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# 1 - How Much Should My Wedding Cost?
- The average cost of a wedding
for 250 guests is approximately $22,000 (per San Diego Wedding Pages, June 2003).
Okay, so half of the weddings each year are perhaps in the $5,000 - $15,000 range.
The other half run in the range of $25,000-$40,000 (and more for the very well to-do).
You have many choices. A simple, elegant wedding is intimate and memorable. An
extravagant wedding will most likely please all the guests and is nice as long as
someone isn’t going to go broke right after the event. Whatever the cost, make sure
you are 100% comfortable with your decision.
Why is a wedding so costly? A wedding has so many components that add up. The
florist, the photographer, the wedding cake, the invitations, the caterer. The
smallest weddings to the largest weddings all have the same basic requirements. The
most costly component of most weddings is the reception – providing refreshments, a
meal and cake. These alone represent about 40%-60% of the cost of a wedding. If
you’re interested in cutting costs, there are many options for you.
Keeping costs at a minimum If the cost of the reception is the most expensive
component, you can (1) decrease the guest list, (2) serve a light lunch, or (3)
skip the ice sculpture (you get the idea).
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# 2 - Budget Guidelines for a $5,000,
$10,000, $22,000 and $30,000 Wedding
- Here is a high-level
look at expenses for a $5,000 wedding. This is just a guide. You may wish
that flowers are highly important for your event and spend twice as much than what
is presented below.
- Reception (food, drink, site) $2,100
- Photography/Videography $450
- Entertainment (DeeJay) $450
- Bride’s Gown, accessories $400
- Flowers $300
- Transportation $300
- Gifts for attendants, parents $250
- Favors, decorations $200
- Wedding Cake $200
- Invitations, Thank you cards $150
- Officiant service $150
- Groom’s tuxedo, accessories $50
Here is a high-level look at expenses for
a $10,000 wedding. This is just a guide. You may
wish that flowers are highly important for your event and spend twice as much
than what is presented below.
- Reception (food, drink, site) and wedding planner $4,200
- Photography/Videography $900
- Entertainment (DeeJay) $900
- Bride’s Gown, accessories $800
- Flowers $600
- Transportation $600
- Gifts for attendants, parents $500
- Favors, decorations $400
- Wedding Cake $400
- Invitations, Thank you cards $300
- Officiant service $300
- Groom’s tuxedo, accessories $100
Here is a high-level look at expenses for a $22,000
wedding. This is just a guide. You may wish that flowers are highly important
for your event and spend twice as much than what is presented below.
- Reception (food, drink, site) and wedding planner $9,240
- Photography/Videography $1,980
- Entertainment (DeeJay) $1,980
- Bride’s Gown, accessories $1,760
- Flowers $1,320
- Transportation $1,320
- Gifts for attendants, parents $1,100
- Favors, decorations $880
- Wedding Cake $880
- Invitations, Thank you cards $660
- Officiant service $660
- Groom’s tuxedo, accessories $220
Here is a high-level look at expenses for a $30,000
wedding. This is just a guide. You may wish that flowers are highly important
for your event and spend twice as much than what is presented below.
- Reception (food, drink, site) and wedding planner $12,600
- Photography/Videography $3,000
- Entertainment (DeeJay) $2,400
- Bride’s Gown, accessories $1,800
- Flowers $1,800
- Transportation $1,500
- Gifts for attendants, parents $1,500
- Favors, decorations $1,200
- Wedding Cake $1,200
- Invitations, Thank you cards $900
- Officiant service $900
- Groom’s tuxedo, accessories $300
# 3 - Tipping Vendors- Tipping is something that is
many times overlooked in the planning stages. And the tipping costs can be
substantial once you add it all up. In any event, take some time to review the
potential costs of tipping and who will carry the “cash” to tip during your special day.
How much to tip? Read the articles for each vendor for how much you should tip. [vendor
articles coming soon]
In most cases, you will want to tip vendors in “cash” so be prepared to carry cash
and/or prepare envelopes with the vendor's name on the outside. Additionally,
arrange for certain family members or wedding party members to deliver the tips. It sounds
like a perfect job for the best man and the maid of honor.
# 4 - Who Pays for What? - Today’s 2005 bride & groom
pay for at least half of their wedding costs. Make sure discussions are made and
agreed upon by the payer (make no assumptions here). The following list of who
pays for what is just a guide. You don’t need to follow any of it; the list is
provided as old customs followed.
Bride’s Family Traditionally Pays For …
- Reception (food, beverages)
- Photography, videography
- Entertainment (ceremony, cocktail hour, reception/dinner)
- Bride’s gown and accessories
- Flowers for the wedding party (corsages, bouquets, bouteneirres)
- Gifts for attendants and parents
- Favors and decorations
- Wedding cake
- Stationery (invitations, thank you cards, etc.)
- Lodging for out-of-town guests
Groom's Family Traditionally Pays For ...
- Flowers for the bride
- Transportation (bride & groom, parents/grandparents)
- Officiant
- Groom’s tuxedo and accessories
- Rehearsal dinner
- Honeymoon
Wedding Ushers and Bridesmaids - usually pick up their own wedding attire and related expenses.
# 5 - Out-of-Town Guests- Unless
money is no object, out-of-town-guests are expected to pay for their own expenses.
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