesive throughout. There are ways to have some splurges, but just make sure it doesn’t distract from everything else.

This method is best for couples who have a very defined wedding vision that they aren’t flexible about and have more financial flexibility to execute the vision.

Last Words

You need to have a number of some sort that you are aiming towards or are comfortable with. Don’t go into this without that number or range. Because honestly everyone has a number in their head. Yes, even Taylor Swift has a number. It’s just a lot bigger then the majority of us. Do yourself a favour and think about that number before you get too deep into wedding planning and you realize that your vision and budget are no longer working together.