Wedding Blog

Today’s budget comes from a reader who got married yesterday! She’s graciously shared her planning budget with the hive.  Congratulations Sarah and Brad!

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Date: 6/20/09
City, State: Long Beach, CA
Budget: $55k (not including honeymoon, rehearsal dinner, brunch or rings)
# of Guests: 220

Original budget did not include rings, honeymoon or rehearsal dinner & brunch. My parents paid for the wedding, his parents paid for the rehearsal dinner, brunch & bar bill at wedding. We paid for wedding
bands and our hotel room.

Wedding Day Costs

Ceremony Site Fees/Type of Venue: $1611 - At Sunset Deck at the Reef on the Water. The total includes ceremony set up and chairs as well as the rehearsal coordinator.

Reception Site Fees/Type of Venue: No site fee for The Reef on the Water, Harborview Ballroom (included in price per person).

Caterer/Food/Drink (per person if available): $68.50 per person, not including alcohol. Total of $17,700 for food and $3,700 minimum for bar. Food price includes a 2 course, duet entree of filet with melted boursin cheese and chicken picatta. Also includes 5 tray passed hors d’ oeuvres selections & champagne toast.

Bridal Gown & Alterations: $1223, $201 for alterations. “Aurelie” by Maggie Sottero

Bridal Accessories (Veil, Undergarments, Shoes, Jewelry): Veil - $229, undergarments - $65, shoes - $125 including dying, jewelry - from mom

Groom’s Attire: free from Friar Tux when renting all groomsmen and fathers’ tuxes

Stationery/Postage: $3362. $1230 on invitations, $373 for stamps, $415 for save the dates, $700 on programs, $270 for thank you cards, $440 for menu cards & place cards, $60 for ribbon, glue, etc for stationery items.

I saved money by having my invitations printed and the paper cut, but put them together myself. I also made all other paper products myself including the menu cards, placecards (on starfish) and table numbers.

Photography: $4184. Includes all day photography with 2 photographers, engagment session, CD and DVD of all high-res images, a 11×14 30-page magazine style photo album and lifetime pictures in their studio once a year.

I was offered 30% off my photography package, a discount on our linens & chaivari chairs and about $1500 off the DJ and lighting.

Ceremony Music: $400

Reception Music: $1790 including lighting

Flowers: $2950

Favors: $435 - organza bags with 4 chocolate shells

Cake: $290 (only charged upgrades, the rest was included in caterer package with outside bakery)

Officiant: Free - Brother of the Groom became ordained for wedding

Hair/Makeup: $765 - includes bride & bridesmaids’ hair and makeup, MOB hair and flower girl hair. Also includes “personal bridal attendant” for 2 hours after ceremony and during pictures to touch up makeup.

Wedding Party Gifts: - $700 - not included in overall budget

Transportation: $756 for limo with suicide doors and lift-up doors

Hotels: $344 for wedding night room - not included in overall budget

Misc: $1150 for photo booth, $65 for guestbook, $150 for kids items for reception, $172 for vases for centerpieces, $70 for gift card box and $50 for battery tealight candles, $290 for ceremony items (flower girl
baskets, ring bearer pillows, etc.), $2900 for rental linens and chiavari chairs

WEDDING DAY TOTAL: $47,679.74
TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $216.73

All Inclusive Costs:
Wedding Bands: $890
Rehearsal Dinner/Day After Brunch: Dont know, paid for my FILs
Honeymoon: $5500 for all inclusive 8 night honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with a Jr. Suite Oceanview Swim Up Room

ALL INCLUSIVE TOTAL: $6390 not including rehearsal and day after brunch

GRAND TOTAL: $54,069.74

We saved the most money by having a lot of people not being able to attend, as sad as that sounds. We invited 350+ and only 220 could attend (planning on 250-275 attending) I also saved about $3000+ by networking and having friends in the business.

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