How do you plan a wedding on a budget?

Congratulations on your engagement! You’re probably riding high with dreams of marital bliss in your brain, but here’s a statistic that will knock you back down to earth: According to The Knot, the typical wedding in the United States costs $19,000. (1) It’s a hefty wedding budget—and that doesn’t even include the honeymoon!

You might be ready to elope after reading that! Taking a simple trip to the courthouse is clearly less expensive than paying for a fancy wedding. But don’t give up hope, dreamers. Traditional wedding ceremonies and receptions can still be held without going overboard. All you need is a budget!

If you’ve never planned a huge event before, determining your wedding budget can be difficult. It’s difficult to put a price on something when you’re not sure how much bang you can get for your buck. When a couple’s desire for a wedding does not match their ability to pay for it, conflict ensues.

Because your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, you may feel compelled to prepare a lavish celebration. However, there is no need to go into debt. You can have a fantastic, unforgettable wedding regardless of your budget!

How to Plan a Wedding on a Shoestring

1. Decide on the type of wedding you want.

What comes to mind when you think of your wedding? A chic reception in a downtown loft? A backyard BBQ with your entire family and friends? A traditional hotel ballroom reception?

If you’re stuck for ideas, consider all of the weddings you’ve attended, seen on TV, or browsed through on Pinterest. What did you like and dislike about them?

Don’t get too caught up in the minor things just yet. Instead, consider the overall atmosphere you want your wedding to create. Knowing your priorities is important when it comes to arranging a wedding on a budget.

2. Hold a wedding budget discussion.

Everyone who will be paying for the event (bride, groom, and parents) should sit down and calculate the overall wedding budget. This could be your first time budgeting as a couple with your prospective spouse. What a priceless opportunity! Learning to discuss openly and honestly about how much you can and are willing to spend on your wedding can create the framework for fantastic budget date evenings once you’re married!

As difficult as this budget discussion may be, keep in mind that it’s a lot simpler than still paying for your wedding day on your fifth anniversary!

When I say budget, I don’t simply mean how much money you have in total—I mean how much you should spend in each individual area.

I recommend categorising the whole wedding budget and determining what percentage to dedicate to each:

Reception rate: 55%

12% for the ceremony

10% for photography

10% for a wedding planner

Dress and tuxedo: 8%

5% for miscellaneous/cushion

These are not fixed figures; they are simply the ratio Winston and I used. You should base your ratios on what is most essential to you. You might be ready to invest on photography, but flowers aren’t really your thing. Change the percentages if you care more about one topic than another.

3. Establish what is non-negotiable.

Take a moment with your fiancé to select on your top three must-haves for your wedding day based on your percentages. Outdoor receptions, plated surf and turf dinners, tonnes of flowers, a live jazz band—whatever is most important to you.

You can make your wish lists separately or together, but make sure you sit down and figure out what you both actually want. Allow your vision to guide your budget.

Budget Breakdown for a Wedding

First and foremost, give your budget some breathing room. Unexpected costs will develop, so expect your budget to change throughout the planning process. Take unexpected surprises into account by including a little cushion. This gives you the freedom to deal with any unexpected expenses.

It’s helpful to know what you can obtain for a specific financial amount while planning a wedding. What can $5,000 get you? $10,000? $15,000?

Here are several budget breakdown examples for weddings ranging from $100 to $30,000, as well as some ideas for making them a reality.