Setting the Budget for Your Wedding

The budget will be a major factor in determining the number of guest you invite, the location of your reception, the food you will serve, the number of photographs you will have taken, the flowers on display, and many other elements of the celebration.

The best way to start is to determine what amount of money is involved and to decide who pays for what. The traditional rule of the bride’s family paying for the entire wedding is fast becoming history. Today, there is much more sharing of expenses between the bride’s family, the groom’s family and the bride and groom. Many couples are getting married later in life and are well established with their own careers. These brides and grooms are able to pay for more of the expenses and sometimes want to pay for the entire wedding themselves.

Regardless of who is paying for your wedding, you will need to know how much you have to spend and be willing to stay within those boundaries. Expect to make some compromises in order to stick to your budget. A good way to help you define your budget is to set priorities. The bride and groom should discuss what elements of the wedding are the most important.

For example, is it the reception location, the bridal gown or the entertainment that is most important? You should choose about three or four items that are your top priorities and set the rest of your budget from there. It is more likely that you will spend more of your budget on those items you consider a higher priority.

To give you a very rough idea of how your wedding budget will be spent, here are some percentages:

Keep in mind the wide range of percentages for music reflects the difference between a DJ with “canned music” and a large live group. Please also note the wide range in reception percentages. The more guests you have, the proportionately larger the percentage of costs must be devoted to the reception.