The average cost of a wedding can be $35,000 or more! Learn how to set a wedding budget with a wedding budget breakdown that outlines all the expenses you need to plan for this special day.
Planning a wedding can be an exciting but daunting process, especially if you’re working with a tight budget. However, the idea of a budget wedding doesn’t mean you have to settle for less on your big day.
With strategic planning, you can create the wedding of your dreams without spending a fortune. In this guide, we’ll discuss tips for planning a wedding on a budget, including a wedding budget breakdown that outlines all the expenses you need to plan for your special day.
Step 1: Set a Wedding Budget
The very first thing you'll want to do is set your wedding budget. Decide how much you want to spend overall, and then we’ll break that amount down into categories in the next step. This budget might include sections like how much you want to spend on the wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, wedding venue, wedding planner, cake, and more.
Average Wedding Budget
Step 2: Create a Wedding Budget Breakdown
Once you’ve determined how much money you can spend on your wedding, you can create a wedding budget breakdown. You can make this in a budget template or a wedding budget spreadsheet to help calculate and organize all the costs.
Spreadsheets are especially useful because you can use formulas as your wedding budget calculator to help quickly calculate how each expense fits into your larger budget.
Wherever you decide to keep your wedding budget breakdown, you’ll want to break down your wedding budget into categories for better planning.
Wedding Budget Categories
Which wedding budget categories apply to your event depends entirely on you. Depending on how big your budget is, you can add or subtract from the expenses you include. Here is a list of example wedding costs that many weddings have:
- Venue
- Photography and videography
- Catering
- Wedding attire
- Ceremony
- Flowers and decorations
- Music and entertainment
- Invitations
- Wedding cake
Once you have your list of expenses to consider, you can start planning the percentage of the overall budget each expense is allowed to use.
Wedding Budget Percentages
Go through each wedding budget category and decide how much of the overall budget it’s allowed to use by assigning it a percentage of your budget.
Below is a breakdown of the average budget percentages for each category of wedding planning. You can adjust these percentages as needed depending on which categories apply to you and your individual priorities.
- 40% for the venue
- 12% for the photography and videography
- 10% for the catering
- 10% for the wedding attire
- 9% for the ceremony
- 8% for the flowers and decorations
- 7% for the music and entertainment
- 2% for the invitations
- 2% for the wedding cake
Step 3: Use a Wedding Budget Template
Use a wedding budget template to help you organize your plans and expenses. Templates can also provide a great example for you to use as a jumping off point for a budget of your own.
We’ll go over an example wedding budget for someone with an average $35,000 budget and then we’ll also go over examples for much smaller budgets, for the brides and grooms that want to save.
$35,000 Wedding Budget Example
If the average wedding costs $35,000 and uses the percentage breakdown outlined above, then the average wedding costs might look something like this:
- Venue: $14,000
- Photography and videography: $4,200
- Catering: $3,500
- Wedding attire: $3,500
- Ceremony: $3,150
- Flowers and decorations: $2,800
- Music and entertainment: $2,450
- Invitations: $700
- Wedding cake: $700
$20,000 Wedding Budget Example
You might want to spend a little less than average on your big day and that’s okay! A $20,000 budget is still a lot of money to allocate to all the things a wedding needs.
- Venue: $8,000
- Photography and videography: $2,400
- Catering: $2,000
- Wedding attire: $2,000
- Ceremony: $1,800
- Flowers and decorations: $1,600
- Music and entertainment: $1,400
- Invitations: $400
- Wedding cake: $400
$10,000 Wedding Budget Example
Maybe you want to spend even less on expenses and have a $10,000 budget. In that case, here is how your expenses might look:
- Venue: $4,000
- Photography and videography: $1,200
- Catering: $1,000
- Wedding attire: $1,000
- Ceremony: $900
- Flowers and decorations: $800
- Music and entertainment: $700
- Invitations: $200
- Wedding cake: $200
$5,000 Wedding Budget Example
Not every wedding needs to be in the $10,000 to $30,000 range. Smaller weddings can be more intimate and way more cost-effective so you can save more money for other things, like a house! Here’s a breakdown of how costs could look with an average wedding budget of $5,000:
- Venue: $2,000
- Photography and videography: $600
- Catering: $500
- Wedding attire: $500
- Ceremony: $450
- Flowers and decorations: $400
- Music and entertainment: $350
- Invitations: $100
- Wedding cake: $100
$1,000 Wedding Budget Example
You can plan a beautiful small, intimate wedding with a $1,000 budget. You might even realize you don’t need to budget for certain things you can find for free! Here are some ideas of what you can do instead so you can save as much as possible:
- Get a free venue by hosting the event at a park or someone’s backyard for a more intimate setting.
- Find free or inexpensive photographers and videographers by using family and friends who love to take pictures.
- Forgo catering food by having a potluck where everyone brings a dish instead, or reduce catering costs by having simple appetizers instead of full meals.
- Let members of the wedding party choose and purchase their own wedding attire or wear something they might already have.
- Choose a close relative or friend to get ordained online and officiate the ceremony for free or at a low cost.
- Skip hiring a DJ or a band by creating your own wedding playlist and borrowing a sound system from a friend or using speakers you might already have.
- Instead of paying for expensive wedding invitations, share event details for free online.
- Bake your own wedding cake to cut down on expensive bakery costs.
Download a Wedding Budget Breakdown Template
Download our wedding budget breakdown template to get started on planning the financing for your special day! Fill out how much you want to spend on each expense, then keep track of how much they end up actually costing. This will help you stay on budget and track any necessary adjustments along the way.
12 Wedding Ideas on a Budget
With a little creativity and an open mind, you can create a wonderful and memorable wedding celebration without breaking the bank. Below are 12 practical wedding ideas on a budget to help you save money without compromising your vision.
1. Find Budget Wedding Dresses
Wedding dresses are getting more expensive every day. Thankfully, there are many options available for low-budget wedding dresses. Check secondhand stores, bridal sample sales, or alter a dress that already exists in the family. You can also rent a wedding dress instead of buying one to save even more money.
2. Find Wedding Flowers on a Budget
Flowers can be a very expensive part of the wedding, but there are a few ways to cut costs without compromising your wedding look. Work with a local florist who can source in-season, locally-grown flowers.
Consider a minimalist floral design instead of elaborate bouquets and centerpieces. You can also use a mix of fresh and fake flowers — just be strategic about where you place the fresh ones. Focus on high-impact areas like the ceremony aisle, wedding party, bouquets, and a few key reception centerpieces. Place fake or dried flowers in other, less visible spots.
3. Use Budget Wedding Invitations
Another easy way to save money for a wedding on a budget is to send out digital invitations instead of printed wedding invitations. Printed wedding invites are nice, but they are less necessary in this digital age.
Instead, save your money and send out a digital invitation via email to everyone who is invited. If you still want to send physical invitations, consider checking online invitation websites, wholesalers, and local print shops for deals.
4. Choose Destination Weddings on a Budget
Destination weddings don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Choosing a less expensive place than popular tourist locations, such as smaller, lesser-known towns or islands, can offer breathtaking scenery and venues at a fraction of the cost.
All-inclusive resorts are also an excellent option because they bundle accommodation, catering, and event spaces together. Another way to save is to get married during the off-season because you may receive significant discounts on venue, travel, and accommodations.
5. Pick Low-Budget Wedding Venues
Consider having your wedding in a community center or church. These types of venues often have low rental fees, letting you allocate more of your wedding budget to other important elements. You can also reach out to local restaurants, wineries, or other businesses that may be willing to host your wedding for a lower price.
6. Have a Small Backyard Wedding
Having a low-budget, small backyard wedding can save you money and keep the guest list to a minimum. Smaller wedding parties are more intimate and can make the wedding planning process for your outdoor wedding idea on a budget that much simpler, too.
Instead of paying for a million guests and a gigantic wedding venue to fit them all, keep the guest list small and remake someone's backyard into a gorgeous outdoor wedding venue you and your guests won't soon forget.
7. Get a Budget-Friendly Wedding Cake
You can get a budget-friendly wedding cake easily when you make it yourself. If you aren't concerned with having a colossal wedding cake with all the frills imaginable, then making your own low-budget wedding cake is a piece of cake!
This budget wedding idea is yummy and cost-efficient! All you need are the boxed cake flavors you love, some icing, and the tins you want for stacking the wedding cake pieces together.
8. Use a Free Wedding Planner
The best low-budget wedding planner is yourself. Instead of hiring an expensive wedding planner, just plan your wedding yourself! You can even utilize your bridesmaids, parents, or maid of honor to help you.
Create a group folder with everything you and your fellow wedding planners need and divide and conquer at no cost to your wallet. This budget wedding idea will bring you all closer together and save you lots of money on expensive wedding planners.
9. Skip the Wedding Favors
One of the best wedding ideas on a budget is to skip the wedding traditions that aren't important to you anyway. Some weddings include something called a wedding favor. This is like a party favor, where you give guests a little gift or trinket.
Party favors can be as a thank you for coming, a thank you for the gifts, or something fun to keep the guests entertained. There are many inexpensive wedding favors and gifts to choose from, but by skipping this tradition, you can also save a lot of your wedding budget for more important things.
10. Keep the Guest List Small
This wedding idea on a budget might seem rude to some, but it could provide a more intimate experience for everyone. The more guests you invite, the more money you'll need to spend, the more time you'll need to prepare the outdoor wedding space, and the more space you'll need to begin with.
By keeping the guest list small, you also keep your budget small. With a smaller guest list, you don't have to send as many invitations, set up as many tables and chairs, or provide as much food and wedding cake.
11. Cut Back on Catering Costs
When it comes to catering, consider a more casual, buffet-style meal instead of an expensive plated dinner. This is a great way to save on costs without sacrificing the quality of the food.
Check with local restaurants or catering companies to see if they offer affordable package deals that fit within your budget. You can also consider having a potluck-style meal and ask guests to bring a dish to share.
12. Look for Photography Discounts
Professional photography can be a significant expense. However, you can still get high-quality photos while on a budget. Start by reaching out to recent photography graduates who may offer discounted rates to build their portfolios.
You can also check with friends and family members to see if they have any photography skills or know someone who could provide photography services at a reduced rate.
