What do you think is the most important budget item for a DW?

For us.. first location of the wedding.

We're doing the Villa thing..

Then food, alcohol.. and kick ass honeymoon suites!

We spent about half of our budget for our travel, thats wedding & honeymoon, but we also chose rooms that we know we will never get again when we travel, but this is our wedding and honeymoon so we got the best. (FI just HAD to have the swim up casita at El Dorado, he's already planning his trips in the lazy river, lol!)

We also want to make sure our guests know how much we appreciate them coming, so we tried to get a lot of nice things for the OOT bags and we're sending out luggage tags and picture frames that I bought for a picture from mexico, I'm sending these in a few weeks, because I don't want to transport the picture frames, too many breakable things!

I think the largest expenses in a wedding is usually the F&B (varies by the number of guests). We're expecting between 70-100 guests so F&B is on top of my budget lists. Then personal travel and honeymoon as well as complementary travel for our parents. After that photography and videography to capture the moments that you'll either forget or too busy to witness. Then the wedding bands which will lasts forever so invest on a great pair!

Photography is the overall most important it is really all you have left once the day is over with.

Most of our budget is going to our location which includes food and non-alcoholic beverages. Not to say that the Mayan is super expensive, but we are having a ton of guests (more guests = more $$$)

then, i would say the travel (including honeymoon), photog, live band, alcohol.. in that order.

I would say that it would have to be the photography. It is the only thing you have to look at after it is over with.

this thread is kind of funny it goes back and forth between what people think the best budget item for them and what really cost the most. Photography was a big deal for us! Although it would have been our biggest expense as our package is $6400 but we worked an amazing deal exchanging cost for travel, their flights, room, food and such for an extra 4 days so they could have a mini vacay!

But really we're spending the most on food/rental fees for our reception

Our biggest expense was our travel/resort expense. Since it was just us we didn't have to worry about a reception or anything. But we did have other traditional aspects like dress, cake, bouquet. But looking back I think our most important budget item was photography and a DVD. I would recommend to any bride to budget as much as you can for those items because after the wedding is over you have those two things to remember one of the most significant moments in your life. I know me and my hubby have watched the wedding video over a dozen times already and we frequently look at our weddign album.

---- What do you think is the most important budget item for a DW?

MOST IMPORTANT... hands down... PHOTOGRAPHY!!!!!!

----- What was the biggest budget item for a DW?

Biggest budget item - entertainment, reception for our guests.