How to Set a Budget for Your Wedding

Your wedding budget is critical to your wedding planning. Without it spending can get out of hand. Because of its value, the budget should be one of the first decisions you make in your wedding planning process.

Setting Up an Initial Budget
In order to set up your initial budget, you will need two things. First, you need to know how much money you plan to spend on the entire wedding. Second, you must know must prioritize the different elements of your wedding. For example, is it more important for you to have a sit-down dinner or a designer gown?

Since these two items vary from couple to couple there is not a one-size-fits-all sample budget available. However, here are some guidelines that will help you determine a budget to fit your needs.

The following guidelines determine a percentage of the entire budget to be designated for each expense. Then based on what is most important to you, you can reallocate the percentages as needed. For instance, if having a videographer isn't high on your priority list, but having an excellent photographer is, then you can take the percentage allotted to the videographer and added it the photographer's percentage to allow you to spend more on a photographer.

Likewise, if having a sit-down meal is not nearly as important to you as having a live band, then choose a lower percentage for the reception and a higher percentage for the reception music. However, you decide to allocate the money, for the budget to be balanced, the percentages must equal 100.

Bridal Consultant 6-10%
Ceremony Fees (including site and officiant) 2-4%
Reception Fees (including food, beverage and site) 35-45%
Wedding Cake 1-3%
Bride's Attire & Beauty Expenses 6-10%
Groom's Attire 0-2%
Photographer 10-14%
Videographer 1-5%
Florist 4-8%
Stationary 2-4%
Favors/Decorations 1-3%
Ceremony Music 1-2%
Reception Music 3-7%
Transportation 1-3%
Gifts for Attendants 1-2%
Other 1-5%

Three items not included on this list that should be considered are rings (engagement and wedding bands), honeymoon and rehearsal dinner.

Who Pays for What
It's very important to address the issue of who is paying for what elements of the wedding up front. You don't want to assume that someone is footing the bill for a particular item to find out later that they aren't. Today many couples are paying for the own wedding. For others, the bride's family still covers the cost of most items. But sometimes the groom's family is willing to contribute to the expenses.

Your best bet is to meet with everyone who is sharing the expenses early to find the solution that works best for you. Once you determine who can afford what you can then set your budget.

Here's the traditional breakdown of expenses:

Bridal Consultant -- Bride's family

Ceremony Fees
Site Rental -- Bride's family
Officiant's Fee -- Groom
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Reception Fees
Site Rental -- Bride's family
Food -- Bride's family
Beverages -- Bride's family
Service -- Bride's family
Rental Items -- Bride's family
Gratuity and Tax -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Wedding Cake
Cake -- Bride's family
Cake Topper -- Bride's family
Deliver -- Bride's family
Groom's Cake -- Groom's family
Cake boxes -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Bride's Attire and Beauty
Gown -- Bride's family
Alterations -- Bride's family
Veil/Headpiece -- Bride's family
Shoes -- Bride's family
Jewelry -- Bride's family
Gloves -- Bride's family
Hosiery -- Bride's family
Garter -- Bride's family
Lingerie -- Bride's family
Hair -- Bride's family
Makeup -- Bride's family
Nails -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Groom's Attire
Tux or suit -- Groom
Shoes -- Groom
Accessories -- Groom
Miscellaneous -- Groom

Photographer
Engagement Session -- Bride's family
Bridal Portrait -- Bride's family
Wedding Day Package -- Bride's family
Reprints -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Videographer -- Bride's family

Florist
Bride's Bouquet -- Groom
Throw Bouquet -- Groom
Bridesmaids' Bouquets -- Bride's family
All Corsages -- Groom
Groom's Boutonnière -- Bride
All Other Boutonnière -- Groom
Flower Basket -- Groom
Ceremony Site Flowers -- Bride's family
Reception Site Flowers -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Stationary
Invitations -- Bride's family
Response Cards -- Bride's family
Reception Cards -- Bride's family
Announcements -- Bride's family
Thank You Notes -- Bride's family
Programs -- Bride's family
Maps -- Bride's family
Newsletters -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Party Favors/Decorations
Toasting Glasses -- Bride's family
Cake Knife -- Bride's family
Unity Candle -- Bride's family
Favors -- Bride's family
Napkins -- Bride's family
Birdseed, Bubbles, etc. -- Bride's family
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Ceremony Music -- Bride's family

Reception Music -- Bride's family

Gifts
Attendants -- Bride and Groom
Parents -- Bride and Groom
Each Other -- Bride and Groom
Special People -- Bride and Groom
Miscellaneous -- Bride's family

Other
Marriage License -- Groom
Postage for Invitations -- Bride's family
Newspaper Wedding Announcement -- Bride's family

Rings
Engagement -- Groom
Bride's Wedding Band -- Groom
Groom's Wedding Band -- Bride

Honeymoon -- Groom

Rehearsal Dinner -- Groom's Family

Remember that no one is "obligated" to foot the bill for your wedding. Be gracious for any help you get. Repay this assistance by openly communicating with those who are helping financing the affair. Establishing your budget and updating it regularly will show those contributing where their dollars are spent.

Maintaining Your Budget
Once you've established a budged, it is important that you keep track of what you actually spend compared to what you've budgeted. If you want to hire a vendor that costs more than you've budgeted, then you'll have to cut the cost on another item. Similarly, if you end of spending less than budgeted on an item, you then have a bit more to spend on something else.

Create a budget sheet to help you track your spending. Your budget sheet can be as simple as a piece of paper with the following titles -- Budget Item, Budgeted Amount, Actual Amount, Difference. Under Budget Item, list all the possible expenses. Use the list above as a guideline.

If you are a computer whiz, you can create a spreadsheet to track your expenses. Or you can buy wedding software that will do it for you.

Remember that your budget is critical for a well planned wedding. Determine who is paying for what. Set your budget early. Keep track of actual expenses.