CAN YOU AFFORD TO PLAN A WEDDING?
As part of the FAIL-SAFE guide to planning your perfect day, in this article I share some insights and advice to help you count the cost of wedding planning.
There are lots of resources available to help you keep track of your expenditure during the wedding planning process. However, before you are able to determine the likely cost associated with planning your wedding, you need to have a clear understanding of the style of wedding you intend to have. The type of wedding venue which appeals to you, combined with the number of guests you intend to invite are only two factors which will influence the overall cost of your perfect day.
What else is important to you?
What isn’t important to you?
What might you be willing to compromise on, if push comes to shove?
Try and answer these questions individually and then discuss what is particularly important to each of you – and why – to ensure nothing is overlooked.
It is vital that you both identify your priorities before you spend any money.
When you have identified each of your priorities, you will need to carry out some research, with a view to establishing precisely how much each of the things which are important to you are likely to cost. In my experience, many couples are shocked at the beginning of the planning process by how much certain things actually cost.
Take flowers for example; You may be able to order a fairly impressive hand tied bouquet from a high street or on-line Florist for around £40 but for a centrepiece designed, delivered and installed by a professional using specific flowers to match your wedding style and colour scheme, you should expect to pay at least twice that amount.
According to Bridebook.co.uk’s annual national wedding survey, the average overall budget for a wedding in 2018 was £30,355 (up 12% on the previous year)
It is advisable to set up a budget spreadsheet and track your spend. With so much information and inspiration available at the touch of a button, particularly from resources such as Pinterest and Instagram, it is easy to get carried away. But the last thing you want to do is begin married life with a mountain of unnecessary debt.
The amount of research you will need to carry out in order to accurately calculate the likely cost associated with each individual element of your wedding can be incredibly time consuming, so here is a useful breakdown to help you get started;
WEDDING VENUE
Expect to spend at least £5,000 in respect of venue hire, particularly if you wish to have exclusive use or are planning to hold your wedding in a temporary structure such as a marquee. A marquee wedding does require additional resources such as toilets, lighting and furniture which would ordinarily be included at a conventional venue, so please do bear that in mind.
WEDDING CATERING
A three course wedding breakfast, preceded by canapes and followed by evening snacks together with a drinks package will cost around £100 per person, depending of course upon your personal preferences.
WEDDING FLOWERS/VENUE STYLING
The cost associated with flowers and other additional styling elements depends greatly upon your vision. Ultimately, the overall cost will be dependent upon the specific flowers you choose and the sheer volume of flowers you wish to have. The average spend on flowers and venue styling is from around £2,000.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY
An experienced, professional Wedding Photographer or Videographer will offer packages priced from around £1,500.
ENTERTAINMENT
An engaging, floor filling live wedding band (consisting of around five pieces) will cost £2,000 – £3,000, whereas a DJ will cost considerably less. Expect to pay £500 – £1000 for an experienced, professional (no cheese!) DJ.
WEDDING DAY TRANSPORT
Whether or not you need to hire a car to transfer the Bridal Party from wherever they are getting ready to the ceremony and reception venue and any additional transport for guests, e.g. a coach or vintage bus, will depend entirely on the location of your venue but you can expect to pay somewhere in the region of £500 for each.
WEDDING STATIONERY
Besides save the dates and wedding invitations, you will also need to factor in a budget for on the day stationery. A full suite of stationery usually includes an order of service, a table plan, table names or numbers, individual place markers, menus and any signage or notices such as ‘Welcome To Our Wedding’, ‘The Order Of The Day’ and ‘Unplugged Wedding’. An entire suite of stationery is likely to cost anything from £500. Expect to spend considerably more if you intend to create a never seen before, bespoke design.
BRIDAL HAIR AND MAKE UP
The cost associated with this will be influenced by the number of people involved. If you intend to budget for the cost associated with all of your Bridesmaids’ and Mothers’ hair and make-up as opposed to expecting them to pay for this themselves, you may need to brace yourself!
If you are engaging the services of a professional, experienced Bridal hair and make up specialist, expect to pay around £500 for hair and make up for you and one other person.
WEDDING CAKE
In my experience, couples tend to spend between £300 and £700 on their wedding cake. This obviously varies a great deal though depending upon on the size and style of the cake and the extent to which it is decorated.
An Inspiration Hour could be all the help you need
With over a decade of experience in planning weddings and events, I’m incredibly proud to be regarded as one of the most sought after wedding planners in the U.K. Learn more about me, my philosophy and experience here.
If you are about to embark on planning your wedding and are even just a tiny bit concerned or anxious about any of the points referred to in this article, an Inspiration Hour with me could be ALL the help you need.
In just one hour with me, I’ll ensure you fully understand all the things you need to consider, helping you to avoid some of the pitfalls you may otherwise encounter.
You will receive a comprehensive wedding planning checklist – a step by step guide to planning your own perfect day.
Also, based on my knowledge of how much things truly cost and what represents exceptional value for money, I will guide you to ensure you are able to optimise your budget and reduce the risk of making any costly mistakes which you may otherwise later regret.
To arrange your Inspiration Hour, simply call me on 07561 107888 or 01482 871053.
