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What was a large portion of your budget?

posted 1 year ago in Money
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    Akennedy01    September 24, 2011   KY

    Where did you spend a lot of money? What percentage of your budget did this end up being? Did anything surprise you as being well over what you had budgeted for?

     

     
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    artsybride10    July 31, 2010  

    Food. 25% of the budget!

    I was just at a wedding last night. Food was their focus too. It totally paid off in the end. Everyone was well fed and ready to party. (As a bonus their cake was AMAZING!)

    Everything else was a lot of very well executed DIY. But the food...for sure the most important thing.

     
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    suttonista    November 13, 2010   New York City

    We spent nearly half our budget on catering.  Cocktail hour with 6 passed hors dourves, seated dinner with 4 courses, desserts and wedding cupcakes.  Open bar with everything for 5 hours. God, I hope my guests don't leave hungry and love the food!

     
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    Miss Red Velvet    September 26, 2010  

    Half of ours is on Food and the venue. Damn that catering can be expensive!!

     
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    baldor1    May 7, 2012   Southern California

    (1) Venue (but the venue consisted of a 4 day/3 night stay for 25 guests + ceremony and reception location)

    (2) Food and Liquor

    (3) Photography

     
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    MissAsB    June 6, 2009   Married in CO, Living in AL

    The two largest expenses were the reception location (including food and alcohol) and photography.  Each of those were about 40% of the budget.

     
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    Nati-Lyte    May 29, 2011   Wedding in Bristol/Newport RI

    Catering is going to end up being 35% of our budget.  But we rank food really high on our list of importance. Cocktail hour with 6 passed hors dourves, seated dinner, cake and desserts plus a late night snack option, and open bar for 5 hours.  We have our tasting next weekend and I'm super excited and looking forward to it. 

     
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    something.blue    August 14, 2010   NY

    Food, wine, beer, venue (all one bill for us) = 75% 

    Venue was most important to me and unfortunately their food was expensive :(

     
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    kate51411    May 14, 2011   Chicago

    Like everyone else, the biggest portion of our budget(at least half) will be on the food and bar costs for our reception.  The second biggest cost will be for photography.  When I started planning, I didn't think this would be an area that I would splurge on, but I fell in love with one particular photographer and went for it.  

     
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    martysgal    November 6, 2010   Minneapolis, MN

    Definitely food, venue and photography. 

     
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    trailmix      

    Food and rentals were by far the highest expense, almost half the budget! 

     
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    dns567    September 5, 2010   Oregon

    food + venue = 45%

    photog = 10%

     
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    prettyflowers    September 2010  

    Food and alcohol will probably be at least half the total cost.  Photography ended up being much more expensive than I imagined, maybe a quarter our total cost (or slightly less).

     
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    PinkPinstripes    November 2011   Boston, MA

    Venue-food, open bar BY FAR has been the most expensive aspect.

     
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    laural    September 24, 2011   Louisiana

    Caterering - 40%

    Band - 15%

    Photog - 15%

    Bar - 15%

     

    All of these cost significantly more than my dress/decor/flower budget.

    I haven't done rentals yet who knows what the damage will be.

     

     

     
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    nona49    June 5, 2010  

    food turned out to be about 40% of our budget.  but it included service, use of the location, silverware/linens, cake cutting fee, drinks, basically all things related to the meal.

     
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    bloodgo1    May 14, 2010   Royal Oak

    Definitely food/drinks. I think that the second most expensive thing was the flowers. Then the photographer. Then the linens. Then the DJ. Then the cake!

     
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    Treasure43    September 18, 2010  

    Luckily, FIL's are paying for our reception...otherwise that would be about half our budget! Our biggest expenses have been the honeymoon, photographer, and my wedding ring (in that order).

     
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    photographernico    June 4, 2011   Delaware

    60% on reception (food, cake, furniture & tent)

    Splurged on photography (15%) and dress (12%) 

     
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    MsInterpret    March 19, 2011   lesbian couple, married in Iowa, live in san antonio TX

    I'm using a cool online wedding planner that gives me a little pie chart about this.  About half of our budget is for travel (we are marrying out of state).  So most of it is airfare and car rental.  Then lodging is another large chunk.  The next biggest chunk is attire, mainly me and my dress and undergarments and such. I am so glad my FI is okay with that. Smile

     

     
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    oracle    October 23, 2010   Los Angeles

    There are two things (so far) that were a budget surprise - both related to FI.

    1.  His outfit - I thought he'd rent a tux and thought it would be between $250-500, easy.  But, nope - he wants to buy his tux (and shoes, and shirt, and bow tie, and cuff links) - all of that adds up QUICK.

    2.  Rings - FI's ring, in particular.  I assumed we'd both be getting white gold bands - but he really preferred platinum (double the cost!)

     

     

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