Share your budget

i2012do · May 2011

Anyone willing to share their budgets? I think it will help us get an idea of how everyone is allocating it-- I think sharing a budget helps you see what you can get for the money- where people are saving etc. I know its personal- so I put a poll!

[Deleted User] · May 2011

It wouldn't let me vote but we are keeping ti under 10k :-)

i2012do · May 2011

I voted for ya

It looks like a lot of the board is keeping it under 10 k.

'I am wondering is this easy/or Really hard dpenging on where everyone lives ?

I'm nosy nelly today xo

bmetz34 · May 2011

we're aiming right at 20,000. Makes me cringe sometimes, but CT is ridiculously expensive for weddings, and I think I'd regret not having a traditional wedding. We're only having around 100 guests and I'm DIY a lot of stuff. If I had everything I wanted and didn't have to skimp on the guest list it'd probably be over $40,000!!!

jacquiroxx · May 2011

Were at $7000 right now in the Philly 'burbs. I'm on my phone so I don't have access to my budget excel sheet, but I'll post it later. This is REALLY hard for us to do and we might have to increase it if our venue doesn't work out, but we're trying really hard to make it work. We want to save as much as possible so we can have an amazing honeymoon and buy a house.

colstj1 · May 2011

Our budget is at $15,000. That does not include our rings and the dress. Those parts are coming out of mine and my FI own pockets. For the area we live in I feel like this is pretty normal because our venue alone is going to cost us about 9,000. That's also because we are having a larger wedding on a Satuday.

i2012do · May 2011

Since I'm nosy, I guess I should share too
My original budget was 20,000 and we have had to increase it. Like bmetz its extremely hard to have a "budget" wedding in southern new england especially. Everything is so expensive!!

I am going to DIY a lot but the venue doesn't let you drop stuff off until 3 hrs before. I'm going to break the rules and try to get stuff in their earlier so I can DIY a ton

For the DIY girls- who do you have collecting the stuff at the end of the night?

I'm thinking about asking my mom and cousin to get anything my DOC doesn't.

We are trying to save for a house right now (we just found one we loved!! but arent preapproved yet- boo!)

It def. is so hard to stay on budget.

If anyone has any good tools- like the spreadsheet jacqui mentioned please share! It would be great.

I've been keeping a budget with the knot budgeter and one my DOC gave me-- its def. tough to see pretty weddings on blogs, etc and to stay on budget!

[Deleted User] · May 2011

My bridesmaid and wedding planner are taking care of everything (wedding planner is FI cousin) she has already told me not to worry about it her and the bridemaids will do it. I asked them and they said they knew this. Apparently I am in the dark lol. I really think it depends on where you stay. The caterers I am looking at will do the cakes, food, beverages, clean up and severs for 2200! And the menu I am thinking of going with is pretty big! In ATL My cousin said it would easily go for 7K

If there are typos forgive me! I can't find my glasses.

christin228 · May 2011

We are paying for this ourselves, and at the same time saving for a house, so were trying to stick to a budget of around 18,000. We can't go over 20,000. In our area that's a fairly small budget (we're in north Jersey, and 15 mins from NYC) Our venue alone will be almost 15,000, so we are really trying to diy a lot of stuff. I'm doing candle lantern centerpieces, and a brooch bouquet (I've been picking the brooches from garage sales, estate sales, etc). So we wont be having any flowers. We are only having a moh, best man, and our kids. We have 4 kids between the 2 of us - I have 2 and he has one from previous relationships, and we have one together, so we have junior bm, 2 ring bearers, and flower girl. That will cut costs on limo (we aren't having one), bp gifts, rehearsal dinner.

colstj1 · May 2011

Christin228- It still sounds as thought your reception is going to be beautiful! And I love it that you are doing a brooch boquet. I can't wait to see pictures of how it turns out!!

BooTheKitty · May 2011

My wedding will be under 5k (hopefullyyy), not including my e-ring and honeymoon. We're from a very small town in wisconsin and having our wedding at a place where we can bring in our own food, on a Sunday. However, the Sunday discount isn't really all it's cracked up to be for things like photographers. Ours only gave us a 10% discount! haha. But of course it's better than nothing We are also not having a DJ or dance, but a string quartet (or my friend who can play the violin) or alcohol. So that will save us a little money there.

For a little more of a break down so far of the costs:
We're also having around 50-60 guests

Photog: $2,200
Retreat Rental: $200
Brunch Buffet Estimate: $500
Flowers: Free or <$200 because I work there over the summer for trade for my wedding flowers! =]
Day of coordinator: Also my florist that I've been working for trade
Vintage mis-match china plates and vases: <$200 thanks to a thrifty FMIL and florist

That's it so far! Hopefully we can keep it <$5,000 in the end!

JoshLovesJekka · May 2011

We are trying to keep ours under $5k as well but I do have a $1k back up. I know that we can do it because we live in a really small town in NC. (There's 3 stop lights in "town"!) The largest part of our budget will be food (abt $2k), then alcohol ($800), then week of coordinator and venue ($400 each!). I plan on DIYing a lot just because I don't want to pay full price for something if I can re-create it. I'm also a detail oriented, micro-manager; so I have to have my fingers in everything!

Share your budget

Re: Share your budget

Choose Another Board

Search Boards