We’re feeling it everywhere! In our gas tanks, in our groceries, and we’re going to feel it in our weddings. With inflation on this rise, and brides still getting married, this raises the question: How much does a wedding cost?
In this article, we’re going to go over a few key components you need to consider when creating a wedding budget.
Let’s get started.
How Much Does a Wedding Cost
Let’s Keep It Real
In 2022, the highest average cost of a wedding ranges between $10,000 to $20,000. Meaning 28% of weddings were in that bracket. 12% of weddings were between $50,000 and $100,000 and 2% over $100,000. The remainder was less than $10,000.
So, if you are looking for an exact average of how much does a wedding cost, you can figure between $25,000 and $30,000.
That said, there are many things to consider – namely, the vendors you choose and the value of them to you.
Let’s start with a wedding planner since that is a great place to start!
Pricing for a Wedding Planner
First and foremost, you will not get a better answer about wedding-related questions than from a reputable wedding planner. That said, when hiring a planner, there are some things to consider. You need to decide if:
- You want a full-service wedding planner: A full-service wedding planner will plan your entire wedding from start to finish. There will be check-ins with you as your planner consults with you and walks you through the entire process. The benefit here is that a full-service wedding planner will utilize his or her network of trusted vendors that he or she will recommend. Thus making your research minimal! You can expect to pay a minimum of $10,000 for a great wedding planner at this level of service.
- Month-of or day-of wedding coordinator: A month-of or day-of wedding coordinator is significantly less expensive than full-service wedding planning, but without the benefits of the full-service. At this level of service, you can expect to pay anywhere between $2,000 – $5,000 for efficient planners with a team of a few other planners. This is perfect for brides who need someone to keep the day on schedule and make sure everything happens how it’s supposed to. Weddings are a logistical nightmare for anyone who is not accustomed to the flow of the day, so it helps to have someone whose job is to do wedding logistics!
- Wedding Consulting: Ranging between $40 – $100 per hour, wedding consulting is exactly what it sounds like. Sitting down with a wedding planner and working through your wedding plans and working through her network of trusted vendors and venues. This is a great option for the DIY bride who wants to be pointed in the right direction on how to get started planning a wedding. Hands down, this way beats spending 12 hours on Pinterest at the start of the planning process.
As you can see, just choosing your planner can be a task!
Straight from the Professional
I asked my friend Gretchen Larken with Gretchen Larken Events what her thoughts on what it costs to plan a wedding. Here’s what she had to say.
“My advice to someone would be to have a conversation with your family, fiance, or whoever is contributing financially; set a budget, prioritize the things that matter most to YOU, and plan from there. Even though it is not the easiest conversation to have, it’s important, before making any plans, to know what you’re comfortable spending. It’s one of the first conversations I have with my clients! There is no specific amount that a wedding “will cost you;” you determine the amount you want to spend, and make your plans according to that number. ”
Once you have your planner (if you go that route), the next step is to determine the cost of your venue.
Pricing for a Wedding Venue
Just as ambiguous as pricing a planner, finding your venue is dependent on so many factors.
When are you getting married? Winter months may be less expensive than Summer and Fall months.
Where are you getting married? Are you planning an industrial wedding or a chic barn wedding?
Equally important as these questions are also to consider the geographical location of your wedding.
Venues in rural parts of Central Arkansas are more likely to be cheaper than weddings in Northwest Arkansas. Even if they’re very similar in style and size.
Then there is the fact to consider if you will even get married at a venue, or will you get married in your (or someone’s you know) backyard? It may be beneficial to consider tent rental costs in it’s place then.
The range of wedding venue costs is massive – with farmers offering their own barns at $1,000 for a night to massive estates renting out their space for $20,000+.
Though once you have your venue, you are set to select your other vendors.
Cost of a Wedding Photographer
I hope you have noticed a trend here. The answer is “it depends.” A beginning photographer may cost $500, but with many risks. While a professional photographer will cost anywhere between $3,400 and $10,00+.
I recommend reading this article about how much does a wedding photographer cost.
You can view our pricing here.
Cost of a Videographer…and Other Vendors.
At this point, I could keep going down the full list of vendors and saying the same thing in different ways.
The costs vary. It’s about what you find to be of value and then spending the money on that.
Here’s just a quick rundown of what you can expect to pay though:
- Videographer: $1,200 – $10,000+
- Catering: $25 – $125 per plate
- Bartending: $40-$75 per hour + additional fees and supplies
- Rentals: $200 (DIY) – $8,000+
- DJ or Band: $100 (amateur) – $6,000+
- Dress: $200 – $10,000+ (Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace are great DIY options)
- Hair and Makeup: $50/hr – $125+/hr
- Florist: $1,500 – $5,000 (I even know of a couple who spent $100K on flowers)
- Cake: $200 – $5,000
And the list continues on, depending on what you want to put into it.
Ultimately, my advice is this: Don’t think in terms of how much will the wedding cost. Instead, think of what is realistic for you, and what you find most valuable.
Invest in what is most valuable to you first, then go down the list.
If you are in need of creating a wedding budget, I’ve created a wedding budget calculator to help you understand your costs better to plan your wedding. Sign up for access!
