Wedding Budget Guide

The average cost of a wedding in the United States is $20,000. Some of you will read that and think, "Wow, who has that kind of money to spend on one day?" Others may think it's a small amount. The important thing is to remember that you're planning a wedding on a budget, and the size of your budget doesn't need to affect how beautiful your special occasion is. Following are some things to think about when planning a wedding on a budget.

This wedding budget guide is based on an average wedding cost of $20,000 and 200 guests. Don't be afraid to eliminate areas that you don't intend to use. This will help you keep your spending down as well as allow you to add funds to other areas if you would like.

Ceremony and reception

Ceremony: For your ceremony, you can expect to spend between 2 and 3 percent of your total budget.

• Ceremony location: $200. This includes any costs associated with renting a place for your ceremony. It may also include additional items, such as permits, chairs, altar etc.
• Officiant fee/donation: $200. This includes his or her cost, or your officiant may ask for a donation. Some may simply want to attend your reception as a guest. This also includes any possible transportation costs for your officiant and the cost for him to attend the wedding rehearsal.
• Ceremony accessories: $120. This includes any wedding accessories you might buy, rent or borrow for the ceremony, like tossing rice, a ring pillow, aisle runner, flower girl baskets and the marriage license. The typical marriage license costs about $30.

Total wedding ceremony costs: $520.

Reception: You can expect to spend the largest portion of your wedding budget, between 48 and 50 percent, on your reception.

• Reception venue, rentals and wedding d?cor: $1,600. This includes the costs of renting a reception location. Double check what your rental costs include; you may need to rent tables, chairs, china, silverware, portable toilets (if outside) and portable heaters. Or, you may need to buy extra wedding supplies.

• Food and service: $6,000. This is your largest cost. This should include all food costs except your wedding cake. Check to make sure the price includes all of the food you plan to have, as well as all service costs. Tips and gratuities should be included. On average, meals will cost around $12 per person. Add service and desserts and you will be spending about $30 per guest. 200 x $30 = $6,000.
• Beverages and bartenders: $1,600. Includes your entire bar costs, such as cocktail hour, open bar, signature drinks, bartender labor fees and set-up. If the cost does not include gratuity, you should plan to add that to your total costs.
• Cake and cutting fee: $500. This will include all of your cake costs, including the wedding cake, groom's cake and cake-cutting fees, if your reception site charges them. You should note whether you are being charged per slice or per cake.

Total wedding reception costs: $9,700.

Photography

To capture your precious memories, you can expect to spend between 10 and 12 percent of your budget.

• Photographer: $1,200. This includes all of your photo costs, any assistant fees, extra traveling costs and negative purchasing fees. The package prices may vary, depending on the photographer you hire. Also figure in extra prints, albums and any slideshows you play during your ceremony or reception.
• Videographer: $1,000. The package you select varies, depending on the videographer, plus assistant fees and traveling costs. Include costs for extra videos or DVDs and any videos you play during your wedding ceremony or reception.

Total wedding photography costs: $2,400.

Music

You can expect to spend between 6 and 8 percent of your total wedding budget on music.

• Ceremony music: $200. This includes the cost of musicians or a DJ. Take into consideration the costs of playing as guests arrive and depart, in addition to your processional and recessional.
• Cocktail hour music: $200. This includes the cost of your musicians or DJ for the cocktail hour, as well as during the time in which your guests arrive.
• Reception music: $1,200. This is the total cost of your musicians or DJ to play during your reception. You will be expected to pay for any overtime.

Total wedding music costs: $1,600.

Stationery

You can expect to spend between 3 and 4 percent of your budget on stationery.

• Invitations: $500. This will include your wedding invitations, reply cards, maps and any other inserts. Also included are calligraphy costs and postage. An average invitation is around $2.50; 200 x 2.50 = $500.
• Other stationery costs: $100. This includes your thank-you cards, save the date cards, menu cards, announcements, escort cards and anything else you have printed, including programs and guest books. Be sure to include any calligraphy costs.

Total wedding stationery costs: $600.

Flowers and decorations

Expect to spend between 6 and 8 percent of your total wedding budget on flowers and decorations.

• Bride's bouquet: $150. This includes the main bouquet, as well as a tossing bouquet if you choose to use one.

• Bridesmaid bouquets: $200. This includes the costs of all bridesmaid bouquets.
• Boutonni?res and corsages: $140. This includes the costs of all boutonni?res, including the groom's, the best man, the groomsmen and fathers. Other boutonni?res needed include attendants, grandparents, ring bearers, readers and ushers. Corsages are needed for important wedding guests, such as grandparents and mothers.
• Flower girl flowers: $30. Costs include any flowers and flower petals.
• Reception decorations: $800. Remember to include your centerpieces, arrangements for buffet tables, gift table and guest book table, flowers for the reception doors, stairs, banisters, mantels, etc.
• Ceremony decorations: $280. This includes the costs of all ceremony-related flowers and decorations, such as aisle flowers, pew arrangements, etc.

Total wedding flower and decoration costs: $1,600.

Wedding attire

You should expect to spend between 6 and 10 percent of your budget on wedding attire.

• Wedding gown: $1,400. This includes the cost of purchasing or renting a gown and the costs of alterations; include the costs of your headpiece, veil and cleaning.
• Groom's tuxedo or suit: $180. This includes the cost of renting or buying a tuxedo or suit. You should only consider buying a tuxedo if you know he's going to wear it many times. Also included are the groom's accessories: shoes, cuff links, socks, ties, vests and anything else he'll be wearing.
• Bride's accessories and make-up: $300. Accessories include wedding jewelry, shoes, gloves, hosiery, undergarments and make-up; include the costs of a make-up artist and hairstylist.
• Pampering: $200. This would include the costs of any spa visits, facials, laser hair removal, waxing, teeth whitening, manicures and pedicures. On a tight budget, you may need to choose which of these services are truly important to you.

Total wedding attire costs: $2,080.

Transportation and lodging

You can expect to pay about 3 to 4.5 percent of your total wedding budget on transportation and lodging.

• Guest transportation: $200. This will include the costs of shuttling out-of-town guests to the wedding ceremony and reception from the airport, parking lot fees, valet services and, if you choose, transportation for guests after the reception, especially if they've been drinking.
• Get-away limo and cars: $300. Included are costs for your limo (or other "Just Married" car) to and from the ceremony and reception, as well as the travel costs for family and attendants.
• Guest lodging: $400. Included are the costs for out-of-town guests' hotel rooms if needed.

Total transportation and lodging costs: $900.

Wedding favors and gifts

The average wedding guest spends between $70 and $100 on their gift to the couple. All you'll need to spend is between 3 and 4 percent of your total wedding budget on gifts for your wedding party and guests.

• Favors: $300. This includes the costs of favors, which can range from half a dollar to $5 or $6 each. Include any additional packaging costs as well. 200 x $1.50 (average favor cost) = $300.
• Gifts: $300. This includes all gifts for parents, attendants, including bridesmaids and groomsmen, ushers, flower girls, readers, ring bearers and other special helpers, as well as any monogramming or personalization costs.

Total cost for wedding favors and gifts: $600.

Miscellaneous costs and wedding emergencies

You may plan and plan for your special event, but there is sure to be a hitch somewhere. Miscellaneous costs don't need to be included in your budget, but planning for everything isn't always possible. You can include any tips not covered by costs, last minute substitutions and inclement weather-related problems; it can always rain on an outdoor occasion, so be prepared. Estimate that you may need about 5 percent of your total wedding budget for emergencies (added to your total budget).

Total miscellaneous and emergency wedding costs: $1,000.

Total wedding budget: $20,000 (plus any miscellaneous costs).

Wedding budget tips

Here are some helpful hints to make the most of the wedding budget you have set.

• Eliminate what you won't use; if you and your fianc? aren't drinkers, you can skip the bar.
• Recycle your ceremony decorations and cut the cost of flowers and wedding decorations by bringing your ceremony flowers and wedding decor to the reception.
• If you have reasonable crafting skills, use them. Make your own centerpieces, dresses (warning: wedding dresses are very hard to make!), floral arrangements and even your wedding invitations and thank-you cards.
• If your wedding is outdoors, you won't need to have as many flowers or decorations.
• If your wedding is indoors, a beautifully restored historic house or landmark will be opulent enough for most weddings; you can reduce the number of wedding reception decorations.
• Consider a wedding coordinator who has access to people, vendors and discounts of which you may be unaware. Decide if their cost, usually about 10 percent of the wedding budget, is outweighed by the discounts and headaches saved. Some reception venues offer a coordinator as part of the package.
• Limit your wedding invitations and only invite those you know will attend. For the rest, you can probably get away with sending them announcements.
• Choose flowers in season: roses are always available.
• Don't go overboard on your wedding gown: less expensive fabrics will look just as beautiful as the expensive ones.
• Consider renting your wedding dress; you'll save hundreds of dollars.
• If your wedding favors are packaged beautifully, use them as your centerpieces.
• Have a dessert or cocktail wedding reception; Sunday brunches and morning receptions are also less expensive.
• Use a computer or iPod instead of a band or DJ.
• Have fewer attendants.
• Choose a smaller venue.
• Marry on a weekday.
• Avoid marrying near holidays when flower prices increase.