After the cherished proposal of marriage and a positive response to it is heard, the most difficult stage in the life of lovers begins - preparation for the wedding. Such a significant celebration requires certain expenses, and, judging by the prices for 2022, quite large ones. To ensure that the financial side of the issue does not become a stumbling block, Svadbaholik.ru advises making a list of the main expenses for the wedding. At the same time, try to listen to each other’s opinions and find a compromise.
Images of the bride and groom
5-10% of the total budget
- • Wedding Dress
- • Groom's suit
- • Shoes (+ spare flats for the evening)
- • Underwear
- • Veil / its alternatives
- • Jewelry and accessories
- • Stylist services
Optional:
- Bridesmaids' Dresses
- Second dress for the evening
How to cut costs:
- Start looking for a dress early: in the fall and winter, salons offer good discounts.
- Shoes for a wedding can be bought not only in a bridal salon. If you are not necessarily looking for classic white pumps, then take a look at regular shoe stores: they have a larger assortment and more affordable prices.
- In many salons, adjusting a dress to your figure is free, but additional alterations (changing the length of sleeves, neckline shape, etc.) will require additional costs from you, so if your budget is limited, it is better to immediately look for a model that suits you completely, or sew a dress to order.
+ additional ways to save on your wedding look
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Parts and transport
Little things are just small enough to be inexpensive, but the catch is that they often add up to a significant amount for the wedding budget:
- Invitations
- Other printing (place cards, menus, seating plan, etc.)
- Ceremony accessories – certificate folder and ring box/cushion
- Gifts for guests
- Accessories for a photo shoot
- Family hearth and other accessories for traditional rituals
- Glasses of the young
- Rent of transport and its decoration if necessary
Wedding rings
3% of total budget
We do not recommend saving on rings, because this is the most important decoration, a symbol of your marriage. Show your imagination: consider different types of metals, shapes, stones, come up with an individual engraving. You can even make rings yourself - jewelry stores conduct similar master classes. If your budget is very limited, choose a classic: a simple, smooth ring without stones will not only reduce costs, but will always be in trend.
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Small budget: how can you save as much as possible?
How to calculate the costs of a wedding with a minimum budget? Celebrating at home with your family is, of course, economical, but not fun at all. If you don’t want to spend a lot, you will have to give up a magnificent celebration for 100 people - maximum 30-40. Read how to save money on a wedding and not deprive yourself of a full-fledged holiday on the Svadebka.ws portal.
The most effective way would be to create a table that lists all the expenses for the wedding.
Where and when to hold the celebration?
To reduce wedding costs, hold your wedding outdoors in the summer. You don’t have to pay to rent the hall: you just need to rent tables, chairs and a couple of tents.
Festive table
The best option for organizing a table would be to order catering or an off-site restaurant. And to reduce wedding expenses, use vegetables and fruits grown in your mother or grandmother’s garden. You can make your own birthday cake. And since open-faced cakes are in trend, you will only need to bake the cakes and place them with a layer of simple cream. Decorate the top with fresh berries, place a beautiful stand, and that’s it - the cake is ready!
The image of the newlyweds
Your expense table should contain one more item - the wedding outfits of the newlyweds. Because the celebration will take place in the fresh air, the bride may appear in a light white summer sundress - this will be quite acceptable. An airy braid with woven flowers, which are also used in the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, is suitable as a hairstyle. A girl can do light makeup on her own; she doesn’t need anything else in hot weather. For a young man, a suit is not necessary; casual trousers and a light light shirt are enough.
Estimate for a wedding
In general terms, everything is clear, but what will the wedding estimate look like in the economy version for 30 people:
- rent for 3 days (6 tables, 40 chairs, 2 tents, textiles) - 22-25 thousand rubles. (400-450 USD),
- visiting chef - 850 rub. people (15 USD/person),
- products - 8.5-14 thousand rubles. (150-250 USD),
- images of young people - 5.6-8.5 thousand rubles. (100-150 USD),
- on-site registration with decor - 11-13 thousand rubles. (200-230$),
- musical equipment - 5.6-8.5 thousand rubles. (100-150 USD),
In total, it turns out that you will need 80-100 thousand rubles. (1400-1700 USD) for an outdoor wedding celebration.
With everything else that is not included in the wedding cost estimate, you will have to improvise. Find a photographer among those who shoot “for food” in order to fill out a portfolio and gain experience.
Now you know how to plan your wedding budget without taking a serious hit on your wallet. Just use your imagination and start preparing in advance.
- Planning your dream wedding? It is important to start preparing early. If you have a mutual idea of the wedding, you need to calculate the wedding budget. Don't know how to do this? The Svadebka.ws portal will be happy to tell you about how to plan a wedding budget.
Decor and floristry
10-15% of the total budget
- • Bridal bouquet + boutonniere for the groom
- • Design of an outdoor ceremony
- • Dinner decoration: presidium, central compositions, additional decorative elements
- • Lighting
- • Florist decorator services
Optional:
- Bridesmaids bouquets
- Petals for the ceremony
- Photo zone/lounge area
- Evening ceremony decoration
How to cut costs:
- Choose seasonal flowers. They will not only be cheaper, but also of better quality.
- The wedding venue should match the style of the wedding, then the decor will be minimal, you won’t have to completely redo its appearance with it - just add flowers and place accents.
- Combine zones: for example, a photo session with guests can be held against the backdrop of a wedding arch, and the buffet area can be turned into a relaxation area by placing upholstered furniture and complementing it with warm lighting.
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Guests
- • Transportation for guests. As a rule, newlyweds order special transport to deliver guests to the ceremony site and often forget to decide how the guests will get home. Don’t make these mistakes and include taxi costs in your wedding budget in advance.
- • Uninvited guests. Even if you make it clear to your guests that each invitation is for one person only, you cannot be 100% sure that one of your friends will not bring a boyfriend along with them. In this case, you should provide several additional cutlery and dishes.
- • Welcome baskets are a way to show that you care about wedding guests traveling from afar. These may include a light snack, refreshments, a city map and a list of local attractions.
- • Special invitation for bridesmaids. Do you want to surprise and delight your friends by informing them about the upcoming celebration and their important role in it? Then don't forget to add custom invitation designs and special gifts to your wedding expenses list.
Save Saved
Photo by: Olga Bardina | Wedding of Bogdan and Polina
Photographer, videographer
15% of the total budget
How to cut costs:
- Consider package offers from professionals, usually cheaper than hourly shooting.
- Keep an eye on promotions and special offers (subscribe to the social media accounts of the pros you like): some photographers offer a love-story as a gift for ordering a full wedding day shoot, a discount for booking a date earlier, saving prices from the previous season when signing a contract in December, etc.
BUT! Never skimp on the quality of services. Choose only those specialists whose work you really like and with whom you find it easy to work. Photos and videos are your memory of the wedding, trust your memories only to the best!
How to choose a photographer?
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
How to cut wedding expenses the right way
Thinking about how to save money on your wedding? Here are some tips:
- Wedding decorations. If you do the decor yourself, then this item in the wedding expenses table can be significantly reduced.
- Banquet. Depending on the venue, you can save by eliminating the corkage fee, receiving a free cake, or purchasing your own alcohol and fruit.
- Guests. Think carefully about your guest list. Perhaps it can be shortened. It’s a good idea to check on the eve of the celebration whether everyone will be able to come. Empty seats at a banquet are wasted money.
- Cortege. A limousine for newlyweds is, of course, beautiful, but expensive. You won’t surprise anyone with this transport option, and your wedding cost estimate will increase significantly. In addition, it is inconvenient to move along some streets in a limousine. Is it worth throwing away extra money? As for guest cars, it is enough that they are beautifully decorated, clean and, if possible, identical. It is not at all necessary to hire the most expensive and fashionable cars. The motorcade is probably the last thing you and your guests will remember.
- Wedding Dress. If you can’t afford a wedding dress from a famous designer, you can order a copy from the studio. But it is very important to find a master of his craft and purchase high-quality fabrics. When choosing a dress in a salon, rent it rather than buy it.
- Video. As practice shows, wedding photos are more in demand than videos. To cut down on wedding expenses, you can refuse video filming or shoot only the painting and a short video of the walk. But if your wedding takes place during the height of the wedding season, not every professional will agree to work several hours.
Banquet
40-45% of the total budget
- • Site rental
- • Food and drinks
- • Service
- • Presenter
- • Corkage fee
- • Cake and sweet table
- • Food for contractors
How to cut costs:
- As a rule, the cost of a banquet directly depends on the number of guests, so shorten the list of guests by crossing out distant relatives whom you have seen once in your life and acquaintances with whom you communicate extremely rarely.
- If the wedding format allows, a five-hour banquet with a change of dishes can be replaced with a light buffet: this will not only help significantly reduce costs, but will also make the holiday more active and informal.
How to make a guest list?
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Celebration decoration
The cost of decor depends on the style, your requests and how the site looks. The more the chosen location matches your dreams, the less you will spend on decoration. Consider the following expenses:
- Decoration of the banquet hall (the table of the newlyweds, the tables of guests, the decoration of chairs and walls)
- Decoration of the ceremony area (arch, chairs for guests, path to the arch)
- Design of a separate lounge area, if provided
- Decoration of the welcome or buffet area
- Decor of the wish area
- Decor of the sweet table area (cheese table, snack bar, etc.)
- Rent furniture and accessories if you are not satisfied with what is in the restaurant
- Bride's morning decoration
Lauren Fair Photography
Printing
3% of total budget
At modern weddings, printing is more of a decorative element than a vital necessity: instead of paper invitations, you can create a wedding website that will contain all the information necessary for guests, and seating cards can replace personalized compliments for guests.
WEDDYWOOD PARTNERS
On the other hand, beautiful calligraphy, an elegantly designed menu, original Save the date cards - these are the little details that give your wedding a special touch and create its unique character. Therefore, the costs, composition and style of wedding printing depend only on your preferences and financial capabilities.
Everything you need to know about wedding printing
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Proper adjustment of financial distribution
After determining the amount that will be allocated for the wedding, you can begin to distribute it. To make it easier to track your financial investments, you can divide all your expenses into separate columns to choose the most important ones. When the cash investments are distributed among all components, the overall picture will be displayed, thanks to which it will be possible to track where more money was allocated and where less was left. Thanks to this scheme, you can intelligently adjust the distribution of finances.
Entertainment and music
5-10% of the total budget
Whether it will be a DJ or a cover band, whether live music is needed at the ceremony, whether it is necessary to invite animators, how to entertain guests during the buffet and at the banquet - all this is very individual, and depends on your personal preferences, style and location of the wedding, and, of course, budget.
First of all, decide on the format of the event itself - it will be a magnificent classical celebration (in which case a string quartet at the ceremony and performances by artists during the evening are appropriate), a youth party (with a DJ, board games and creative performances from the guests themselves) or a cozy family dinner, the main focus of which will be light music and long conversations?
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
The structure of the wedding budget - the main expenses for a classic celebration
When you decide on the amount you are willing to spend on the wedding, it makes sense to distribute it among expense items. If you spend too much on one stage of your wedding planning, you may not have enough money for another. The initial allocation of the budget will help you navigate your expenses and decide where it is better to save and where you can overpay.
Many wedding experts advise to distribute wedding costs as follows:
- 50% at the venue. This should include not only a banquet, but also venue rental, decor, music, etc.
- 10-15% – the image of the bride and groom.
- 5-10% – wedding procession.
- 10% – photo and video shooting.
- 10% – other wedding expenses (invitations, pillows for rings, rose petals, wedding paraphernalia).
- 10% – unforeseen expenses (additional guests, damage to property and other force majeure circumstances).
Advice: if during the preparation process you still have extra funds, do not rush to spend them. It is better to save for unexpected expenses or a honeymoon.
Wedding planner
10% of the total budget
Do you need a wedding planner? - this is the first question that should be asked when starting preparations for the wedding. For independent brides who want to organize a holiday with their own hands, we have prepared a unique electronic assistant - Organizer from Weddywood. It will guide you step by step to the wedding of your dreams, help with calculations and drawing up a guest list, and it also has many lists and life hacks that will simplify preparations and help you keep everything under control.
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Average budget
To calculate a wedding budget, you need to work backwards, i.e. determine the amount you are willing to spend and not count on a ruble more.
Basic wedding expenses
Set aside 5-10% of the total bank for force majeure. And plan a celebration for the rest. The banquet is approximately 40-45% of all money. Find a restaurant where the prepayment will not be lost if the reservation is cancelled.
Be sure to buy wedding rings. Then start choosing outfits. In order to save money, the bride should rent a dress, and the groom can buy a classic suit, which he can later wear. Pair it with a beautiful tie, shirt and boutonniere.
Find makeup and hair stylists on social networks - it will be much cheaper.
The list of costs includes a wedding cake. Order it not from a famous pastry shop, but from an experienced pastry chef who works at home. Look for them, for example, on Instagram, or maybe among your friends or acquaintances they are, think about it.
Celebration decoration and other expenses
After the main expenses for the wedding are planned, you can think about the invitations, decoration of the hall and the host. Order fresh flowers from the wholesale flower market and ask your most creative friends to help decorate the banquet. It is not necessary to order invitations from a famous designer for a fabulous sum and print them on embossed paper. Contact freelancers, many of them are experienced professionals. You can print it yourself at any printing salon.
Look for a presenter among those who are just starting their career as a toastmaster. The price for them is significantly lower than for experienced ones.
Having, for example, 243 thousand rubles. You can plan everything like this:
- force majeure - 11 thousand rubles. (200 USD),
- banquet - 95 thousand rubles. (1700 USD),
- rings - 22 thousand rubles. (400 USD),
- dress and image of the bride - 25 thousand rubles. (440 USD),
- groom's suit - 15 thousand rubles. (260 USD),
- cake - 5 thousand rubles. (90 USD),
- invitations - 3 thousand rubles. (50 USD),
- decoration of the hall - 15 thousand rubles. (260 USD),
- motorcade - 40 thousand rubles. (600 USD),
- photography - 5 thousand rubles. (90 USD),
- presenter - 7 thousand rubles. (120 USD).
This way, you will fit into the money you have set aside for the wedding, and you will not have to remove any expense items. If something goes wrong, you have a small amount set aside for emergencies.
Miscellaneous
5% of the total budget
- • Compliments for guests
- • State duty at the registry office
- • Transport costs
- • Props for shooting love-story
- • Manicure and pedicure
- • Wedding day coordinator
- • Hotel room
How to cut costs:
- Prepare in advance a list of everything that may be useful to you on your wedding day, think about a plan B in case of rain or extreme heat (if the entire wedding or ceremony is held outdoors) and prepare for possible force majeure. This way you will save both money (there will be time to choose the most optimal option) and nerves, which is no less important on the eve of the wedding.
- Avoid unnecessary travel around the city.
- Gatherings can be held not only in a hotel, but also in a photo studio or outdoors if the wedding venue is located outside the city.
- If the wedding format allows, ask one of your relatives or close friends to perform the ceremony. This will make it even more personal and touching, and will save on the services of a master of ceremonies.
What else can you save on?
Save Saved
Save Saved
Save Saved
Wedding estimate - average prices for 2022
The table contains a list of the main wedding expenses. This will help you calculate the cost of your wedding.
Banquet
- Wedding menu – 1.5-5 thousand rubles. per person. ($25-85). It is cheaper to choose a restaurant that allows you to bring your own alcohol.
- Toastmaster or presenter – 15-80 thousand rubles. ($250-1500).
- Musical accompaniment – 10-60 thousand rubles. ($170-1000). Many presenters can also act as a DJ for an additional fee.
- Hall decoration – 15-70 thousand rubles. ($250-1200).
- Cake – 1-4 thousand rubles. per kg ($17-70). The price depends on the complexity of the design and filling. It is recommended to count 150-250 g of cake per person.
- Entertainment – 10-50 thousand rubles. ($170-850). This item can be minimized if the wedding estimate turns out to be too large.
Bride's image
- Dress – 6-100 thousand rubles. ($100-1700). The price depends on the salon and model of the dress, on the fabrics and decorative elements used.
- Shoes – 2-10 thousand rubles. ($35-170).
- Bouquet – 3-8 thousand rubles. ($50-150).
- Accessories – 10-30 thousand rubles. ($170-500). This includes a veil, gloves, clutch, hair decorations, jewelry and other small items.
- Hairstyle – 2.5-6 rubles. ($40-100). The price of a hairstyle rehearsal will be 30-50% of their cost.
- Makeup – 2.5-5 thousand rubles. ($40-85). The cost of a makeup rehearsal will be 30-50% of their cost.
- Manicure – 0.5-3 thousand rubles. ($8-50). Depending on the type of manicure.
Groom image
- Suit – 3-50 thousand rubles. ($50-850).
- Shoes – 2-10 thousand rubles. ($35-170).
- Accessories – 1.5-20 thousand rubles. ($25-350). This includes a tie, cufflinks, boutonniere, etc.
- Manicure and hairstyle (if necessary) – 1.5-3 thousand rubles. ($25-50)
other expenses
- Photography – 20-50 thousand rubles. per day ($350-850).
- Video shooting – 20-50 thousand rubles. per day ($350-850).
- Registration in the registry office - within 5 thousand rubles. ($85). Prices may vary in different registry offices, but only slightly.
