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Unfortunately, it's not so simple! In my humble opinion, your wedding event should not be a huge financial burden. You certainly don’t want to start your married life with the stress of significant debt! Inevitably, there are pieces to the wedding that will take over your budget. Each wedding is unique so there are factors to consider when budgeting. In this #MoneyMatters series, I hope to share some great money saving tips as well as information and tools to help you plan your wedding.
Sample Costs to Consider
Catering (food)
- Keeping your guests in mind, make sure your menu is a reflection of you as a couple. Maybe you like really spicy foods, consider the fact that everyone will not enjoy that. Thus, I suggest incorporating a few milder options for your guests. Middle of the road is not bad! make sure you ask questions and schedule a tasting to sample everything.
Alcohol
Alcohol can get pretty costly depending on what you are serving at your wedding. Something to consider while planning, is will beer, wine, and a signature cocktail suffice? If your guests are not big drinkers or maybe you’re hosting a mid-afternoon or brunch wedding, you may find this alternative to be a good option. Do you want a wedding with no alcohol? try having “mocktails” they are juice-based beverages made to look like cocktails, but without the alcohol! This will significantly lower the cost and your guests will still have a good time with the drinks!
Labor (if not included)
If you are hosting an event in a park or barn, for example, your caterer may charge separately for labor to include servers and bartenders. The standard is about 1 server per 25 guests for plated dinners. The buffet will require servers based on the stations you have for your wedding. Bartenders will usually be 1 per 50-75 guests.
Wedding Venue
Some venues (especially those that do not have in-house catering) will charge a rental fee. Investigate! Make sure you know what the fees are along with any additional charges and taxes.
Transportation
If your event is in multiple locations, how will your guests get to and from? Transportation costs can get high depending on how many people are being transported, distance and time.
Happy Planning!
MM