Wedding Budget Breakdown: 6 Essential Tips for Creating a Budget

First comes the engagement and then comes…a wedding budget breakdown? It might be the least glamorous aspect of wedding planning, but establishing—and sticking to—a budget is one of the best gifts you can give yourself as a couple. As of 2023, the average wedding costs $29,000. If you want to get married in a major metropolitan area, that number rises: according to Zola, the mean cost for a wedding in New York City is $43,536.

So how much should you spend on your nuptials? And how much of that should be dedicated to food, flowers, the wedding venue, and the myriad other expenses that pop up? While there is no one-size-fits-all budget, there are some helpful guidelines to follow as you whip out your calculator. Here, a primer for planning out your wedding budget.

1. Determine who will be contributing to the wedding.

Start by deciding who will be paying for the wedding. The old tradition that the bride’s parents should cover the whole bill is no longer nuptial canon. Both families often chip in, and the bride and groom will often help as well. Ask all parties involved how much they are able to contribute and you’ll get your bottom line. Want more specific guidance? Read our guide on wedding cost-splitting, here. 

2. Set a wedding budget before you start shopping.

Avoid the common pitfall of falling in love with a pricey venue, dream dress, and over-the-top cake before you talk numbers. Start with a budget and then begin exploring vendors within your price range, not the other way around. Though if you’re finding that your budget and your wedding plans are completely misaligned—your parents insist they must invite dozens of their friends but are only willing to contribute a small amount, for example—it’s time to discuss the reality of how far that money will go and either adjust the budget or the expectations accordingly. But never break the cardinal rule: Don’t break the bank. A lavish wedding is lovely, but even lovelier is starting married life with a healthy savings account.

3. Categorize your wedding budget by percentage.

Now that you know what you’re working with, it’s time to take a macro look at how that translates to each part of your wedding. While there are no hard-and-fast rules about how much you should spend on each category, there are some loose guidelines that can help you from veering off track. You probably don’t want to allocate half your budget to the band, for example—unless you’re okay with delivery pizza for dinner. Many wedding planners and brides find it helpful to create a wedding budget breakdown by percentage. For example, some brides might be willing to allocate less money to a cake if it meant more money for a dress. Or, some grooms might have their hearts set on a particular DJ or band that’s on the expensive side—you can rein in other areas of the budget to make room for killer musical talent. (For example: couples can easily use digital invitations over paper ones, and reallocate those funds elsewhere.)

Need some direction on how to break down your budget? According to Zola, most couples spend the most on venue—around 24% of their total budget. Catering comes next, at 18%, followed by entertainment at 9% and florists at 8%. But, again, each couple is different and therefore their expenses will be, too. However you arrange and rearrange your wedding budget, a good rule of thumb is to spend no more than 45% of the overall budget on the venue, food, and alcohol, combined. While these are typically the most costly line items, but they shouldn’t overtake the entire budget.

4. Beware hidden wedding costs.

Even the little things seriously add up—which is one reason it’s wise to keep a “miscellaneous” fund that’s around 5% of the overall budget. Here are a few common items that brides might not consider ahead of time: beauty treatments, bachelorette party, marriage license, night-before hotel room, welcome bags, guest transportation, vendor meals (food for your waiters, your planner, et cetera), and overtime costs. In addition, for destination weddings, you may need to take one or two planning trips to your venue—meaning you may need to factor in things like plane tickets, hotel rooms, and gas.

Tips are one big often-forgotten expense to factor in up front in each category. While many gratuities are built into vendor contracts, some are not. Pay attention and be prepared to tip everyone from the musicians ($15 to $20 per person) to the hairstylists (15 to 25%). If your officiant won’t accept a tip, give a donation to his or her church, instead. Officiants should also receive a thank you gift.