Budgeting That Makes Sense

Considering your options

Just about every wedding magazine has a budget planner, but unless they apply to your vendors, your city and your wallet, there is usually no way the prices you see will apply to your wedding or your world. You realize that you can't get a bridal gown with all the accessories and alterations for $500 like line 42 subsection B of your free budget spreadsheet told you. Now what? If you're just beginning to plan and you have no idea what to expect to spend for a wedding in Kitchener/Waterloo area, this budget planner will be a lifesaver. Real vendor prices, who pays for what, and much more can be found here.

What do couples pay for weddings?

A low-range budget - what vendors commonly refer to as 'the shoestring budget' - is about $5000 for a ceremony and reception (not a small amount of money, despite the term, really!). A large budget would be upwards of $20,000 and go as high as $50,000 or more - a definite Hollywood-style wedding. An average wedding is somewhere in between, ringing in at about $10,000 - $15,000.

The most popular question is almost impossible to answer directly: How do we know where to start to determine our budget?

Even though there are a lot of things that determine the cost of a wedding, we suggest that you start is with the reception concept. The reception can often take up to 50% or more of your budget. To give you an idea, 150 people at for $35/plate at a reception hall = $5250 for reception hall and meal, all other details are extra such wine & champagne, bar, wedding cake, decor, and more. If you don't plan on going crazy with ultra photography packages and limo-buses, this should bring you in at around $10,000 - 12,000 for the finished product (very very rough estimate). Ceremonies are generally much less expensive because they are often in a church/chapel. Once a couple decides to hold their ceremony outdoors in a place different from that of the reception, however, then the cost gets greater with tent rentals and decor rentals, etc.

You really need to find out what you see as your perfect wedding and then tweak it until it works.

Your first realistic step is to find out how much money is available to you, whether you use it all or not. Make a "Best Guesstimate Chart" to get you an idea of what money you have, will receive, could finance, and could save.