Your wedding will be one of the most memorable and special days of your life. But first, you have some planning to do. Where do you start? With the wedding budget! (Everytime with the budget.)
Let’s walk through how to create a wedding budget that marries your dreams and your bank account –a helps you keep both on the path to happily ever after.
How to Create Your Wedding Budget
If a “wedding budget” doesn’t sound romantic to you, make it romantic! Lay out the charcuterie, turn up the love song playlist, and make it a date night. Then print out our wedding budget template, sharpen your pencils, and start filling it in – together – following these steps:
1. Write down what you have already saved.
As a couple, what do you do? already saved up for all the upcoming wedding expenses? Enter that number.
For some perspective, the average wedding costs $30,000, with an additional $5,100 if you factor in the honeymoon costs.1,2 This does no means you have to spend that much at all. Remember that!
Now, as you look at what you’ve already saved, maybe you’re perfectly happy with this amount, or maybe you’re keen to work on the next two steps to get the number that is higher. No matter what, keep reading.
2. Write down how much extra you know you will get from your family.
That etiquette used to tell us exactly what roles the parents of the bride and groom played – including who paid for what. But this is 2023!
These days, the average couple pays for around half (49%) of wedding expenses.3 Why? Perhaps the reason for this is that couples are waiting until later to get married (the average age is 32) and they are expected to have their personal finances in a good place.4
Now, your parents may have opened up the financial conversation the moment you showed them that shiny new engagement ring. if not, you need to open those lines of communication yourself.
Make sure you don’t assume your parents will cover 51% of your costs – or any amount, really! Be grateful and content no matter what.
3. Write down how much extra you can do before your wedding day.
Once you’ve filled in what you’ve already saved and anything extra your family will contribute, you still have another option for increasing your wedding budget.
Before I share, keep this in mind: This shouldn’t be about impressing anyone or living up to a standard you’ve seen in the world. But if you honestly want to spend more on your wedding and can do so without sacrificing your other money goals – you’re not stuck with the amounts you’ve already written on your lovely wedding budget template. You can increase your income and put that extra money into your wedding budget!
Yes, it will take some work – but with that extra cash, you can totally book that extra night (a the ziplining package!) at your all-inclusive honeymoon destination. Value. It is.
4. Choose your top three non-negotiables.
It’s time to dream together. Talk about your big vision for the big day. Bring up any ideas you want. Then narrow things down and find three (shared) nonnegotiables. Here are your three most important wedding dreams!
I have no idea what will be on your list: food, flowers and photography? A large guest list, a live band and a restored barn for the venue? The sky is not even the limit if you dream of releasing live pigeons.
Once you’ve chosen, write your top three non-negotiables on the front of the wedding budget template. You can then put a star (or heart!) next to them on the second page. (Fill in a blank if it’s not already on the sheet.) And anything that doesn’t matter – cross it off!
This will help you retain your maximum a least precious dreams at the top of your mind as you continue to work on your wedding budget.
5. Research and write an estimate of wedding costs.
Now that you know how much you can spend, it’s time to plan how you’ll spend it. Do your research and fill out your wedding budget template – starting with your top three non-negotiables and covering the less important wedding expenses after those most important ones.
I created a quick list of national averages and percentages. Remember, you may spend more (or less) on non-negotiables. Make sure everything is even so you don’t spend more than you have.
Wedding Budget Averages and Percentages:
| Wedding Budget Item | Percentage | National Average Cost |
| a cake | 1–2% | $510 |
| Drinks | 4–7% | $2,300* |
| Flowers, lights and decorations | 8–10% | $3,900* |
| Food | 20-25% | $8,775 |
| Gifts and favors | 1–2% | $400* |
| The groom’s dress | 1% | $290 |
| Hair and makeup | 1% | $250 |
| Honeymoon | 13–15% | $5,100 |
| Marriage License | 1% | $10-110* |
| Music | 4–11% | $1,500-3,700* |
| Officiant | 1% | $250* |
| Paperwork | 1% | $26-241* |
| Photography and videography | 8–12% | $4,400* |
| Rehearsal lunch | 4-5% | $1,900* |
| Writing material | 1–2% | $560* |
| Transportation | 1–2% | $800* |
| Location | 28–32% | $11,200 |
| Wedding bands | 3-6% | $2,200* |
| Wedding dress | 3-5% | $1,900 |
| Wedding planner | 2–4% | $1,500* |
Most sources are from The Knot.5,6 Any numbers with an asterisk are from WeddingWire, US Marriage Laws, or a combination of WeddingWire and The Knot.7,8
And don’t forget to put a little padding in there for anything unexpected that might come up. Give yourself a few hundred (at least) in a Miscellaneous line. If you don’t spend it, take it on the honeymoon or put it toward your Baby Steps journey (aka the proven plan for saving money, paying off debt, and building lasting wealth).
6. Make adjustments to the wedding budget if necessary.
When you add up numbers, you may realize that you don’t have enough money to cover all the wedding expenses you are planning for. Here are some options for how to create a more budget-friendly wedding if that happens:
- Cut some expenses you can live without.
- Find more budget friendly vendors.
- Use your best negotiation skills to get better deals.
- Ask friends to offer their talents or time in lieu of a gift.
- Read my friend George Kamel’s list of wedding saving tips.
Whatever you do, do it no take a marriage loan or give any of these expenses on a credit card. It is. Isn’t it. Value. It is. And don’t spend every bit of money you have either. Walk down the aisle with money still in savings. Because getting married is much more than one day — it’s about your future together.
Wedding budgets are worth it
All this talk of a wedding budget may still sound a bit unromantic (even after you lay out the charcuterie). But listen, start your life together by draining a savings account or going into debt to impress yourself, your friends or your family—that’s it non-Romanian a unwise!
Instead, give your wedding budget a realistic number you affordability while encompassing everything you want out of your special day. Communicate clearly and consistently with each other about what’s important and what’s not, and you’re on your way to creating the wedding of your dreams – and establishing a marriage on a solid foundation.