The Wedding Budget and Tips for a Successful Event

Hello brides!

Surely, as you browse the internet and social media, you’ve seen many wedding planners or wedding planning websites posting the now-famous calendar with all the tips to consider when starting to plan a wedding: choosing the venue, setting the catering, thinking about favors, etc. But do you really know what to put first before all of this? I’m talking about the budget, of course.

Yes, because if you haven’t carefully and calmly discussed how much you can spend to organize everything that a wedding entails, you can’t start thinking about anything else! At the first meeting with the bride and groom, one of the questions I ask almost immediately is, “What is your budget?” And the answers? “We haven’t defined it yet” or “We would like to spend about X…” But why ‘about’?

I understand that there can be confusion about the cost of various wedding services, which depend on many variables, but you surely know how much you can invest and where the money will come from (whether it’s all from you or you expect some help from your parents).

Know that the most significant cost-influencing factors in a wedding are:

Guest List: This has a significant impact on the budget. In simple terms, the more people you intend to invite, the more you’ll have to feed. Did you know that the cost of catering, along with the venue, accounts for 50% of the entire wedding budget? So, my heartfelt advice is not to overthink whether to invite that cousin you haven’t seen or heard from in three years, but rather surround yourselves with people you love, those who have always been close to you and are truly important on your special day.

Venue: If you intend to organize a wedding in a meticulously curated, particularly historic location, or on a beautiful lake-view terrace, extremely unique and chic, do you think you can allocate a low budget to the venue?

Date: Many venues offer discounts for midweek weddings, even during the high season, while maintaining their regular rates for weekends or holidays. If you don’t want to or can’t give up a weekend wedding, consider an offseason wedding for lower costs. Why not December or January? (of course, not during the holiday season, although it’s the most magical time for a grand wedding, in my opinion!)

Budget Breakdown

Let’s take a closer look at the services of most interest to be considered at a wedding and how they impact the budget (please note that for absolute certainty, each provider must be evaluated individually because not all offer the same service).

A small but important premise, in my opinion: subtract from the total budget the approximate cost of the wedding dress you would like (you can do some research on the internet) and the cost of the rings you like. This is because these costs vary greatly and depend on what you want to purchase. Some brides prefer highly detailed and elegant dresses, which can be quite expensive, while others want to spend as little as possible or even rent the dress. The same goes for the rings: if you choose a comfortable, simple, and lightweight ring, the cost will be relatively low, but rings with precious stones or made of platinum can significantly increase the price. After deducting these two costs, you will have the total budget for organizing the wedding

Reception: Keep in mind that 50% of the total budget (as mentioned above) is allocated to this macro-service, which includes the venue, catering with related setup, open bar, wedding cake, taxes, and extra costs. The catering and open bar (considered variable costs) are influenced by the number of guests at your wedding. So, as I mentioned earlier, think carefully about this factor and decide whether it’s important for you (we’re still talking about averages, but you’ll see that the percentage will always hover around 50%).

Floral Arrangements: Flowers should never be absent in a setup worthy of the name, but use them intelligently and, above all, do not underestimate them. If it is a priority for you to have a setup with arches filled with flowers, imperial tables with overflowing centerpieces of roses and peonies, a church adorned with floral arrangements on the pews, altar, entrance (if the priest agrees), petals, floral accessories, etc., it is clear that you cannot expect to spend little. On the contrary, the cost will increase, and we will be around 20% (not only due to the number of flowers used but also due to the type, seasonality, and the labor of the flower designer who must invest time and assistance, etc. We will discuss this in more detail in a separate article). To reduce the cost does not mean you have to do without them, but you just need to concentrate them in strategic points of your wedding, so yes to flowers, but targeted, or use more greenery to offset the cost of the flowers (fewer flowers), or fabrics and drapes to achieve the desired effect, creating truly fabulous setups.

Memories: No wedding is complete without a photographer and videographer. Choose them wisely because there are many different types, and each of them has a different shooting method. Nowadays, wedding photojournalism (capturing moments throughout the day, skillfully captured by these professionals) is very popular. In the budget, this service typically accounts for around 8-13%, including post-production, but it all depends on how important this service is to you.

Musical Entertainment: Music is a fundamental element, and the choice should be carefully considered based on the type of guests and the style of the wedding you have chosen to adopt. Whether you are talking about a DJ or a band, including vocalists with a violinist, or just a violinist for the ceremony, this service will account for 8-10% of the expenses. Don’t make the mistake of not considering SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), unless the venue takes care of it. Here is the link for private events with the costs to consider: www.siae.it

Wedding Planner: A wedding planner is essential for a beautiful and well-executed wedding because beyond the budget (which, by the way, needs to be quantified based on what you want the professional to do for you), it’s the figure who accompanies you throughout the process, saving you time and energy. Additionally, if you choose a wedding planner, the budget allocation won’t be your concern anymore, but theirs! It will be them who will choose the best provider based on your needs, fitting it into the budget for each individual service.

Other Accessories and Details: Lastly, but no less important, I encompass in this macro area all the other details that make up that 4-12% and are essential for an event. I’m talking about wedding stationery or the wedding suite, which includes everything related to the event’s graphic design, from invitations to table numbers and placeholders, menus, tableau de mariage, etc. In my weddings, I never underestimate these details, and I also advise you to pay attention to them because you won’t regret it! I also mention the transportation for the bride and groom, special treats for the guests, various items you can include for them, as well as wedding favors as a token of gratitude for being part of your unforgettable day (I’ll discuss this in a separate article).

This is a quick but practical outline for those who don’t want to handle everything themselves, but my advice is: if you can, avoid it and rely on a wedding planner for a significant reduction in stress.

And don’t forget: always allocate that 5% for unexpected expenses! Never let your guard down!