Planning 101: Your Wedding and Your Budget (where to start)

Congrats! You’re engaged. I’m sure there are lots of thoughts buzzing in your head. But where to start…..

When I start planning a wedding for a couple, I immediately start with the budget and venue. Go through your finances and evaluate how much you can afford. Are you paying for the wedding? Are your parents? Come up with a budget, and then realize that you are likely to go over if you do not manage it correctly. The average full wedding cost in California is $39,000. And yes, that is a lot of money. Typically the most expensive part is the venue. The average cost for a wedding venue is $10,500 (according to the knot), though venues can range from $3,000-$20,000+. Most couples however, spend between $3,000-$11,000.

The breakdown:

Usually, your percentages look like this:

-Venue 30%

-Catering 23%

-Band 13%

-Rings 7%

-Photography 7%

-Alcohol 7%

-Florals 7%

-Videography 6%

-Couples attire 6%

-Wedding planner 5%

-Lighting & décor 5%

-DJ 4%

-Guest entertainment 3%

-Transportation 3%

-Stationary 2%

-Hair and Makeup 2%

-Cake and desserts 1%

-Favors & gifts 1%

-Officiant 1%

Now there are definitely ways to cut costs, and I highly recommend hiring a wedding planner as it will save you a hell of a lot of stress, especially if you work part time or full time. I have a lot of couples that come to me after planning part of their wedding, realizing that they are way in over their heads. Notice how having a wedding planner is on the lower percentage of the typical budget, and a lot of planners will allow you to make payments over time leading up to the wedding. They are also professionals that know the ins and outs of things you don’t even realize you need. Planners have a vast network of vendors and can easily put together price comparisons between venues, vendors etc.

Depending on what state or country you live in, there are a variety of options when it comes to venues. I like to have my couples sit down and make a list of what they are looking for in a venue (indoor/outdoor, capacity, vibe, aesthetic, etc). From that, I come up with a list of potential options that will fit their needs and expectations.

Have any questions? Feel free to email me at cupidandcocktails@gmail.com I am located in Southern California, but am willing to travel and do destination planning as well! If you are looking to hire someone for a few specific tasks, I do that as well!

Happy Planning!

Xoxo,

Emma Howard

Sources:

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-budget-ways-to-save-money