Tips on How to Create (and stick to) a Wedding Budget

Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to creating and sticking to a budget. Let us guide you through the process of budgeting for your big day, ensuring you can celebrate without breaking the bank.

With an average wedding cost of $54,000 in Australia, £25,000 in the UK, $36,000 in America and $32,000 in Canada, it’s no wonder the budget ends up playing a huge role in where, who, what and how a couple’s wedding will play out.

But how do you even create a budget? And more importantly, how do you stick to it? These are hot topics in the wedding planning world, but don’t worry, if you need a few tips, we’re here to help!

How to Create a Wedding Budget

Several factors should be considered when calculating your wedding budget. Firstly, do you already have savings? Are your families going to contribute? And if so, how much? Talking about money isn’t always the most comfortable of subjects, but you’ll quickly become used to having frank, open conversations with those closest to you during this time! And finally, depending on when you are planning on getting married (a rough date/month at this point is fine), work out how much expendable income you have available during this time to put towards wedding costs. Remember to be realistic, though, consider what else might crop up during this time – holidays, moving house, changing jobs, having children, etc.

Although getting into debt isn’t something we would advocate, if you plan on using credit cards or personal loans, then now is the time to factor these in as well. It’s worth remembering that just because you may have X-amount of money available for your wedding, that doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. You might not feel comfortable spending thousands on your wedding day, so if you think it could be something you may later regret, decide on a figure together that you can live with.

How to Stick to a Wedding Budget

Much like building or renovating a house, it’s common to hear about blown budgets and funds quickly disappearing, so from the outset, you must make sure that someone is overseeing the finances and can keep a close eye on mounting costs. There are plenty of helpful tools and platforms that can help you stay organised and on top of your budget, from good old spreadsheets to high-tech apps. Say I do even have a free wedding planning checklist that updates in real-time and ensures you don’t miss any important tasks as you move along your wedding planning journey.

This is also the point where we would recommend putting a contingency in place. If you aren't using a wedding planner and have never planned a wedding before, unexpected expenses might arise that you had never even considered, not to mention hidden wedding costs that crop up throughout the wedding planning process. With this in mind, adjust your budget by 15% to determine your new, final wedding budget. Don’t allocate anything to this contingency fund in the first few months; it’s there purely as an emergency back-up. You may not thank us now, but you will thank us later!

Remember to determine your priorities for the wedding early on. You might be a real foodie, whereas your partner loves live music; if this is the case, these are the areas you might need to allocate more of your budget to. Get these conversations out of the way early so you can research and book the most appropriate vendors for you. There are some areas you might be happy to save on, such as sending digital invitations instead of traditional paper ones. Or asking a friend or family member to bake your wedding cake for you.

An Average Wedding Budget Breakdown

As a general rule, though, 50% of your budget should be allocated to your ‘venue’. This includes venue hire, wedding breakfast, cocktail hour, drinks, late-night snacks, etc. Keep this figure in mind when researching and viewing venues. That leaves the other 50% to be allocated to vendors such as your photographer, florist, cake makers, your wedding dress and other outfits, transportation services, and accommodation, and let's not forget those essential beauty treatments. Of course, every wedding celebration is different, as are everybody’s personal preferences and priorities, but hopefully this gives you a good starting point. As you allocate portions of your budget and start booking things in, you may find that you need to keep revisiting your budget and making adjustments. This is absolutely fine. In fact, we absolutely encourage you to do so! Keeping track of the money coming in, the payments going out, and the balances due later down the line is imperative to staying on budget.

Over Budget? How to Cut Costs

If you're finding that your wedding expenses are spiralling, it might be time to look at ways to get more bang for your buck or reduce costs to bring them in line with your overall budget. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to save money, from renting your wedding attire to forgoing the bouquets for the bridal party. Try to identify the hidden costs and non-essential details disguised as must-have items that might be preventing you from sticking to a realistic wedding budget. If necessary, have a frank conversation with your suppliers to see if there's any wiggle room in their quotes before signing any vendor contracts.

Finally, if you find you aren’t able to save as much as you had anticipated or you are spending much more than you can afford, don’t bury your head in the sand – you need to address the issue as soon as possible. And on the flipside, if you find you’re staying on budget and even have money left over (go you!), then maybe it's time to start thinking about the honeymoon…