Creating a Wedding Budget Creating a wedding budget, and setting priorities around it, is a critical part of planning a wedding. Create a wedding budget that you can afford and stay within. Although tradition says that the Bride's parents pay for the entire event, this is frequently not the case for today's couples. If you want your families to help you should have a frank discussion with them about wedding finances. You might say something like "Fiancé and I are starting to plan our wedding, and we wanted to ask you if you might help pay for it." You should be prepared for questions such as "How much do you think the wedding will cost" and other questions that you might need to research. You should be willing to base your wedding budget on what is available to you. The national average wedding is about $28,000; in Utah an average wedding in a church cultural hall, a home or back yard averages about $6,000 - $8,000. A reception center averages about $8,000-$14,000. In deciding who pays for what there are several options. You can refer to the list below for a typical “who-pays-for-what” list, or you might consider the following suggestions: The parents might contribute a specific dollar amount, or might pay for specific items, such as the Bride's attire, the rehearsal dinner or the catering. The budget might be split evenly. This is particularly a good solution for divided families. For example, the couple, the mother of the bride, the father of the bride, and the groom's parents will each contribute an equal amount to the wedding budget.
The Bride typically pays for: Wedding ring for the Groom Gifts for the Attendants Accommodations for out-of-town Attendants Wedding gift for the Groom The Bride's Family typically pays for: Cost of the reception Bride's wedding attire Invitations, announcements, thank you notes, napkins and mailing costs Photographer Videographer Ceremony costs Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl and Ring Bearer flowers and accessories
The Groom typically pays for: Bride's rings including the engagement ring Honeymoon Wedding gift for the Bride Marriage license Groomsmen’s gifts Accommodations for out-of-town Groomsmen Flowers for the Bride Corsages for Mothers, special ladies Boutonnieres for men in wedding party (In Utah the Groom's family often pays for all the flowers) Fee for Officiant The Groom's Family typically pays for: Their own wedding clothing Their own travel and lodging expenses Rehearsal dinner Wedding gift for the newlyweds The Attendants typically pay for: Their own wedding clothing Their own travel expenses Wedding gift for newlyweds In Utah, budgeting about $18 per invitation sent for a reception in a home, church, or clubhouse will give you a good estimate of your expenses might be. For example, if you send out 350 invitations you can expect your wedding to cost about $6,300; for 500 invitations the event will probably cost about $9,000. If you are using a reception center you should estimate the cost at about $24 per invitation sent. These estimates do not include the cost of the rings, honeymoon, or liquor. Prioritize what's important to you by choosing two or three "most important" items. You may decide that you want to have an amazing photographer, but you're happy to simplify the flowers. Adjust your budget numbers to reflect your priorities. In general, your Utah wedding budget will probably be broken down as follows: Ceremony 2% Location fee, Officiant fee, marriage license, musician's fees, ring pillows Reception 48% Catering, rentals, decorations, cake Attire 10% Dress, headpiece/veil, undergarments, Groom’s tuxedo or suit Flowers 8%
Bride's bouquet, Maid-of-Honor and Bridesmaids bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, Flower Girl basket, ceremony and reception flowers Music 4% Ceremony musicians, band and/or DJ, sound system rental Photography 15% Photographer fees, albums, additional prints, disposable cameras for candid shots Videographer 5% Videographer fee, DVD copies Stationery 7% Invitations, enclosure cards, thank you notes, postage, guest book Transportation 1% Wedding party transportation, parking attendants