How much is your wedding costing you?

[mrspfafftobe]

E

Wowzers thats quite a budget. But I understand not wanting to compromise. That's the predicament I'm in. Unfortunately, I will not have that kind of money to set aside, since we are paying for our wedding squarely on our own. We also have to squeeze an AHR into our small budget. But where there's a will there's a way. LOL I used to bartend in college, so I took a refresher course and I am bartending for the wedding! I picked up a weekend job to make some cold hard cash. My fiance thinks I'm nuts- but hey, why not- and I find bartending to be fun.

Exactly - where there's a will there's a will there's a way! Great job being resourceful and innovative to save up some money. The three or four months leading up to our wedding almost our whole paychecks went to the wedding fund and we put pretty much everything else in our life on hold (except the mortgage of course!) and lived very frugally. All in all we paid for about 1/3 of the wedding ourselves. Our budget initially included a small AHR in both of our hometowns but those were the first to go when we extended the budget for the DW in Mexico. Plus we did so much planning for the DW I couldn't imagine planning two more receptions!

[Stephanie072007]

I figured for us it would be between $8,000 - $12,000 which would include everything except the wedding dress. We are at approx 23 guests right now and still have 5 months until the wedding. Waiting on a final guest count is very exhausting since it can change the budget if more decide to join us.

[karyc]

i think ours is ending up around 15,000 as well, but that includes paying for rooms for several of our guests. although to be fair i haven't been keeping track of all the little items here and there, so i'm sure i've spent a lot more than i'm willing to admit!
 

[Krystal084]

I am hoping not to go over $15,000

[spiralshape]

Ours is about $30,000 including everything (engagement ring, dress, airfare, accomodations, ceremony, reception, honeymoon).  But my parents are giving us $20,000 as a wedding gift, so I guess it's actually $10,000.  A big chunk of money goes to our honeymoon.  We're spending 8 days in Playa Del Carmen and 10 days in Greek isles.  It's cheap compared what we would have spent at home.  My cousin and her husband (both lawyers) spent $70,000 on their wedding!

[kmmathes]

Wow, some of these numbers are blowing me away! Part of why we decided to get married down south is to save money. But I agree you don't want to compromise on your big day. Our breakdown looks like this:

 

Wedding ceremoney (incl hair, makeup) and reception at resort: <$3000

Airfare/accomodation at resort for a week (for both of us): $2600

Engagement ring: <$5000

Photographer: ~$3000

 

Yikes it's more than I thought, things really add up! We're hoping to save money by having a simple back year BBQ for our AHR and will save up for a honeymoon next year. Are these prices typical?

[agm04]

Originally Posted by kmmathes 

 

Wow, some of these numbers are blowing me away! Part of why we decided to get married down south is to save money. But I agree you don't want to compromise on your big day. Our breakdown looks like this:

 

Wedding ceremoney (incl hair, makeup) and reception at resort: <$3000

Airfare/accomodation at resort for a week (for both of us): $2600

Engagement ring: <$5000

Photographer: ~$3000

 

Yikes it's more than I thought, things really add up! We're hoping to save money by having a simple back year BBQ for our AHR and will save up for a honeymoon next year. Are these prices typical?

Ours is REALLY adding up.  Like, painfully so.  If we include everything - rehearsal dinner (which we've invited all guests to), welcome happy hour, champagne brunch the next day...I can't even think about it.  If you include the honeymoon, we're easily over $60k, and that's before my ring, which was expensive.  I think the photography number is typical, airfare/accommodation is very reasonable, ceremony very reasonable.  It's just expensive.  We're expecting 100 guests and aren't at an all inclusive resort, so our accommodations alone are in the 10k range.  Eek.

[Peach]

Originally Posted by kmmathes 

 

Wow, some of these numbers are blowing me away! Part of why we decided to get married down south is to save money. But I agree you don't want to compromise on your big day. Our breakdown looks like this:

 

Wedding ceremoney (incl hair, makeup) and reception at resort: <$3000

Airfare/accomodation at resort for a week (for both of us): $2600

Engagement ring: <$5000

Photographer: ~$3000

 

Yikes it's more than I thought, things really add up! We're hoping to save money by having a simple back year BBQ for our AHR and will save up for a honeymoon next year. Are these prices typical?

 

It is hard to say, since prices vary so much. Our photography package is cheaper, but since we are getting married away from where he is located we have to pay for a room for him for a couple nights... It adds up to about the same.

Ceremony and reception is cheaper for us. Are you including attire? Decor?

Airfare and accommodation is much more expensive for us... we are there two weeks though, but it is about what you have quoted per person for us.

My engagement ring is much less expensive (which is what I wanted) and our bands will be too. For both of our bands together we MIGHT pay $300. At very most.

It all depends on your location, your group, and your priorities. Budgets REALLY vary a lot.

[La-am]

Hello!

 

I am trying to plan my destination wedding but do not know where to start! I have been reading thread upon thread and bog up blog to find out how much a DW might cost. I have gathered between 10,000 to 20,000 is sufficient which is exactly what my wedding budget is. However, as I am calling travel companies and looking at resort websites I am getting numbers like 800 PER PERSON for just the reception alone (just food and alcohol!). Please please help me! Is my budget of 10 to 20 thousand reasonable for bounty 50 guests? Do I plan through a company or the resort? My dream is to have a beach wedding which is perfect since I cannot afford one where I reside!

 

Thank you so much to anyone who will help and give any info.

 

Sincerely,

 

Desperate bride-to-be

[La-am]

Hello!   I am trying to plan my destination wedding but do not know where to start! I have been reading thread upon thread and bog up blog to find out how much a DW might cost. I have gathered between 10,000 to 20,000 is sufficient which is exactly what my wedding budget is. However, as I am calling travel companies and looking at resort websites I am getting numbers like 800 PER PERSON for just the reception alone (just food and alcohol!). Please please help me! Is my budget of 10 to 20 thousand reasonable for bounty 50 guests? Do I plan through a company or the resort? My dream is to have a beach wedding which is perfect since I cannot afford one where I reside!   Thank you so much to anyone who will help and give any info.   Sincerely,   Desperate bride-to-be