Like everything else, that depends on what you want! Don’t worry, we are going to dive into some of the variations. For the purpose of keeping this blog a digestible length, we are going to be focused on the wedding cost when couples opt to rent venues, hire caterers, and want to invest in professionals for the other vendors.
The first thing that dictates cost is going to be your catering minimum. If you choose a venue with a mandatory caterer, you really need to understand that the minimum does not mean you will only need to spend that amount. Really look at the food packages they offer, and make sure you are multiplying any rate (per person) by your head count. That number is most commonly 25% of your overall budget, and I see a lot of people that think it is around 50%, but that isn’t accurate. This is the fastest way to know how much your wedding might cost. Most caterers give you their package proposal at the beginning, so collect a few and start crunching numbers.
Hypothetical Example> Bar + Food $70/person x 150 people = $10,500 x 25% service fee= $13,125 catering, which is 25% of $52,500 (total budget number!)
If that math doesn’t work out to what you imagine spending, you need to look at another venue or caterer. You also need to know, that is the smallest amount that you will spend. Then you will need to factor linen and tableware into the rest of the budget as well to be added to your catering cost.
Now, these numbers are for a mid-level, lovely, and professionally produced wedding. You are going to be able to have a good photographer, a DJ that keeps the party going, nice flowers and candles for all of your tables. You should have a coordinator to help with the last couple months of planning and to be there on wedding day, plus some paper details and personalization.
If you have the desire to do a plated meal with choices, large floral/decor budget with installations and artistically arranged arrangements, live music, custom stationery, white glove service, photo, and video, then I cannot stress enough that a full planner is a must. You will be looking at spending $70,000+.
There is no reason to end up being stressed leading up to and on wedding day when you are investing that much into the occasion. This is equivalent to a huge project management job, and in life, it would be like paying for the best all-inclusive resort and then not staying in it, but instead working your whole trip. Does that sound like a great idea? We planners do this job to prevent that. We love to give people the gift of enjoying their engagement and reveling in their wedding day as the star of the show- because YOU ARE!
So, if you know you want a planner, hire them first. Before anything; yes that means before venue and photographer. They will do all of the math for you, show you what you can do, and probably give you ideas you wouldn’t know existed. The work is cut down to a 3rd of what you would have done, and I’m sure the relationship between you and your soon-to-be-spouse will be a lot less bumpy during the engagement time.
Keep in touch on social media and check back in for our next blog in this series: Floral Budgets.
Image: Lauren Peterson Photography
Venue: Newfields
Planning, Design, and Floral: Satin & Stems
