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Breaking down your wedding budget is one of the trickiest (yet most important) wedding planning tasks. Since creating this figure influences all of your other decisions—venue, guest list, which meal options to select, and if you can spring for that pricey DJ—it’s essential you select this figure correctly.
No matter your starting number, think about dividing your budget in terms of “for you” and “for them,” says Alicia Fritz of A Day in May Events in Traverse City, Michigan. “A budget begins with a guest list that informs most of your costs. Be prepared to spend the most (around 40 percent) on taking care of guests’ basic needs—that’s venue, food, and beverage.”
Meet the Expert
Alicia Fritz is a Michigan-based wedding planner and the founder of A Day in May Event Planning & Design. She has been recognized as one of the top wedding planners in the country by Martha Stewart Weddings.
The remaining amount includes fixed costs like your photographer, videographer, and entertainment. Then, there’s the more logistical and arbitrary stuff—transportation, labor, lighting, stationery, and anything else you’ve deemed essential in the mix.
Use the handy guide below as a rough outline for spending breakdowns and adjust according to your priorities.
Budget Breakdown
- Venue and Catering: 40 percent of your budget
- Photography and Videography: 15 percent of your budget
- Wedding Attire and Beauty: 5 percent of your budget
- Music/Entertainment: 10 percent of your budget
- Flowers: 10 percent of your budget
- Favors and Gifts: 2 percent of your budget
- Transportation: 3 percent of your budget
- Stationery: 3 percent of your budget
- Cake: 2 percent of your budget
- Décor: 10 percent of your budget
Keep these questions in mind: Is your dream venue (or that dress, or imported peonies, or whatever is currently weighing on your mind) non-negotiable for you? If it will put you over budget, cut down in another area that matters less to you. And if it isn’t a deal-breaker, then find another pick that you’re sure to love just as much.
Create a Spreadsheet
To track your spending every step of the way, do what wedding planners do and create an Excel workbook or Google Doc. Here are the important elements to include. Down the side of your document, break each category into its component’s costs. For example, under “Bride’s attire,” make line items for the dress, accessories, and alterations.
Fill in columns with essential information. Every spreadsheet should include vendor contract information, estimated cost, actual cost, additional service fees and tips, transportation and parking costs for off-site vendors, and taxes. Create a line for your grand total, and use the auto-sum function to add things up as you go.