When I first got engaged (4 months ago) I anticipated a budget of $5,000, but my future husband helped me realize that 5K just isn't realistic in the Bay Area (California) with our expectations. So after finding our perfect venue that cost $5,000 alone (completely killing my original budget on just the site fee), I've estimated $15,000 as a more obtainable budget. I'm budgeting another $5,000 for food and beverages, $2,000 for photography (the one area that I wish I had a bigger budget), $1,000 for rentals (tables, chairs, dishes, etc.), $500 for gratuities, $300 for gifts/favors, $200 for DIY flowers (we're getting married outdoors with views of the bay/beach), $250 for invitations and our website, $250 for guest transportation, $250 for the officiant, and about $250 for miscellaneous stuff.
I guess I should also say that we are paying for the wedding. We are both older and well beyond getting assistance from our family (even if it was available). Plus, I like having full control of all of the decisions.
I should also say that I am not counting our rings or our attire in this budget. Frankly my ring just blows it all to hell and even though I saved a bundle on my dress, I think our attire is more of an individual choice than a wedding budget item.
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That sounds perfectly reasonable for the Bay Area. Including absolutely everything (rings, dress, honeymoon, 5-day-4-night vacation rental and vacation/tourist costs for our family), we'll end up spending around $20K, which seems fair when you realize that it includes two vacations, clothes that we plan to wear again (the beauty of buying a dress that's not a "wedding" dress), and household items that we've already gotten to use for parties and will use again and again (vintage cake stands for a dessert buffet are wicked fun for parties).
ReplyDeleteIf we take away the stuff that isn't wedding specific, I think we're closer to $11,000 for 50 people.