March 10th, 2022 | Updated on June 25th, 2022
Dividing your budget for your big day is the most challenging part of wedding planning. Whether you want a great big hall as a venue or your favourite dessert on the menu, you must account for all the expenses that will go into making your wedding a day (or night) to remember.
Building a wedding budget is tricky and determines everything from the venue, catering, and entertainment to the guest list and décor. Therefore, you must allocate your resources with the correct planning and ensure everyone enjoys themselves, including you and your partner.
It is always best to think about what you and your significant other want for the big day rather than focusing solely on the guests’ needs. After you have allocated the budget for your own personal wishes, you can begin focusing on how to accommodate everyone on your guest list.
It is believed that almost 40% of a total wedding budget goes towards entertaining the guests (food, beverages, and venue).
The entertainment at your wedding, which is going to make the event more fun and lively, will account for 15% of the total budget. Last but not the least, the most crucial part of the event is the wedding photography.
If you want to make your wedding an event that you can look back on with a big smile on your face, you must hire a great wedding photography business to capture your special moments.
Weddings in Surrey
Planning a wedding is exciting yet stressful no matter where you plan your special event to take place. For examples of stunning Surrey weddings, please visit this website, it is best to choose a beautiful barn for the big day or a nice, open natural space to exchange vows.
Having a daytime wedding can help you enjoy the day with your guests, take incredibly beautiful pictures, and make your event one to remember. To help you get a rough idea of what costs to expect and how much you will be expected to pay, we have written down a cost breakdown for your wedding budget:
Wedding Budget Breakdown
1. Rental Furniture (10%)
Whether you are planning a great garden wedding or want to conduct your wedding reception at a large hall, you will have to put aside a considerable amount of your wedding budget to seat your guests comfortably.
Comfortable chairs for when the partners take their vows or when the guests settle down to eat are important for making the ceremony a success.
2. Catering and Venue (40%)
Food and beverages are the part of the wedding guests look most forward to, which is why it is understandable that many people splurge the most amount on a good wedding feast.
Renting a venue for the vent is also expensive, no matter if you want to accommodate 50 people or 100 individuals.
All in all, the total amount of money you will spend on the catering (food and cake) and the venue depends on how many people are on your guest list. The more people there are on your guest list, the more you will end up splurging on a bigger venue and more food.
A newlywed couple celebrating with their loved ones
3. Wedding Attire and Grooming (5%)
You and your partner’s wedding attire is one of the most memorable parts of your wedding. How you look on your special day is important for grooms and brides.
Therefore, you should have a plan about where you want your makeup to be from, where you will get the wedding suit/ dress, and what you want your entire wedding day look to be like. Wedding dresses and suits are expensive, which is why you should put aside almost 5% of your wedding budget for both partners’ wedding attire.
4. Music and Entertainment (10%)
Hiring a great DJ for your wedding can help set the mood for the party and can help your guests feel comfortable mingling and talking to each other.
A good DJ can help you and your partner pick out a great song for your first dance as a couple and suggest lighting ideas and other entertainment ideas at your wedding. You can also hire a live band to perform at your wedding to play your and your guests’ favourite songs.
5. Décor (10%)
Many people do not account for the decorations in the wedding in the total budget for the wedding. However, the flowers, lighting, and other décor elements can hike up your initial wedding budget considerably.
Whether you want dreamy fairy lights or white roses at your wedding, the décor for your wedding will make your event look spectacular and add a celebratory feel.
6. Wedding Stationery and Favours (10%)
If you plan to send invites to your wedding to the guests via mail, you will have to invest a considerable amount of your wedding budget into customised wedding stationery.
Even if you DIY your wedding invites, stamps and postage fees will also have to be accounted for. The price of the favour bag you will distribute to guests also depends on what products you add. It is good to add tailored gifts in the gift bag with your and your partners’ initials and add products that guests would like to use after the event.
Wedding photographer taking pictures of the bride and groom
7. Wedding Photography and Videography (15%)
The most crucial part of any wedding must be wedding photography. All the expenses on the large venue, fantastic food, décor, and wedding attires will go to waste if you don’t have something to remember the event by.
Hiring a good wedding photographer will help you capture the special moments between you and your partner candidly, have special pictures with your close family, and make memories with your friends on your most special day.
An experienced wedding photographer will help you encapsulate your feelings at the time of taking your vows, when you cut into your wedding cake together as a couple, and the heart-warming moment when you dance with your parents.
Wrapping It Up!
Allocating a budget for your wedding is not an easy task and will require many a lengthy discussion between you and your partner. The percentages discussed above are not a set guideline for you to follow, but to give you an idea of how much you should expect to allocate to each aspect of your wedding.
Regardless of your expense bottom-line for the event, you should ensure that the wedding is thoroughly planned and ready to be documented by a great wedding photographer. After all, a wedding is something you and your partner should look back on with a feeling of warmth and happiness!
