Wedding Budget

Congratulations on your engagement! It can be hard to know where to start, but one of the first things you should do is work out your budget. You will need to know your total budget in order to determine the category breakdown, so talk to your future spouse and families to see what everyone can contribute. Once you know your total budget, this will help you determine how many guests you can invite.

On average, couples spend $200-$400 per guest, including the venue, catering, entertainment and more.

To figure out your guest count, divide your total budget by the average cost for guest.

Now let’s talk about how much you should be spending per category.

Important notes before we get started:

• You do not need all of the categories. Feel free to remove categories you don’t want or need (i.e. rentals) and reallocate those percentages to another category.

• Percentages are just a suggestion. If you care the most about your photographer, you can increase that percentage and decrease something you care less about (i.e. flowers).

Spending Percentages in Your Wedding Budget

Typically, couples use the following percentages for their wedding budget:

• Venue - 18%

• Catering - 15%

• Planner - 10%

• Photographer - 10%

• Videographer - 10%

• Florist - 8%

• DJ/Entertainment - 7%

• Couple’s Attire - 4%

• Rentals - 3%

• Alcohol - 2%

• Cake - 2%

• Hair and Makeup - 2%

• Miscellaneous Costs - 2%

• Officiant - 1%

• Decor - 1%

• Wedding Party Expenses - 1%

• Transportation - 1%

• Lodging - 1%

• Stationery - 1%

• Favors - 1%

Creating Your Wedding Budget

Once you know your overall budget and have decided on percentages, you can use a spreadsheet to determine the exact amounts.

This is the spreadsheet I use when creating budgets for my full planning couples. Feel free to make a copy and use it!

Tracking Your Expenses in Your Wedding Budget

As you start to book vendors and spend money towards your wedding, it’s important to track how much you’ve spent, especially for vendors that require deposits. This will help you make sure you don’t go over budget, and help you keep track of how much money you can spend/how much you still owe to your vendors.

Use this free resource to track your budget and spending. It features the option to indicate who is financially responsible for each category so that you can make sure you’re not over allocating for gifts given to you.

Creating your budget is one of the first things you need to do when planning your wedding so you can enjoy your special day without worrying about having overspent.

Vendor Credits

Captured By Leo (Photos 1-2)

Whitt Photography and Film (Photos 3-4)