How to Create a Wedding Budget
Practical Tips for Intentional Couples
From intimate backyard affairs to grand ballroom galas, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to wedding costs. If you're getting started on crafting your own and want to know where to start, you're in the right place.
Crafting the right wedding budget is a lot like planning every other aspect of your celebration — it’s all about navigating your options in a sea of opportunity, finding the right guides, and elevating what matters most as you go. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a practical wedding budget for intentional couples.
One: Prep Work
Before we can contextually understand numbers, we need a clear vision. The type of wedding you envision, and all of the logistics it takes to pull it off, will significantly impact your budget. Determine where and when you want to get married, as all of your research will be through this lens.
Next, identify responsibilities. Who is paying for the wedding? Who is planning it? Are you accepting contributions? Who are the key decision makers, who gets a say, and who is signing contracts?
Next, identify your priorities. Priorities help to give all your options, including pricing, weight and context. What aspects of the wedding are most important to you? Priorities are your North Star while planning, they keep it all grounded and intentional.
Finally, your guest list is one of the biggest factors in determining how much you’ll need to budget. The more people you have, the higher your costs will be for nearly every aspect of your wedding. While it doesn’t have to be exact, you should have a good snapshot of how many people you’re expecting (i.e. 50-60 people). This will help you determine quantities for things like drinks, centerpieces, and invitations.
Two: Research
Now it’s time to get a little industry knowledge. Research local wedding vendors like venues, florists, caterers, and photographers to get a sense for pricing in your area. You want to get an idea for the quality and level of service at different price points, and make sure all of your research is time and location relevant.
Where to find that info? Many vendors will have an idea of pricing on their website, and some couples provide real budget breakdowns on different blogs or social media channels/groups. These are great opportunities to get pricing breakdowns, meet vendors, and immerse yourself in the wedding world. Alternatively, you can work with a wedding planner in your area to create a budget without any of the guess work.
P.S. Did you know Bespoke Socials offers budget consults for $150? Skip the guess work by reaching out here.
Three: Dollars and Sense
Once you have an understanding of your wedding’s vision and general pricing, create a list of the goods and services you need. This is where you will list things like attire, catering, band, and flowers.
For each good or service, create a line item in your budget and set a goal amount that aligns with your priorities. Some things will have a per person or item charge, and some will vary based on amount of hours. For example, you might be setting aside $5,000 for 8 hours of photography, or $100 per person for a plated dinner. Give some context for your numbers wherever possible.
Once you’ve created an ideal price point for every good and service, don’t forget to plan for wiggle room. Additional expenses like taxes, delivery fees, and tips can add up quickly. Adding an extra 10% can help absorb these costs and give you a more accurate estimate of total expenses.
Four: Wedding Budget Totals
Once you’ve created a line item for each service and good, add it all up to get your total wedding budget. Make sure it aligns with your priorities, circumstances, and that you've allocated different splurge and save areas intentionally.
If you find that the numbers are higher than expected, consider making adjustments. Can you pull back in one area to give a little more to another?
Remember to come back to your North Star as you put it all into context.
Five: Check In Regularly
Wedding budgets are living, breathing documents — they change as you hire vendors and make decisions. Keep track of numbers as you plan, updating “goal” budgets to actual costs as you finalize agreements.
While it’s important to stick to your budget, it’s equally important to stay flexible. Unexpected costs will arise, and some things might cost more than you anticipated. But by planning thoughtfully, doing your research, and staying organized as you go, you'll be able to create a wedding that's beautiful, meaningful, and financially aligned.
xoxo
P.S. Want to check out more photos from this Spanish/Indian art gallery wedding? Check them out here.
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