Budgeting Beautiful Weddings

A beautiful wedding starts with a realistic budget that helps you prioritize what to splurge on and where you can save.
June 18, 2022 – Photo: Joe and Robin Photography

Your wedding day will be biggest, most expensive party you will ever throw. Spend your money where it will matter to you the most. The first step is creating a budget based around your priorities and values. If your wedding photos are the most important thing to you, then spend more money on your dress, hair, makeup & photography. If the party is the most important thing to you, then spend more money on the cocktails, food & musicians. Set a budget that is both comfortable and realistic to both of you. 

Most people avoid talking about budgets. Talk to your partner about what both of you value in a wedding. Create a list that compromises between both lists.

Budget conversations can feel overwhelming at first. Instead of dialing in an exact wedding budget, it could be more realistic to have a target range, considering the amount of variables that come with curating a wedding. You can begin budgeting your wedding by thinking about what is most important to you as a couple. A question that I often ask couples is, “What do you want your wedding to reflect about you both?” I feel this question allows a couple to showcase their personality and values throughout their wedding esthe tic. 

A good start to budgeting is to select your top three priorities and allocate a little extra money for them while also keeping in mind what is a lower priority to the both of you. In a June wedding at Rembrandt (left photo), we saw a couple keep their guest count slightly lower which allowed them to spend more money on elements that were important to them, like a full floral arch and an elevated plated dinner. In a May wedding (right photo) with a higher guest count we saw a couple allocate their budget by hiring a DJ rather than a full wedding band and renting decor pieces such as an arch, vases, candles, and artificial florals.

Your wedding is one of the most elaborate and expensive parties you will ever throw. How does one know where to begin? Creating and prioritizing your budget is one of the first and most important planning tasks to complete. Set a budget that is both comfortable and realistic to both of you. 

Budget conversations can feel overwhelming at first. Instead of dialing in an exact wedding budget, it could be more realistic to have a target range, considering the amount of variables that come with curating a wedding. You can begin budgeting your wedding by thinking about what is most important to you as a couple. A question that I often ask couples is, “What do you want your wedding to reflect about you both?” I feel this question allows a couple to showcase their personality and values throughout their wedding esthe tic. 

A good start to budgeting is to select your top three priorities and allocate a little extra money for them while also keeping in mind what is a lower priority to the both of you. In a June wedding at Rembrandt (left photo), we saw a couple keep their guest count slightly lower which allowed them to spend more money on elements that were important to them, like a full floral arch and an elevated plated dinner. In a May wedding (right photo) with a higher guest count we saw a couple allocate their budget by hiring a DJ rather than a full wedding band and renting decor pieces such as an arch, vases, candles, and artificial florals.