How to Plan a Wedding Budget

Summary

 – What wedding budget should I plan?

 – Example of a budget for a wedding of 100 guests

 – Request a wedding quote

 – Solutions for your budget

Organizing a wedding requires a lot of time and especially a lot of money. Wedding preparations are expensive: ceremony, dress, reception and entertainment… So what is the budget for a wedding?

What is the budget for a wedding?

The average wedding budget in Canada is approximately 13,000. However, the amount is different depending on :

 – the standard of living of each person ;

 – the region or country where the wedding will take place

 – the number of guests.

To reduce the wedding budget, you can do some things yourself. Expenses can also be shared between the parents and the bride and groom or divided on a case-by-case basis.

As a general rule, you should know that you will exceed your budget by at least 15%. So get your calculators and think about getting estimates!

Example of a budget for a wedding of 100 guests

The prices below are practiced by professionals and are an indication for a wedding with 100 guests.

Wedding budget for 100 people					Price ($)
Wedding preparation		Announcements (including envelopes and stamps)			250 to 600
		Wedding rings			200 to 1 000
		Photographer			800 to 1 200
		Film			700 to 1 200
		Car rental			300 to 1 000
Wedding Outfit	For her	Wedding outfit			150 to 2,500 (average 500)
		Accessories (necklace, bag, shoes, clutch, lingerie)			1 000
		Hairstyle			100 + 100 to 600 for additions or extensions
		Make-up (facial, manicure, make-up)			100 to 250
	For him	Wedding suit for men			400 to 700
		Hat			80 to 250
		Shoes			100 to 300
		Vest			100 to 200
Reception hall		Room rental	Rustic style (entire domain)		2 000 to 3 000
			Prestigious or unusual location (palace lounge, stadium)		5 000  to 20 000
			Party room		400  to 1 500
		Wedding restaurant			5 000  to 15 000
		Wedding castle			3,000 to 5,000 or even 7,000
		Wedding tent	Rental (100 people)		1 500
			Floor		1 000
			Set-up fee		200 to 500
The meal		Caterer			6 000 to 13 000
		Wedding cake or other cakes			400 to 1 000
		Menu	For a table meal		4 000 to 13 000
			For a buffet		2 000 to 8 000
			Menu printing		100 to 200 (1 to 2 each)
Decoration		Decoration of the room, the tables, the car			1,000 to 1,500 or even 2,500
		Flowers	Bride’s bouquet		50 to 150
			Other arrangements		500 to 1 500
Animation		Music	DJ or band		400 to 500
			Entertainment package (music and games)		500 to 1 500
			Mega show, concert, live performance		1 500  to 6 000
		Childcare (baby-sitter, animator)			200  to 350
Gifts		Gift for guests			250 to 500
		Dragees			15 to 30  per kg
After the wedding		Guest book			15 to 50
		Thank you (including envelopes and stamps)			100 to 250
		Honeymoon trip per person		Canada and surrounding countries	1 000 to 2 500
				Far away countries	2 500 to 7 000
		Paper photo album			30 to 70
Wedding organized abroad depending on the destination					10 000 to 40 000
Average total cost					15,000 to 40,000 approximately, including the honeymoon.

Ask for wedding quotes

The best way to estimate your wedding budget is to ask for quotes from wedding professionals. Don’t hesitate to ask for several quotes from different service providers to compare prices and services.

To get a coherent wedding quote, try to specify as much as possible your wishes and expectations. The more precise you are, the more the quotes you receive will correspond to your needs.

Be as attentive as possible to the content of the estimate given by the different wedding professionals. Do not focus only on the price, but consider the services offered. The lowest quote is not necessarily the most interesting! If you do not understand certain elements, do not hesitate to ask for explanations.

Services and products can vary significantly from one company to another, and the most attractive prices are usually only offered for essential services and products. The cost of additional options can then be high.

Once you have selected one or more quotes, don’t hesitate to ask about the providers. You can even contact them by phone or make an appointment to meet them.

Solutions for your budget

Think about the budget of your wedding to:

– Get your wedding sponsored to reduce the cost of your wedding.

– Ask for a credit for your wedding to alleviate the high expenses that burden your budget.

– Call upon a wedding planner, but this one also has a cost.

In any case, the wedding fair, which gathers many professionals specialized in this field, will be to your listening and will be able to help you to organize your wedding.