Wedding Budget Truths Exposed

Removing the mystery from creating your wedding budget & why you shouldn’t go at this alone.

We all know it, we may not like it but hey money makes the world go around. And when it comes to your wedding: money talks. Everything has a price. From your engagement ring, save the dates, wedding planner, wedding venue, officiants, catering, entertainment and more: everyone and everything has a price attached. So how do you decide what your wedding budget should be and how do you navigate the ever changing pricing of the wedding industry? 

Well, this blog is a great first step. Well, downloading the Budget Buster Blueprint and reading this exclusive access blog are a GREAT first 2 steps!

We can’t talk wedding budget without talking numbers. Let’s dive into some cold hard truths about the wedding industry. 👇

Like the rest of the world the wedding industry cannot escape inflation. The facts are: the cost of living has gone up 2.4% which doesn’t sound very high but you know we are alllll feeling it. From grocery bills, to rent, and every bill in between it's expensive AF to be a human right now. That means the cost of a wedding has gone up as well. 

Wedding Truth: wedding vendors are humans too so we have the same increase in living expenses!

Wedding Truth: The overall cost of having a wedding has gone up 34% in the past two years. The average spend per guest has increased 18% between 2022-2023. And from our Budget Buster Blueprint you know:

the number one factor that impacts your wedding budget most is GUEST COUNT! 

Let’s unpack that a bit…this is freakin’ tough friends! Trying to decide who gets a ticket to your VIP once in a lifetime day is HARD! Luckily we have a strategy to help you decide who gets a seat and who maybe doesn't.

Alright, so you have successfully narrowed down your guest list. Now what? 

Let's dive in

Say you have a wedding guest count of 100. That means you will need a venue large enough to fit 100 guests (including you as the couple) and your vendor team which can range from 10 or more humans onsite. The larger the venue, typically the larger the price tag. If your venue is space only (meaning you have to bring in everything to not only logistically make the day work but also aesthetically to make the space shine for you). You will need at least: 

• 200 chairs (one set for ceremony and one set for reception) Rental chairs can cost anywhere from $10 and up per chair. 

• 100+ plates (one per guest & vendor, plus extra for damage) These range from $.50 and up.

• Linens (at least 1 per table: dining table, bar & barback, cocktail tables, dessert table, the list goes on….) Linens can range from $45 and up.

• … and so much more (interested in learning more on how impactful guest count is, check out our free Budget Buster Blueprint) 

Just making sure you have enough of the basics for each guest can add up fast!

Now factor in catering: everyone needs food during cocktail hour, entrees for dinner, and dessert; not to mention bar needs (and don’t forget your vendor team needs to eat too), entertainment costs which range dramatically from DJ’s to bands, to photo and video teams, florists, and lets not forget your wedding planners! Things. Add. Up. Quickly. And you can go from “we’ve got this” to “holy sh*t” in a swish of a quote reply. 

Wedding Truth: 90% of couples are setting their wedding budget BEFORE setting anything else, including guest count and receiving quotes from vendors. And because of this 53% of couples are changing and increasing their wedding budget DURING the process, which can be stressful af. 

If reading this blog has got you wondering how the hell are you going to create a realistic budget that not only feels good for you but allows you to have the wedding of your dreams; don’t worry we’ve got you! 

Stick around for part two where we dive deep into that question. Can’t wait? Click here to fill out our contact form and we get working on your budget ASAP.