Average Wedding Budgets – The Real Deal

When you’re first starting to plan your wedding one of the big things you’ll be thinking about is your wedding budget.  You know you need to set one, but you’re probably not sure what that budget should be.  So, what do you do?

You head to the handy internet and look up average wedding budgets.  And you get some numbers and then you use those numbers to dictate what you should be spending.  Good plan right?  Not so much…

Here’s the real deal – average wedding budgets aren’t realistic. 

And they’re not realistic because they don’t take into account YOU.  They’re just some numbers calculated from some people who said yes to taking a survey.  And those people aren’t you.

(Photo credit: Jerry Yoon Photographers)

What you don’t realize is that your budget is really a combination of what you’re comfortable spending and what is important and of value to you.

It doesn’t matter what the average wedding budget is.  Or what some article tells you that you should spend.  It’s all about what makes sense for you.  And an average wedding budget can’t tell you that.

For example, if you only want to spend XYZ amount, then that is what your budget is.  The end.  Whether or not that number is average doesn’t matter.  You’re going to be basing your decisions on your budget because that is what you want to spend.

In another example, if you care a lot about the food and drinks, then you’re going to be willing to spend more in those areas to get what you want.  Or if you only care about dancing, then you’re going spend much less on things like flowers or photography and more on music.  Or if you’re busy and you don’t want to worry or try to figure it all out then hiring a wedding planner is going to be the most important thing to you.

Every couple is different and every wedding is different.  An average wedding budget isn’t going to tell you what you care about.  It’s not going to tell you what makes sense for you.

Now what an average budget can tell you is if one location is generally a more expensive location than another.  But, that’s about it.  So, take what you read about average wedding budgets with a huge jar of salt.

And here’s what to do instead…

Spend your time focusing on figuring out what’s important to you and what you’re comfortable spending.  If that’s a hard number and sticking to it is crucial, then you’ll make your decisions based on your budget.  If you’re more open or have a range then you can be flexible and fluctuate within that once you start looking at vendors and options.

In the end you have to decide what makes sense for you not some survey.  And then adjust as you go along to make sure you’re creating the wedding you want.  So, whether you’re just starting to plan your wedding or you’re right in the middle, make sure your budget is working for you.

(Photo credit: Milou and Olin Photography)

Struggling with putting together your budget and figuring out what makes sense for you?  Let us help you.  You don’t have to do it alone.  Contact us today.