The Ultimate Wedding Budget Checklist
The full breakdown of potential wedding expenses. Brace yourself.
Legacy Farms Historic Manor | Laura K. Allen Photography
Have you followed our 6 Simple Steps for Setting A Wedding Budget? Fab! Now that you have a dollar amount in mind, let's figure out how to best spend your wedding budget.
We've put together a Wedding Budget Checklist that includes the items most weddings entail, as well as the "typical" percentage of your budget you may want to reserve for each one.
HUGE caveat before we begin: The percentages below are solely based on industry averages and may not be right for you. Feel free to adjust them according to your needs and priorities—just make sure your adjustments add up to 100%.
(Have we mentioned we're slightly Type-A? Enjoy!)
FREE WEDDING PRINTABLE | Wedding Budget Checklist
There's nothing quite as satisfying as putting together a drop-dead *gorgeous* wedding binder to help you plan your big day in style. Which is why we've painstakingly written and designed these equal-parts-effective-and-attractive wedding planning PDFs.
ATTIRE → 7%
Bella Luna Farms | Katie Mangold Photography
What that MAY include:
- Engagement party outfit (plus shoes and accessories)
- Engagement photos outfit (plus shoes and accessories)
- Wedding shower outfit (plus shoes and accessories)
- Bachelor / Bachelorette Party outfits (plus shoes and accessories)
- Rehearsal Dinner outfit (plus shoes and accessories)
- Wedding dress / Jumpsuit / Suit / Tux / etc.
- Wedding attire alterations
- Specialty undergarments
- Wedding accessories (including veil, jewelry, ties, pocket squares, etc.)
- Wedding shoes
- Reception outfit (if you're changing out of your ceremony look) or after party outfit
- Post-wedding brunch outfit (plus shoes and accessories, of course)
- Wedding attire cleaning or preservation
Wedding Attire Budget Tip:
Borrow outfits for your bach party or shower from your most stylish friend, or use a budget-friendly attire rental service like Rent the Runway!
BEAUTY → 2%
What that MAY include:
- Pre-wedding haircuts or color
- Waxing
- Facials
- Professional shave
- Mani-pedi or nail art
- Spray tan
- Lash extensions
- Hair & makeup trial appointments
- Day-of wedding hair & makeup
- Wedding party hair & makeup (if you're planning on paying for it)
- Tips (normally around 20% for any pre-wedding beauty treatments)
Wedding Beauty Budget Tip:
Schedule your makeup & hair trial on the day of your engagement shoot—we're talkin' double-duty beauty!
CAKE → 2%
BASH | Hayley Moore Photography
What that MAY include:
- The cake itself (or pies or donuts or cupcakes or...)
- Sheet cake for extra servings
- Specialty design elements (like sugar flowers or hand-painting)
- Cake topper
- Cake stand
- Cake display table (if not provided by the venue)
- Cake cutting fee and/or utensils
- Delivery fee
- Additional desserts (if you're doing a dessert table/station)
- Preservation kit for one-year anniversary
Wedding Cake Budget Tip:
Purchase a modest but pretty two-tier cake for display and cutting, and have a sheet cake sitting behind the scenes to serve your guests.
CEREMONY → 2%
The Red Earth Venue | Zoe from The Foxes Photography
What that MAY include:
- Ceremony site (if separate from reception venue)
- Church donation
- Officiant fee
- Marriage license
- Ceremony accessories (ring pillow, flower girl basket, unity candle, etc.)
Wedding Ceremony Budget Tip:
Hold your wedding ceremony and reception in one place if possible. Not only will it cut down on transportation costs, but it will also reduce travel time for vendors that get paid by the hour.
DRINKS → 8%
Sacred Mountain Julian | Mary Costa Photography
What that MAY include:
- Open bar / hosted beer & wine / specialty cocktails
- Pre-ceremony drinks
- Cocktail hour and reception drinks
- Champagne toast
- Bartender service (and possibly gratuity)
- Bar signage
- Nonalcoholic beverages, mixers, and coffee & tea
- Liquor license (if not provided by venue or caterer)
- Glassware (if not included in your catering or bar package)
Wedding Drinks Budget Tip:
Host an open beer and wine bar only, or offer a signature cocktail. Guests can enjoy these free drinks, or opt to purchase hard liquor themselves at the bar. Also, don't feel like you have to pay extra for a champagne toast. Very few guests actually drink the champagne, and they can toast to you with their favorite hosted beverage instead.
FAVORS + GIFTS → 2%
The Barn at Drewia Hill | Nelya Photography
What that MAY include:
- Wedding favors
- Wedding party gifts
- Welcome baskets for out-of-town guests
- Spouse gift
- Parents' gifts
- Gifts for flower and/or ringer bearer(s)
- Thank-you gift for any standout vendors
Wedding Favors and Gifts Budget Tip:
Choose an inexpensive yet delightful wedding favor like the ones listed here (all $1 or less!).
FLOWERS + DECOR → 8%
What that MAY include:
- Bouquets (for bride(s), wedding party, and perhaps a toss bouquet)
- Boutonnières (for groom(s), wedding party, and parents)
- Corsages (for parents)
- Ceremony arch / chuppah / aisle décor
- Reception centerpieces (for guest tables, food stations, guest book tables, etc.)
- Cake flowers
- Wedding signage (directional signs, welcome signs, table signs, etc.)
- Specialty décor rentals (e.g. tenting, lanterns, patio heaters, etc.)
- Additional rentals (such as tables, chairs, china, etc. if not provided by the venue or caterer)
- Delivery fees
Wedding Flowers Budget Tip:
Two words will lower your floral expenses: Seasonal and local. When you buy what's in season, you get flowers at the peak of their supply and at a cost that's normally lower. Plus, when they're locally grown they don't need to be shipped halfway around the globe. So not only do you save money, but you also reduce your carbon footprint. Win-win.
FOOD → 18%
What that MAY include:
- Tasting appointment (if not complimentary with your catering package)
- Rehearsal dinner
- Passed and/or stationary hors d'oeuvres
- Plated, buffet, or family-style meal
- Food stations
- Vendor meals (often discounted)
- Bar service (see "Drinks" above; may be included in your catering package)
- Service staff
- Catering rentals and equipment (such as tables, linens, serveware, glassware, silverware, etc.)
- Tax and gratuity (often called the "service charge")
- Setup and/or cleanup fees
Wedding Food Budget Tip:
Passed hors d'oeuvres can be pricey, so skip them entirely. Instead, place large crudité and charcuterie platters on a table for a self-serve appetizer station. Your guests will still be able to nibble during cocktail hour, and you'll save a bundle on hors d'oeuvres + service staff fees.
INVITES + PAPER → 2%
What that MAY include:
- Engagement party invitations
- Save the dates
- Wedding invitations (including inserts like RSVP cards or maps)
- Rehearsal dinner and/or post-wedding brunch invitations
- Envelopes (note that specialty-size envelopes will be more expensive to ship)
- Postage (for invitations and RSVP envelopes, as well as thank you cards)
- Return address labels or stamp
- Wedding ceremony programs
- Reception paper goods (including place cards, escort cards, and menu cards)
- Custom napkins
- Favor labels
- Thank you cards
Wedding Invitations and Paper Budget Tip:
Go paperless! A stylish site like Paperless Post can generate e-invitations for everything from the Engagement Party to the Rehearsal Dinner. For more formal pieces like wedding invitations, choose a single-page postcard to save on both the cost of envelopes and standard postage. Also opt for a FREE wedding website!
MUSIC → 8%
Hotel Zamora | Caroline Allen Photography
What that MAY include:
- Ceremony musicians
- Cocktail hour music
- Reception DJ or live band
- Sound system (including speakers and microphones)
- Photo booth and dance floor lighting (if your DJ provides these extra services)
- Karaoke equipment if you're fun like that
Wedding DJ and Music Budget Tip:
Find a wedding DJ with a great, all-inclusive package that can cover you from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception. They'll be less expensive than live musicians and may provide everything from MC and DJ services to simple lighting design and even photo booth setup.
PHOTOS / VIDEO → 10%
Kimpton Shorebreak Resort | Justin Kim Photo
What that MAY include:
- Engagement session
- Rehearsal dinner coverage
- Wedding day coverage (and possible second shooter)
- Albums or prints
- Same-day edit
- Highlight reel
- Feature film
Wedding Photography and Videography Budget Tip:
Find a photographer that will give you full rights to your digital wedding photos. You'll be able to print them out at your discretion, and will save money by using more affordable printing options—or simply emailing them to your loved ones!
RECEPTION VENUE → 18%
Moorpark Country Club | Michael Santos Photography
What that MAY include:
- Room rental or site fee
- Venue deposit
- Ceremony fee (if held at the same venue as the reception)
- Additional rentals (such as tables, chairs, china, etc. if not provided by the caterer)
- Dance floor rental (if not already installed or included)
- Parking or valet fees
- Coat check fees
- Taxes and service fees
- Liability insurance
- Security (some venues require it)
Wedding Reception Budget Tip:
Go "off" the beaten path when it comes to scheduling your wedding. Have it on an "off" day (e.g. Wednesday), or "off" season (e.g. December), or at an "off" time (e.g. morning) when venues don't usually book events. You'll benefit big-time with hefty savings off their normal fees.
TRANSPORTATION → 2%
Dream Point Ranch | Holly Felts Photography
What that MAY include:
- Wedding couple / wedding party transportation to the venue(s)
- Shuttle service to transport guests to & from their hotels
- Getaway car for the wedding couple
- Valet parking service
- Driver gratuity
Wedding Transportation Budget Tip:
Who says you have to rent a limo? Ain't no shame in a wedding party carpool caravan. And a bicycle built for two is an amazing addition to wedding photos.
WEDDING PLANNER → 3%*
*This percentage is on the low end of the spectrum, and may only cover a Day-Of Wedding planning package. If you're looking for a Full-Service Coordination package, expect to spend closer to 10–15% of your total budget.
What that MAY include:
- Day-of, month-of, or full service wedding coordination
- Venue and/or vendor referrals and liaison
- Budget development
- Timeline creation
- Rehearsal coordination
- Wedding day setup and management
Wedding Planner Budget Tip:
A lot of wedding planners offer à la carte services, such as phone consultations, at low or hourly rates. So if you can't swing the full-service package, opt for something more affordable. Picking a coordinator's brain for an hour or asking them for venue recommendations can equal huge value for a small fee.
WEDDING RINGS → 2%
What that MAY include:
- Wedding bands
- Engagement ring and wedding band resizing
- Wedding ring insurance
- Customization / engraving
- Wedding ring box
Wedding Rings Budget Tip:
Our favorite place to shop for inexpensive jewelry? Etsy. They have beautiful options for wedding bands at all different price points.
EXTRA FEES / EMERGENCY FUND → 5%
What that MAY include:
- Vendor tips
- Sales tax
- Service charges
- Wedding / liability insurance
- Liquor license (if not provided by the venue or caterer)
- Overtime fees
- Clean-up costs
- Unexpected rentals (e.g. portable heaters or restrooms)
Emergency Fund Budget Tip:
It's almost guaranteed that you'll run into some hidden fees or other unexpected expenses, so make sure to give yourselves a cushion. Example: Some venues may charge you extra for bringing in your own vendors outside of their "preferred" list, so be sure to ask about that before you set your heart on someone specific!
HONEYMOON → Umm...
After all that, who can afford a honeymoon?!
Honeymoon Budget Tip:
We didn't include "honeymoon" as a wedding expense, but we love the idea of registering for one. Companies like Honeyfund make it easy! Guests are able to "gift" experiences in lieu of toaster ovens, and you get the honeymoon you thought you couldn't afford.
Man, we love a happy ending!
More Wedding Budget Help:
21 Hidden Wedding Costs You May Forget To Budget For
You've probably already factored in the wedding budget basics, but what about those unanticipated costs that you wouldn't be aware of unless you worked in the wedding industry? You know Here Comes The Guide has got your back! We're calling out 21 pesky hidden wedding costs many couples get blindsided by.
37 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
Here are 37 ways to save money on your wedding—without sacrificing style! We list our best cheap wedding ideas so you can have a champagne wedding on a beer budget.
How To Tip Your Wedding Vendors
You've itemized your wedding budget down to the last cent. But with all the numbers tallied up you might be forgetting a costly, but necessary, expense: Tips! We've put together the ultimate guide on tipping your wedding vendors—from who, to when, to how much?!
How To Budget For Your Wedding Bar
Want a sobering experience? Try calculating the cost of your wedding bar. Already feeling dizzy? That's where we swoop in to save the day. From figuring out what you'll pay to picking the perfect bar package, here’s the scoop on how to budget for your booze.
How To Get The Most Bang For Your Wedding Budget
Have you googled “Cheap Wedding Ideas” recently? You’re not alone. As romantic as weddings are, they’re not immune to real-world issues like inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain issues. So here are 12 hacks to help you keep your wedding budget in check—even in these most unprecedented of times.