How much does a wedding cost?
Most engaged couples would love to have a beautiful wedding eventually. People who are in love will dream and fantasize about a big wedding and rarely stop to think how much does a wedding cost? On average, a decent wedding will not cost less than $30, 000 in the US. It is a big figure, but it does not be the cost of your wedding if you find a way to reduce the costs drastically. Some of the costs included are not necessary for some couples and that’s why you need a wedding cost guide.
You may wonder what’s more than saying I do at a wedding. The truth is that a wedding can cost more than a down payment for a home. Keeping the costs of a wedding down is an uphill climb because no one wants to have a lousy event. But if you can afford all the costs of a wedding, go on and have an expensive wedding. Here is a list of some things needs paid for during a wedding:
- Photographer and Videographer
- Cake
- Venue
- Catering services
- Invitations
- Florists services
- Reception entertainment
- Wedding dress and Groom’s attire
- Wedding cake
- Ceremony site and musicians
- Transportation
- Favors
- Rehearsal dinner
- Rings
- Officiant
- Hair care and make up for the wedding day
Obviously, the cost of a wedding varies from couple to another. Some of the things you have to consider are the number of guests, the quality of rings and the formality of the occasion. You can choose to go for highly priced items and entertain many visitors or minimize the costs by going for a low-cost wedding. Start by getting a professional wedding planner who is willing to help you reduce the costs. They know where to get good deals and will also help you choose what is extremely important and avoid what you do not really need in your wedding.
There are a few other things you can do to lower the cost when using wedding cost guide and they include:
Have Your Wedding on a Weekday
During the weekend, wedding receptions are costly. You can save up to 30% if you choose to have your wedding on Friday instead of Saturday. Also, have your wedding off season when most people would not want to have a wedding.
Invite fewer guests
Reducing your number of guests by ten will lower the total cost of your wedding. It means fewer people in the reception and catering services. So invite the only people you feel must be present and save money. You Uncle’s best friend’s roommate probably isn’t essential.
Use Hourly Rates
Some services like photography are only needed for a few hours. Get an hourly contract with your videographer, florist and photographer. Avoid flat fees because you will end up being charged for a whole day while they will only work for a few hours.
Be Creative
There are different ways to be creative and reduce the total costs of your wedding. You can use buffets instead of the traditional three to four dinners. Using a meal station, you can save up 25% of the total cost of the wedding.
Use a Single Venue for the Wedding Ceremony and Guest Reception
There are different places that you can use as a wedding venue. They include dining spots and country clubs. If you bundle the wedding ceremony and reception together, you can negotiate for a reasonable price to use the venue for the whole day.
Wedding planning is an easy task, and there are so many pressures that can weigh you down. However, you do not have to suffer financially. If you are wondering what is the cost is a wedding, you can choose what your wedding will cost. Make good use of the money you have, and the wedding will be memorable.