How much is your wedding costing you?

[AmandaPierson]

Ours is at playacar palace and is going to run about $20k too!  We're having 70 guests and the (very rough/rounded) breakdown is:

 

Dress: $2k

Photog: $2k

Engagement Pics in our hometown (splurge): $500

Videogapher: $1k

Our trip (10 nights, 2 hotels-Playacar Palace and Live Aqua in Cancun): $5k (this might wind up being less depending on how our package's comp nights work)

Invites/thank you's/stamps: $1k

Rings: $1500

DJ: $1500

Favors: $700 (we're doing sunglasses and tote bags for everyone)

Flowers: $1k (bridal party/bride/groom/family corsages & bouts/etc. + reception table centerpieces which will be flowers and candles)

Wedding Package: $1500 (nautical)

Extras for seating over 30 ppl: $250

Groom Suit: $150 (guys have it so easy!)

Hair/Makeup/spa time: $500

 

Some of these things I rounded up on, so we're still under $19k.  I figure I'll leave another 1-2 thousand as a buffer for some random expenses I'm not thinking of (like tips, setup and extra décor if we decide to splurge beyond centerpieces). 

 

It's a lot but for 70 guests + a 10 day luxury vacation/honeymoon included, I think it's a great way to go   It's definitely not "free" though, like I think some of guests get the idea it is for us...

[Jenny2014]

Alright, so our wedding costs seem to just keep on growing. However, as things are still so far away, I am hoping I will find ways to make them much cheaper. So far our costs are looking like (estimation for most... and I am sure I have WAY over compensated... plus, we have told our parents that the extras over 29 people are being divided up between them, as we only want 29 to be there. IE. additional guest charge, std, invite, oot, bonfire, etc... i will be calculating the costs and letting them know what they owe haha):

 

Wedding Package for 20 people: $3000

Additional Guests (50 people): $4250

Chairs for 70 people @ $7/chair: $490

Total: $7740

 

Ceremony costs:

Programs/signs: $300

Bubbles/ fans: $300

Sand Ceremony: $50

Decor: $200- $400

Total: $1050

 

Reception:

Decor: $500

Favors: $200

Lounge chairs: $480

Fire show: $750

Total: $1930

 

Flowers:

Bridesmaid Bouquets: $200

Blue orchid extra cost: $150

Jewels for bouquet: $100

Rose Petals: $100

Total: $550

 

Music:

DJ: $825

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $200

Total: $1025

 

Photography:

Package: $2000

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $300

Total: $2300

 

Attire:

Dress: $800

Veil/ Alterations: $350

Shoes: $100

Jewelery: $100

Groom Outfit: $500

Groom Shoes: $200

Pre-pampering (nails, hair): $400

Hair & makeup for BM's: $500

Total: $2950

 

Rings:

His: $150

His ring tattoo: $500

Engagement Ring: $1500

Hers: $600

Total: $2750

 

OOT Bags/ Welcome Books: $900

 

Paper Costs:

STD: $150

Invites: $250

Printing: $200

Postage: $300 (Canada-wide, to the US, to Europe and Pakistan)

Guest Book: $50

Menu Cards: $100

Signs: $50

Guest Cameras/ Sign: $150

Total: $1450

 

Miscellaneous Costs:

Bonfire: $850

Legal Ceremony: $500

Passports: $200

Set-up fee: $150

Gifts: $500

Trip Clothing: $1000

Travel Agent: $500

Misc. expenses: $1000

Total: $4700

 

Trip Cost:

Airfare and Resort stay for 2 weeks: $6000 ($3000/person)

Tips: $1000

Taxes: $1000

Total: $8000

 

Grand Total for 70 people: $35,345

 

 

 

<---- I think that will be me, if this is what the actual cost looks like at the end of all of this...... LUCKILY, there are many costs I am willing to cut, if and when the time comes to do that (ie. bonfire, lounge chairs, fire show, and decor from the ceremony/reception,oot bags)

 

I think I just need to do an absolute worst case scenario, so that way when the prices start to come in and they are cheaper.....woo hoo!!!!

[Jenny2014]

Originally Posted by AmandaPierson 

 

Ours is at playacar palace and is going to run about $20k too!  We're having 70 guests and the (very rough/rounded) breakdown is:

 

Dress: $2k

Photog: $2k

Engagement Pics in our hometown (splurge): $500

Videogapher: $1k

Our trip (10 nights, 2 hotels-Playacar Palace and Live Aqua in Cancun): $5k (this might wind up being less depending on how our package's comp nights work)

Invites/thank you's/stamps: $1k

Rings: $1500

DJ: $1500

Favors: $700 (we're doing sunglasses and tote bags for everyone)

Flowers: $1k (bridal party/bride/groom/family corsages & bouts/etc. + reception table centerpieces which will be flowers and candles)

Wedding Package: $1500 (nautical)

Extras for seating over 30 ppl: $250

Groom Suit: $150 (guys have it so easy!)

Hair/Makeup/spa time: $500

 

Some of these things I rounded up on, so we're still under $19k.  I figure I'll leave another 1-2 thousand as a buffer for some random expenses I'm not thinking of (like tips, setup and extra décor if we decide to splurge beyond centerpieces). 

 

It's a lot but for 70 guests + a 10 day luxury vacation/honeymoon included, I think it's a great way to go   It's definitely not "free" though, like I think some of guests get the idea it is for us...

 

Yeah, destination wedding does NOT mean free wedding, not by any means. Had to QUICKLY correct my mother with that..... she's like but it's all inclusive, they cant charge for that. Your wrong.

 

Everyone is always wrong with my mother, so I had to show her the costs.... and she still believes the more people that come, the cheaper it will be like, like it is with local weddings, how your alcohol/ food costs go down the more people come. NOPE, not so with a DW!

[AmandaPierson]

Oh yeah, agreed!  My family thought that they were subsidizing all the costs for the wedding too, which is frustrating.  Oh well, I think it'll wind up being beautiful and cannot wait!  I do know people do it for less, but w/ a big group it's hard to cut things like DJ and I'd never cut nice photography so it adds up quick!

[Jessica Correa]

My mother is actually afraid of what my fiance and I will be paying for the wedding so she is always pushing to cut down the list of invitations. Good thing only family is getting invited... but there are many family members anyway. No need to add anyone else.... we already have a crowd! 

[Jenny2014]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenny2014 

Alright, so our wedding costs seem to just keep on growing. However, as things are still so far away, I am hoping I will find ways to make them much cheaper. So far our costs are looking like (estimation for most... and I am sure I have WAY over compensated... plus, we have told our parents that the extras over 29 people are being divided up between them, as we only want 29 to be there. IE. additional guest charge, std, invite, oot, bonfire, etc... i will be calculating the costs and letting them know what they owe haha):

 

Wedding Package for 20 people: $3000

Additional Guests (50 people): $4250

Chairs for 70 people @ $7/chair: $490

Total: $7740

 

Ceremony costs:

Programs/signs: $300

Bubbles/ fans: $300

Sand Ceremony: $50

Decor: $200- $400

Total: $1050

 

Reception:

Decor: $500

Favors: $200

Lounge chairs: $480

Fire show: $750

Total: $1930

 

Flowers:

Bridesmaid Bouquets: $200

Blue orchid extra cost: $150

Jewels for bouquet: $100

Rose Petals: $100

Total: $550

 

Music:

DJ: $825

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $200

Total: $1025

 

Photography:

Package: $2000

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $300

Total: $2300

 

Attire:

Dress: $800

Veil/ Alterations: $350

Shoes: $100

Jewelery: $100

Groom Outfit: $500

Groom Shoes: $200

Pre-pampering (nails, hair): $400

Hair & makeup for BM's: $500

Total: $2950

 

Rings:

His: $150

His ring tattoo: $500

Engagement Ring: $1500

Hers: $600

Total: $2750

 

OOT Bags/ Welcome Books: $900

 

Paper Costs:

STD: $150

Invites: $250

Printing: $200

Postage: $300 (Canada-wide, to the US, to Europe and Pakistan)

Guest Book: $50

Menu Cards: $100

Signs: $50

Guest Cameras/ Sign: $150

Total: $1450

 

Miscellaneous Costs:

Bonfire: $850

Legal Ceremony: $500

Passports: $200

Set-up fee: $150

Gifts: $500

Trip Clothing: $1000

Travel Agent: $500

Misc. expenses: $1000

Total: $4700

 

Trip Cost:

Airfare and Resort stay for 2 weeks: $6000 ($3000/person)

Tips: $1000

Taxes: $1000

Total: $8000

 

Grand Total for 70 people: $35,345

 

 

 

<---- I think that will be me, if this is what the actual cost looks like at the end of all of this...... LUCKILY, there are many costs I am willing to cut, if and when the time comes to do that (ie. bonfire, lounge chairs, fire show, and decor from the ceremony/reception,oot bags)

 

I think I just need to do an absolute worst case scenario, so that way when the prices start to come in and they are cheaper.....woo hoo!!!!

Scratch absolutely everything I wrote here. I will repost in a coupe of weeks what it will actually be. We completely changed everything about our wedding and will be MUCH cheaper than this! YAY!!!!!

[Melissa14]

Awesome! Glad you worked it out!
 

[Shara1984]

I am recently engaged as of May 19th  It is my goal to only have the wedding cost 8k. I am nervous about this amount and I hope I can keep the cost down

[Backy]

This is a honest and detailed break down. Thank you for sharing

Originally Posted by Jenny2014 

Alright, so our wedding costs seem to just keep on growing. However, as things are still so far away, I am hoping I will find ways to make them much cheaper. So far our costs are looking like (estimation for most... and I am sure I have WAY over compensated... plus, we have told our parents that the extras over 29 people are being divided up between them, as we only want 29 to be there. IE. additional guest charge, std, invite, oot, bonfire, etc... i will be calculating the costs and letting them know what they owe haha):

 

Wedding Package for 20 people: $3000

Additional Guests (50 people): $4250

Chairs for 70 people @ $7/chair: $490

Total: $7740

 

Ceremony costs:

Programs/signs: $300

Bubbles/ fans: $300

Sand Ceremony: $50

Decor: $200- $400

Total: $1050

 

Reception:

Decor: $500

Favors: $200

Lounge chairs: $480

Fire show: $750

Total: $1930

 

Flowers:

Bridesmaid Bouquets: $200

Blue orchid extra cost: $150

Jewels for bouquet: $100

Rose Petals: $100

Total: $550

 

Music:

DJ: $825

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $200

Total: $1025

 

Photography:

Package: $2000

Vendor Fee/ Dinner: $300

Total: $2300

 

Attire:

Dress: $800

Veil/ Alterations: $350

Shoes: $100

Jewelery: $100

Groom Outfit: $500

Groom Shoes: $200

Pre-pampering (nails, hair): $400

Hair & makeup for BM's: $500

Total: $2950

 

Rings:

His: $150

His ring tattoo: $500

Engagement Ring: $1500

Hers: $600

Total: $2750

 

OOT Bags/ Welcome Books: $900

 

Paper Costs:

STD: $150

Invites: $250

Printing: $200

Postage: $300 (Canada-wide, to the US, to Europe and Pakistan)

Guest Book: $50

Menu Cards: $100

Signs: $50

Guest Cameras/ Sign: $150

Total: $1450

 

Miscellaneous Costs:

Bonfire: $850

Legal Ceremony: $500

Passports: $200

Set-up fee: $150

Gifts: $500

Trip Clothing: $1000

Travel Agent: $500

Misc. expenses: $1000

Total: $4700

 

Trip Cost:

Airfare and Resort stay for 2 weeks: $6000 ($3000/person)

Tips: $1000

Taxes: $1000

Total: $8000

 

Grand Total for 70 people: $35,345

 

 

 

<---- I think that will be me, if this is what the actual cost looks like at the end of all of this...... LUCKILY, there are many costs I am willing to cut, if and when the time comes to do that (ie. bonfire, lounge chairs, fire show, and decor from the ceremony/reception,oot bags)

 

I think I just need to do an absolute worst case scenario, so that way when the prices start to come in and they are cheaper.....woo hoo!!!!

[Jenny2014]

Originally Posted by Backy 

 

This is a honest and detailed break down. Thank you for sharing

Ha! Yes, it was and scared the crap out of me. So when you see numbers creep up that high, you know something needs to change and needs to change fast.

 

So we cut it all back, and are now MUCH smaller, and much more realistic (or so I hope!)