Weddingbee Blog

I was never planning on doing this post. It seemed less evasive to show you a picture of Mr. Peep in bed the day after our wedding than showing you the nitty-gritty details of our budget.

BUT a few weeks ago, Mama Peep commented that every penny spent on our wedding seemed well spent. So maybe this post is an ode to our good work—the hours and hours of hunting for the best vendors and feeling like we really did spend “our” money well. I say “our” money, because most of it really was a no-strings-attached gift from our beyond-generous parents.

That said, here is a rough estimate of all the gory details.

Budget: Originally I wanted to keep it under $20K, but then we got an unexpected boost from our in-laws. So our overall goal was $25K.

Venue, rentals and reception budget: 50%, or $10K.
Actual: ~$11,000
Venue: $1,000

Rentals: $200
Reception: $9,692, which included:
Hors d’oeuvres, dinner, wine and beer (+ wedding night suite included):
$125 per head * 60 people (+ 3 kids) + tax (9.8%) + service charge (20%) plus valet parking for our vendors.

Hotel Vitale: A+. They even threw in a free massage the day before the wedding! I do want to mention, we got a Friends and Family discount at the Vitale. The service was beyond top notch.

Added expense: Bringing in our own wine. Since Mr. Peep is in the wine industry, this was really important to us, and well worth the cost.
The wine came out of the Peep’s personal collection and budget: ~$300

Cupcakes budget: $200
Actual: $300

Miette: A++. I would have been able to stick to the budget, but Mama Peep was worried we’d run out, so I added another 50 or so to the order. In the end, we had a TON of cupcakes left over.

Paper goods budget: $300
Actual: $581
Save the dates: $96

Baron Cards: A. I loved our eco-friendly save the dates, and I really do think they set the tone for our San Francisco wedding.

Invites: $450

This may have been one of my biggest wedding mistakes. I loved our invites, but we spent too much on them!

Programs, Escort Cards, Menus, Signs: $35. Thanks to a 50% off sale a Paper Source, I got most of our paper goods on the cheap!

Dress budget for everything bridal: $2500.
Actual total: $2,760.
Dress, including alterations: $2500 + tax= 2,700.
Amy Kuschel Dress: A+. The hit of the party; I felt 100% beautiful.

Veil: free, upcycled my mom’s veil

J. Crew shoes on sale: $60

Jewelry: gifted and borrowed

Groom’s Attire: Paid for by a proud FIL Peep: $850, suit, shirt, tie, and shoes.

Photographer budget: $2,500
Actual: $2,500 plus tax= $2,700
Blueberry Photography: A. I HEART Amanda, she was the best deal for our money. How can you put a price tag on someone who captured every great moment of our day?

Our package included: an engagement shoot, 7 hours on the day of the wedding, an engagement and wedding slideshow, and all images on disk.

Florist: Budget: $1,200
Actual: $1,450

Huckleberry Karen: A. I heart Huck Karen. Not only do we share the same name, but also our dog’s name is Huckleberry. It was a perfect match.

Music budget: $1,000.
Actual: $1,229
Ceremony cellist: $230
San Francisco Music Conservancy: A. I never did get a chance to introduce myself to our Cellist, but from what I remember, he was great.

DJ: $999
DJ David Carvallo rocked the dance floor all night long!! Amazing!

Gifts budget: ?? Eek, I don’t think I ever really made one.
Actual: $900
Guest Gifts: Welcome bags, carbon offsets, and chocolate favors: ~$300. Carbon offsetting our wedding was my favorite ‘thing’ we did.

Wedding party and parents: ~$600

Includes: clutches, earrings and wraps for the ladies, and ties and Converse shoes for all the men. Plus, a great pen for Papa Peep. And I think this includes Mr. Peep’s wedding gift: Dodger Stadium cuff links. Go Blue!

Good thing we got some extra cash for this category. It seems like a lot, but these extra touches for our loved ones were really worth it. And again, look at how happy our guests were:

Officiant: Budget: $300
Actual: $800
Yo, Rabbis aren’t cheap, but Rabbi Shriebman was well worth it.

Jewish Ketubah (wedding contract) actual: $200

Makeup budget: ??
Actual: Not totally sure, as Mama Peep paid the bill on the day of the wedding, but I’m guessing ~$200. I really tried to spend less on this, but c’est la vie. At least I felt beautiful!

Day of Coordinator budget: $0. Actual: $0. I wish I had hired a professional. Sigh. Lesson learned.

His and her wedding bands budget: $1,500
Actual: $1,200, plus my extra band which was a gift from Mr. Peep. Hehe. We love our rings.

Drum roll….
Actual spent: $23,869!!!

This does not include the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon- both of which were made possible by Mr. Peep’s parents. Nor does it include the day after brunch at the Americano, but I am pretty sure that ate up the rest of our budget.

So there ya have it—the nitty gritty of the Peeps’ budget.

What do you think is your best wedding budget “deal”?