Wedding budget is a necessary phrase and hopefully one you’ll continuously come back to as you plan your wedding. My eyes were bulging and I started stressing when I first started wedding planning because of costs. I couldn’t believe weddings cost so much!
I’m hoping this post will calm your initial overwhelm of how much money you will spend on your wedding. It’ll also give you a good starting point and help you decide where to budget and what to spend money on.
(A little background for reference – we live in Austin and got married in Georgetown in September 2019. We were engaged for almost a year. We had 150 people at our wedding and we planned all of it ourselves.)
How Much Does a Wedding Cost?
Planning a wedding is not only a daunting task but it can also be a costly event. Research shows an average wedding in the U.S. costs $30,000-40,000 in the last two years, and an average wedding in Austin, TX costs $35,000. That’s a down payment on a house! That’s tuition for four years at an in-state college! That’s six really nice vacations for a couple! Basically, weddings can be very expensive.
One of the reasons why a wedding is so expensive is because people feel like they need to adhere to wedding traditions and match how others have done their wedding. Remember, this is YOUR wedding and you get to decide what to include, especially if you’re paying for it!
A wedding costs as much as your preferences will allow. It’s also about how generous you can or want to be. If you need to decrease costs, sometimes that means letting go of or changing some expectations of what you had envisioned. It doesn’t mean your day will be any less special. (This is what makes your wedding special.)
In my wedding planning post, I talked about the different kinds of weddings you could have. This budget post applies to the “typical” wedding, the whole party.
The Biggest Way to Decrease Your Wedding Costs
The first and easiest way to decrease your wedding costs to meet your budget is to shorten your guest list. Decide your number and stick to it!
When you keep your wedding small, about 50-100 people, your overall price per person decreases. Your biggest costs will be venue and catering (food/drink). A smaller guest count will mean a smaller, less expensive venue. It would also mean decreased food and drink costs.
You’ll likely have a long list if you invite every person that means anything to you. Everyone’s reasoning for inviting a person will differ, but if you want to make a big impact on your wedding budget, your guest list is key.
Pick Three Important Things
The advice I got and agree with is to pick three things that are most important to you and plan your budget around these things. For us, we wanted a beautiful venue, good food, and a great photographer. (Ok, I had four – I already knew which bakery I wanted for our cake.) Everything else – the music, attire, flowers, etc. – was flexible and we were willing to book a more affordable vendor.
Quick Wedding Budget Tips to Save Money
I go into more detail below on how to save money for each vendor, but here are some general tips to start.
- Plan a longer engagement to save money.
- DIY – Do your own invitations, hair, make-up, flowers, decorations, favors, cake, etc. (This is doable if you have lots of trustworthy friends and family willing to help.)
- Friends and Family Rate – Find friends who are willing to provide a discounted rate.
- Don’t do it. No one says you have to do things a specific way.
- Keep your bachelor and bachelorette party local. (I did mine in San Antonio.)
- Have fewer bridesmaids and groomsmen. This applies if you will be paying for outfits, gifts, etc.
- Plan a more affordable honeymoon or delay your honeymoon.
- Review every cost in a vendor contract and decide if added items are necessary.
- Join local bride groups on Facebook to gather vendor info, get tips, and buy gently used items. You’ll find more affordable vendors and vendor reviews here.
- Hire vendors who are new to the business. You may find gems that are much more affordable, though be sure to research them so that you know you are getting the quality you want.
- Follow your preferred vendors and look for special packages due to an opening.
What Goes Into a Wedding Budget + Ways to Save on Your Wedding
I didn’t have a great guide to know what an average amount to expect for each vendor, so I’m hoping this will help you. Below I explain what each vendor typically provides, our thinking in what we spent, and a price range from Austin vendors. As I was researching vendors in my budget, I found that WeddingWire helped with giving a base point.
Venue
Austin is an expensive market to get married in! We wanted a beautiful, modern, and intimate space that would fit our guest count, had outdoor space, and at the time, we were also looking for a place that could fit a band. We looked at venues in the Hill Country around Dripping Springs but these ended up being too expensive. One venue we really liked was $9,000 and included very little. Our date was also a UT home football game, so we were worried about traffic and that hotels downtown would have high rates for our guests. Georgetown is about 25 minutes from where we live, so it was a convenient option for us.
Hotels usually waive the venue rental fee if you meet a food and beverage minimum. For example, we considered one hotel and it was about $3,000 less than what we paid for our venue, food, and bar. For us, hotels had a conference center feel, but if you can get past that, getting married at a hotel is convenient and could be cost-effective.
Venue pricing: $1,500-9,000+
Ways to save:
- Find a free venue. In Austin, check out Chapel Dulcinea or ask a friend with a big, spacious backyard.
- Find non-traditional venues like these beautiful, spacious homes on Venues & Vows.
- Get married at a big restaurant with event space like The Oasis.
- Get married in a low demand month like July, August, December, and January. (These months are great for indoor weddings.)
- Get married on a Friday night or Sunday morning.
Catering/Bar
One of the lengthiest vendor decisions was choosing our catering company. Our venue required a full-service catering company that would be present throughout the dinner and until the end of the event. We had a complimentary tasting and other companies we considered had a tasting fee that could be discounted from your total after you booked.
For food, we had three appetizers (cocktail reception), salad, two entree options, two sides, rolls, wedding cake, and mini pies tarts. They were served buffets and other options include self-served buffets or plated dinners.
Some catering companies include bar services. A bar package typically includes glassware, alcohol, mixers, a bartender or two, and iced water and tea. For us, it was much easier to have a bartending service (ours was part of the catering company) that took care of bringing all the supplies. Otherwise, hire a licensed and insured bartender for $20-40 an hour and buy your own alcohol and mixers.
Catering pricing: $10-100 per person (per plate)
Bar pricing: $10-20 per person
Ways to save:
- Have a restaurant cater your wedding. Think your favorite pizza place or foods that would be great for buffets like barbecue.
- Choose one entrée option instead of having a choice of two or more.
- Nix the appetizers for your cocktail hour or nix the cocktail hour altogether.
- Serve only beer and wine instead of a full bar.
- Use disposables instead of china for your meal.
- Buy your own alcohol (wait for a liquor store sale) and hire your own bartender instead of hiring the service through the catering company.
- See if the company can decrease the number of servers.
Photography and Photo Booth
Another important vendor for us was the photographer. Of course, we wanted someone who was incredibly talented to document our special day since these photos would be the primary way we would look back on it. We also added an engagement session to our package because we wanted photos before the wedding and it’s a good time to get to know your photographer.
Many wedding photography packages include eight hours of shooting. This allows for a 3 pm arrival as you’re finishing up hair and makeup and an 11 pm departure for your exit. Some photographers may include a number of photos they’ll deliver or a physical photo book in their packages.
We also decided to have a photo booth at our wedding. They’re a fun activity for guests and the photo strips can be a party favor for guests.
Photographer pricing: $1,500-3,500
Photo booth pricing: $400-1,000
Ways to save:
- Decrease the time your photographer is present (if it’s an option). Your photographer could get a few fun shots of the dance floor when it starts but he/she doesn’t need to be there the whole time. This would work if you don’t want exit shots.
- Don’t have a second shooter. Your photographer can typically get all the shots you want unless you have a big guest list.
- Don’t include an engagement session in your package.
- Don’t have a photo booth.
- Make your own photo booth by setting up your own nice camera in front of a backdrop and provide guests a remote to take the photos.
Flowers
This was the last vendor I booked, about three months before the wedding! I had considered two other companies but they got booked as I was trying to decide who to use. I knew what types of flowers I wanted but the exact flowers (ranunculus and juliet roses) were a bit pricey. The order was big but the flowers weren’t big arrangements. In the end, we got bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and reception centerpieces with vases.
Total flowers pricing: $500-3,000+
Bridal bouquet: $50-200+
Bridesmaid bouquet: $35-100+
Boutonnieres: $5-20+
Corsages: $10-30+
Centerpieces: $30-65+
Ways to save:
- Make your own bouquets and centerpieces by buying flowers from a warehouse store like Costco.
- Make your own and use faux flowers, like silk or paper. Buy the flowers at a craft store.
- Ask your grocery store’s floral department for a quote. (We went with Central Market and loved the flowers!)
- Pick less expensive types of flowers or smaller arrangements.
- Share wedding flowers through Bloomerent.
Cake and Dessert
I just came for the cake. Of course, this was one of my favorite parts. We didn’t want any specific flavors for the cake, and we ended up choosing strawberries and cream (my favorite). Will’s favorite dessert is cherry pie, so I knew we would have pie as the groom’s cake. The groom’s cake is a Southern tradition. It’s typically a fun shape and depicts a groom’s passion or hobby. For example, in Austin, you’ll see the Longhorn logo, the UT tower, or even the stadium in cake form. Our mini pies were a part of our catering package but we also considered buying whole pies from a local shop.
Cake for 50-100 people is typically three tiers. If you are having a groom’s cake, it’s typically recommended to have enough for half the guest count, since many will choose only one dessert. Know what your guest like and plan accordingly. Many of our guests didn’t eat cake (I know, what??) and we had a lot left over!
Cake pricing: $2-10 per slice
Ways to save:
- Fake your cake. Buy a cake for show, which means the top layer would be real but the other layers are frosted cardboard. After you cut the cake, it is taken to the back “to cut.” Buy sheet cake from a grocery store and slice and serve that instead.
- Get your cake from your grocery store. Order custom or pick up several decorated cakes.
- Order/buy a small cake along with a bunch of cupcakes. (Use a tiered stand for display.) This could save on plating and the cupcakes might be cheaper.
- Buy a small cake along with a different kind of dessert. Pies or donuts could be cheaper.
- Don’t have a groom’s cake.
Dress/Bride Attire
I didn’t feel stressed about wedding planning until it was time to get my dress. Weddings are so much about what the bride looks like, and I’m not one for being the center of attention. I also did not want to spend a crazy amount on a dress I would be wearing for a few hours. There are A LOT of pretty dresses out there.
You also need to factor in pricing for alterations. I got my alterations done where I bought my dress, and they let me know the estimate for alterations before I bought the dress (though it ended up being slightly higher than estimated). You can get the right fit for size around the waist but you’ll likely need your dress hemmed for height (where are my fellow short people?!) and to add a bustle if you have a train. Since my dress had several layers, my alterations price quickly went up.
I didn’t have a veil or special underwear, but I did get a $6 garter. I also spent money on pre-wedding outfits like my engagement photo dress and rehearsal outfit. Don’t forget the cost of shoes and jewelry.
Dress Pricing: $200-$2,000+
Alterations Pricing: $300-800
Ways to Save:
- Stick to your budget and don’t get tempted by all the pretty dresses. Don’t forget to add alteration fees to your budget.
- Buy your dress online. I stalked BHLDN‘s sale section and saw dresses as low as $200.
- Buy a used dress. Try Nearly Newlywed, Still White, or local Facebook groups.
- Rent a dress that could pass as a wedding dress. Take a look at Rent the Runway.
Suit/Groom Attire
We looked at The Black Tux and Men’s Warehouse. The Black Tux will deliver suits to your door after you give them your measurements. It ended up being about $200 per suit at The Black Tux while Men’s Warehouse had limited selections for style and color and additional pricing for alterations. Our experience with The Black Tux was great. The one issue we had was they have a limit on how big their sizes go.
Suit Pricing: $150-400
Ways to save:
- Pick a more common suit color like black, gray, or navy.
- Pick a less formal outfit, such as khaki pants and a solid color button-up shirt.
Ceremony and Reception Music
Will really wanted a band, and sometimes I wish we had moved our budget around to make it happen. It easily would have been one of the top five most expensive vendors on our list. In the end, other vendor priorities won out and a DJ ended up being what made sense for the budget. Plus, the DJ also took care of our ceremony music, was the emcee for the night, and brought dance floor lighting, whereas we would have had to hire additional people to take care of those items.
Band Pricing: $2,500-5,000+
DJ Pricing: $200-1,500+
Ways to save:
- Pick a band with fewer musicians, i.e. a five-piece instead of a 10-piece.
- Hire a DJ instead of a band.
- Plug in a phone with your own curated Spotify playlist. Just be sure you have a paid account so no ads play!
- Call on a friend or family member to be your emcee for the night.
- Hire students from a local high school orchestra (call schools or the community orchestra for recommendations) as your ceremony’s string quartet.
Videography
We didn’t hire a videographer. I had some people telling me they rarely watch their videos and others telling me they watch them all the time! I trusted our wonderful photographer to get all the shots we wanted and encouraged guests to take and send me videos (they didn’t). I also had a guest (significant other of one of my bridesmaids, so she was graciously open to helping out) set up my camera and tripod to record our ceremony and she ended up getting video of some other moments, like the speeches. I love professional wedding videos, but in the long run, having these videos did just fine for me. I’m so glad we have them though!
Videography Pricing: $1,000-3,500+
Ways to save:
- Set up cameras in prime spots and ask specific guests to move them if necessary.
- Ask guests to take and send you videos. (Not a sound-proof plan if you’re counting on these videos though!)
Invitations and Other Papers
The invitation is the first impression of your wedding. Some people get very serious and have matching themes from start to finish. I realized quickly that I cared less about the invitations than I thought I would because of the cost. We ended up doing a free email save-the-date through Paperless Post. Our printed invites designed on Vistaprint were about $75 instead of the $200 we would have spent on Minted. Through a blog partnership, I sent these photo thank-you notes. Don’t forget the cost of postage!
Custom designs by a graphic designer or hand-calligraphy on envelopes will cost more but it could be a fun way to add personality to your wedding. This service is typically a package cost. On online invitation websites, there are set prices per invitation.
We didn’t do wedding programs and opted for the program in a frame on the welcome table. There are many signage templates on Etsy.
Ways to save:
- Use an online print company instead of a local stationery shop.
- Send digital save the dates and invitations.
- Carefully check what you’re choosing when you pick your invitations. Adding things like text on the back of your invitation or a return address printed on your envelope could cost extra.
- Cut down on the amount of paper by utilizing the backside of your invitation instead of including a separate sheet of paper.
- Direct guests to RSVP online instead of including an RSVP card.
- Buy generic thank you cards instead of custom cards with your name and photo.
- Buy Forever stamps as soon as possible. The price per stamp usually goes up at the beginning of the year. Depending on which you’ll send, you may need postage for the save-the-date, invitation, rehearsal dinner invite, and thank you card. As of 2023, the Forever stamp costs 63 cents.
Favors
I used to love wedding favors because they’re a sweet memento but how many personalized party favors do you want? You’re already buying your guests dinner and a party, so I don’t think you need to give a parting gift. If it’s really important to you, party favors are a thoughtful gesture. I recommend not giving something cheesy with your name and wedding date on it. Something edible is nice.
We actually ended up buying wood fans (50 for $30) at the last minute because the weather was going to be hotter than we hoped and the ceremony was outside.
Ways to save:
- Don’t do it. How about some awesome memories as your party favor?
- Have your photobooth strip double as a party favor.
- Display sweets and snacks in bulk for guests to customize their own goodie bags. Items can be different types of candy or popcorn.
- Make your own edible party favors, such as cookies or candy.
Officiant
I’ve always imagined my wedding officiant as someone I know. It seemed impersonal to me to hire someone, even if we got to know them, to perform this important part of the day. So as I was making a list of possible friends, Will suggested his dad, who used to be a pastor. We put together a script for him, and while the ceremony ended up being very short, we included everything we wanted to say.
Officiant Pricing: $120-500
Ways to save:
- Ask someone you know. Getting ordained online costs $10 and example scripts are available online.
Jewelry
For day-of jewelry, I borrowed earrings from one of my bridesmaids and a friend gave me some hair decor she didn’t use for her wedding. Will and I went back to where he got the engagement ring to buy our wedding bands. We also got silicon rings from Enso to wear on vacation and when we’re out being active.
Ways to save:
- Research when your preferred jewelry store has its annual sale to buy your wedding bands.
Beauty
I knew I would need help with hair and makeup on the wedding day and I didn’t want to put pressure on anyone I knew to do it for me. I also wanted to do it at the venue instead of running around before the wedding. For nails, I got them done the day before the wedding at a nail salon. If you’re flexible with your time, you can save money in this area!
Hair Pricing: $100-140 for the bride; $90-120 for the wedding party
Makeup Pricing: $90-120 for the bride; $80-100 for the wedding party
Ways to save:
- Have your savviest friends who are good at hair, makeup, and nails do it for you.
- Get your hair done at a blow-dry bar. Try DryBar ($90 for an updo) or BLO ($65-90 for an updo) in Austin.
- Get your make-up done at Sephora (free with a $50 purchase), BLO ($50-60 for a full face without lashes), or another make-up bar.
Rentals and Decorations
For rentals, I considered renting an altar, reception table linens, and candlesticks. Instead, we bought table runners, candles, and table numbers for the reception tables. We also bought picture frames and printed some engagement photos for the welcome table.
Ways to save:
- Pick a venue that needs little decor to dress up or one that includes a decor package.
- Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for gently used items.
- Check craft stores and Etsy for decor options.
Planning
Our venue required a wedding coordinator on the day of, but in the end, I’m glad we hired one. It’s one of my wedding must-haves. I didn’t want to burden one of my guests with this task and our coordinator had all the knowledge to make sure everything went as planned. From vendor coordination to keeping us on schedule, our coordinator (shout-out Simply Sweet Weddings) had all the ducks in a row, as if I had cloned myself. See this blog post for all the wedding planning tips.
Planner Pricing: $600-6,000
Ways to save:
- If you’re savvy with planning, ask a very responsible friend who has planned a wedding to be your day-of coordinator.
- Hire a day-of coordinator instead of a full wedding planner.
- If you need help with planning, ask friends and family if they can help and assign certain areas for them to bring ideas and gather vendor quotes.
Tips
What we didn’t know to budget was over $1,000 in tips! While tips are not required, they are certainly appreciated.
- Wedding planner: 10-20%, 50-150 for assistant
- Hair/makeup: 15-25%
- Catering: 15-20% of the bill or $10-50 per server, $200-500 per banquet manager, and $50-100 per chef
- Bar: 10-20% of the tab
- Band/Musician: $15-50 per musician
- Officiant: $50-100 or donation to the church
- DJ: 10-15%
- Photographer/videographer: $50-200
- Valet: $1-2 per car
- Delivery/rental: $10-20 per person
Don’t Forget to Include These Wedding Costs
- Any wedding festivities like a bachelor or bachelorette party
- Marriage license (about $81 in Austin, TX)
- Sound system during the ceremony
- Lights for the dance floor
- Hotel room for your wedding night. I personally think it’s special to spend your wedding night in a hotel. Try to stay near your venue or wherever the majority of your guests are staying.
- Breakfast and lunch for the wedding party on the day of
- Gifts for parents
- Gifts for wedding party
- Getaway car
- Last-minute snafus like if you run out of alcohol and need to get more
Our Wedding Budget
How much did we spend on our wedding? We spent less than the average, though the cost of our Indonesian honeymoon made up for that savings. Our parents helped us out tremendously, and we are so grateful for their generosity!
Here’s the breakdown of what we spent our money on (thanks to WeddingWire’s budget tool).
Easily taking up more than half of our budget, our top four most expensive items were catering (40%), venue (19%), photography (12%), and attire (5%).
Now that our wedding is over, what do I wish I had not spent money on? We paid extra for unlimited photobooth strips, but I don’t think anyone got more than two strips.
People don’t talk about how expensive weddings are because having a wedding is a choice and as you can see from this post, there are many ways the cost can vary. We talked about eloping or having a destination wedding in Mexico to decrease the costs but ultimately, we knew we wanted to celebrate with all our family and friends. Not having our wedding in Texas would make that difficult. So, we had to accept that our wedding would be an incredible investment against our usual frugal natures, a gift to our friends and family, and the result would be a very special, unforgettable day.
We also wanted to be realistic about what we were capable of doing. This meant not doing it all ourselves and paying for extra expenses because we didn’t want anyone to stress about it. While money doesn’t buy love and happiness, we also wanted to show our friends and family how much they mean to us.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it to the end, KUDOS to you. This was a whopper of a post, but I hope it is valuable to you as you plan your wedding. There are ways to have a wedding that is uniquely yours without breaking your budget!
Looking for more wedding posts?
- If you’re curious about our vendors, I’ve listed them in this post.
- If you’re looking for more wedding planning tips, see this BIG wedding planning post.
- We had some fun Chinese wedding traditions on our special day!
- This FAQ post is also helpful for all the wedding things you might be wondering.
- Planning an Austin bachelorette party? This is the guide you need!
- Are cash funds tacky for wedding gifts?
Have any tips for saving money on a wedding or stories about wedding budgets to share? Please comment below!
P.S. With all the money we saved, we used it on our honeymoon in Indonesia! See our honeymoon posts here.
All photos are by April Mae Creative!
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