Wedding Blog

Date: July 11, 2009
City, State: Santa Barbara, CA
Initial Budget: $43K
# of Guests: 270 invited, 180 attended

Wedding Day Costs

Ceremony Site Fees/Type of Venue: $0 (held at reception venue)

Reception Site Fees/Type of Venue: $5000, Historical Landmark/Museum

Rentals: $7500.93 (tables, chairs for ceremony and reception, upgraded linens, dishes, glassware, market umbrellas, heaters, dance floor)

Caterer/Food/Drink (per person if available): $18366.46 ($14016.46- Station style dinner (pasta, veggies, salad, bread, chicken, beef), 2 appetizer stations, 3 passed appetizers; $2200- Alcohol- 4 types of local wine, 3 types of premium beer, 2 signature drinks.) We purchased our own alcohol and ended up returning about $900 of it after the wedding!

Service Charge/Gratuities: $300 (some gratuities were included).

Bridal Gown & Alterations: $1100 ($750- dress, $350- 1st round of alterations, $135- 2nd round of alterations because the first seamstress really messed up my bustle. Note: she ended up refunding our cost of the 2nd round of alterations.)

Bridal Accessories (Veil, Undergarments, Crinoline, Shoes, Jewelry): $535. I searched high and low for pink shoes and pink argyle socks! I found them about a week before the wedding. I owned the jewelry aside from the earrings (which I purchased from Macy’s) and the pearl ring (on loan from DH’s grandmother).

Groom’s Attire: $0 (Free with 5 groomsmen rentals)

Stationery/Postage: $1750 (Includes purchase of Gocco, screens, inks; created silk fabric envelopes, save the dates, invitations (wedding, BBQ, brunch), envelopes, OOT bag notes, place cards.) I made the entire invitation set myself, and I don’t really have any photos of it!

Photography: $5700 (We actually had 3 different photographers. $5000- wedding; $400- engagement photographer; $300- rehearsal and post wedding brunch photographers.) We also did a “day after” shoot with our wedding photographer for about 3 hours around town, hitting up the local landmarks.

Engagement Photos by Daniel Kiyoi

Our rehearsal dinner/Sunday brunch by Janelle Stephanie

Our Wedding Photographer- Andrew Van Gundy

Day After Shoot—it was actually more like 2 weeks after!

Videography: $0 (gift from family friend)

Ceremony Music: Included in reception music- live classical Spanish trio.

Reception Music: $2400 (includes live trio for ceremony, audio equipment, DJ)

Flowers: $3460 (Includes bridal party flowers, centerpieces, metal and paper lanterns, candles, aisle flower cones, family photo display board. We purchased all the vases, lanterns, and candles ourselves, and saved a lot of money.)

I made this manzanita branch centerpiece. The orchids are dried, and what you don’t see is that the back half is stained because I spilled plaster of paris all over it!

Favors: $750 (Sudoku books with a short card with information about the Alzheimer’s Association, $500 donation to Alzheimer’s Association)

Cake: $1200 ($650- cake, $550- gelato station)

Officiant: $250

Coordinator: $1800 (month of)

Hair/Makeup: $425 (included trial)

Wedding Party Gifts: $410

Bridesmaids: Canvas bag that I sewed the fabric border onto, note cards, candles, a fan, tissues, handmade jewelry and earrings, pashmina, sunscreen, and PJs!

Groomsmen: engraved beer steins, chocolate, and yummy beer from one of our favorite breweries.

Transportation: $0 (gift from family friend!)

Hotel: $600 (Bridal Suite)

Misc: $1377- $200 (OOT Bags- local brochures, snacks, water, welcome note, sunscreen); $87 (Marriage License); $150 (Bridal Shower favors); $50 (ring bearer pillow, flower girl baskets- made both ourselves); $40 (bathroom baskets), $55 (Guestbook through Blurb), $230 (Special Event Insurance), $35 (umbrellas from Chinatown in LA), $30 (flip flops- from Chinatown in LA); $500 (misc. supplies and projects, including failures!)

WEDDING DAY TOTAL: $48,363.39
TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $268.68

All Inclusive Costs:

Wedding Bands: $750

Rehearsal Dinner and Day After Brunch: $1268 ($250 rehearsal dinner park rental, $75 paper goods for rehearsal and brunch, $118 flowers for rehearsal dinner decor, $75 rehearsal dinner decor, $450 food and drink for 100 people for rehearsal, $300 food and drink for 60 people for brunch)

We cooked all the food for the rehearsal and brunch, and everyone pitched in! We had a BBQ for the rehearsal, and the bridal party, our friends, and family all helped out with the cooking for 100 people. We made runners out of burlap-like fabric I found online, used “linen-like” table cloths, bought vases at IKEA, and ordered flowers through FiftyFlowers. To top it off, we sprinkled sea glass I found online down the runners. We had it set up as a buffet, and served burgers, sausage, veggies, beans, salad, chips and salsa, potato salad, and cheesecake. My dad commented during the rehearsal that it was like a Norman Rockwell painting- everyone was truly enjoying being with friends, playing games, hanging out, and having a great time.

My mom and I baked and froze muffins, quiches, and breakfast casseroles for the brunch about a week and a half before hand, and then my aunts heated them up that morning. My uncle picked up bagels, and we got juice and coffee at Target and Costco. My mom and aunts reused the centerpieces from the wedding, and decorated the entire front and backyard! We had a heat wave that weekend, so my dad dashed out to Longs Drugs that morning and purchased the beach umbrellas- and it made it seem so magical and colorful. We got to drive around town that morning in the wonderful old car, and it was such a perfect start to married life!

Honeymoon: $2800 (all inclusive, 8 days 7 nights)

Bride and Groom Gift: $650 ($115- groom’s cufflinks, $550- bride’s Coach bag, Tiffany’s bracelet)

ALL INCLUSIVE TOTAL: $5468

GRAND TOTAL: $53831.39
(wedding day total + all inclusive total)

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