(Closed) 25,000 Budget

• simplifiedbride
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: May 2011

I’d start figuring out how much you want to spend on your dress, flowers, and cake.  Those few things vary greatly in price, and can totally bust your budget if you’re not careful.  Also, there’s rings, honeymoon, wedding party gifts, and hotel room rentals (if you’re staying in a hotel before/after).  Good luck with the planning.  I’m sure it’ll be great!! 🙂

• zippylef
• 9 years ago

Yeah, dress, flowers and cake would be my next 3. Followed by rentals/linens.

• neontl
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: March 2011

Don’t forget the flowers! Your breakdown sounds similar to mine – I think that you can do invites for DIY at a reasonable price (we are going to get them printed up with catprint – they did our save the dates – Love Them!), cake, favors, transportation, guest book. I’m also considering offering to pay for bridesmaids and their beautifying treatments…if it’s in the budget!

• spaganya
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: September 2010

i agree, dress linens and cake. find out if your venue offers linens – or if you can get them online for a discount for what you want (several really good vendors online – and you can sell them after the weddign to recoup money)

the cake and dress are usually huge money sucks – make sure you factor in $$ for alterations, veil (or headpiece) and accessories.

who’s paying for honeymoon if you are doing it?

i suggest for DIY invites, check out paperandmore.com – cheap paper that looks great – my invites printed for 100 at a local printer were perfect and gorgeous!

flowers you can cut down the cost by doign flowerless decorations (we are doing mostly candles) or getting bulk or cheaper flowers.

but bouquets and bouts for the boys, any ceremony decor, things of that nature.

honestly though if you want to spend 25K Max, i would set the budget at 17-18K max, because 99% of people go over budget.

both me and my friend had budgets of 15-17 and we are spending about 22-25K – theres tons of stuff you just dont think of.

like officiant fees, rings, licenses, rehersal dinner, tux for groom, hotel rooms for yourself if needed, gifts for your family and weddign party, transportation if needed to and from your venues and locales….

you got the big ones, but theres not much to work with for the rest unless its ALL DIY… and even that costs $, not as much but still costs.

• sboston06
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: October 2010

Hey fellow Massachusetts bride 🙂  We have 150 guests and spent approx. 27K on the wedding itself so I will share what our breakdown is…

Reception: 13,860.00

-includes 4-course plated dinner, cocktail hour, full open bar, wine with dinner, champange toast, cake, cake topper, centerpieces, hotel room for bride & groom and parents, and linens (chair covers and floor length linens), and gratuity for coordinator.

Photographer: $2800 ($2600 for the package, $50 travel fee, $150 tip)

DJ: $880 ($800 for DJ and $80 tip)

Ceremony: $1040  ($740 for church fees, $120 for ceremony flowers, $150 for gift to priest, $30 for marriage license)

Attire & Beauty: $2740 (includes dress, alterations, veil, jewelry, shoes, crinoline, hair & makeup with trials & gratuity, mani/pedi the day-of, groom’s tux, and ALL bridal party flowers)

Reception Decor: $211 (includes guestbook & photosharing cards)

Stationery: $450 (includes all paper and other supplies for DIY invitations, Save-The-Date Cards, programs, menus, escort cards, thank you notes, signs, and postage)

Transportation: $600 (classic car for Fiance and myself)

Rings: $1085 (wedding rings only, engagement ring is not included)

Rehearsal dinner & pre-wedding: $1152 (Dinner $877, Engaged Encounter $275, Dance Lessons $365)

Gifts: $2173  (Bridesmaids $970, Groomsmen $660, Parents $300, Readers $90, Bridal Shower Hostesses $150)

• flamingred
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: June 2010

All I know is that we started with a $25,000 budget and when everything was said and done it ended up being almost $40,000. There are so many little things we did not budget for AND I didn’t include our rings or hair/makeup/dress in the original 25K budget ( I have no idea why I didn’t). So good luck!

• sboston06
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: October 2010

I do not consider honeymoon registries tacky at all.  Especially in your situation where you travel a lot and don’t really have a home to store things in.  That being said, I would probably not give a gift off a honeymon registry because I don’t like how they take a cut from my gift.  Isn’t it usually 10% or something?  If I was going to a wedding for a couple like yourselves, I would give cash for a gift.

I love your idea about doing different centerpieces of local decor.  I went to Germany with Fiance last year and we loved it!  The people there were so nice and it was such a FUN country.

• Amani
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: March 2010

Honeyfund doesn’t take a cut, just FYI.

• flamingred
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: June 2010

My friends did a honeymoon registry. I think it’s a great idea. I put $100 towards a fancy dinner (for the shower gift) and plan to pay for the rest for their wedding gift. It seems so fun!

• slicey19
• 9 years ago

Will you have a lot of out of town guests? Then you may need to consider guest transport. Also, think about your flight from Germany (or wherever you are by then) July is an expensive month to fly from Germany to Boston. We are in the same boat and our first budget was $26,000 but I can imagine the total will go over $30k. Places where we went over budget (or didn’t include in our first draft) include; rings, flowers, bus for guests. Besides what has been mentioned, you should also consider gifts and the cost of paper products to DIY is often more than expected.

We are in a similar situation as far as living out of the country and unable to transport gifts but my parents were recently invited to a wedding using Honeyfund and noted that no one at the shower used it. We just spread the word via family that cash is prefered due to our lifestyle.

• moderndaisy
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: May 2010

If I were you I would definitely go pick out my dress now since you have a date and venue and are starting to think about the finer details. You want to be able to get your dream dress without too much of a $ restriction so you know if you need to cut back a little elsewhere. Like for example guests won’t care if they get chicken instead of beef and it might add some $ to your dress budget.

• blondeeebuckeye
• 9 years ago

• Wedding: January 2011

i would also work on getting your dress next..it’s probably the most expensive thing that you have left.

remember to dress your groom too! 🙂