Planning a Wedding? This Splurge-vs-Save Guide Can Help

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially on money matters, if you’re not aware of the expenses and costs. Marrying the love of your life is one of the happiest moments of your life, and it need not come with a huge price tag. A beautiful wedding, whether small or large, should not be a matter of spending the big bucks. Most couples who plan their wedding starts off with a budget, but by the time your wedding is done, their expenses are off the charts. We want you to have a great wedding, a beautiful wedding that you deserve. However, we want that to happen with the budget you have in mind. That said, today’s blog post will go over a variety of details, which will help you figure out where to spend money. We will segregate the blog to help you understand the areas you can and should splurge on and where to take extra measures to cut the budget. That being said, let’s dive in! 
 

But First, Have a Budget Number in Mind: Always Start With Your Budget 

Before we start talking about how to spread out your budget, let’s just take a look at creating a budget. Allocation of the money, think of the money you have saved up. Most couples have an idea of how much they’re willing to spend for their wedding before they even start planning the wedding. So, fall back on that number. Then, check your present streams of income, investments, and expenses. If you feel that it is feasible for you to extend the budget, you can add some more cash to the number you’ve already decided on. Since you will start planning your wedding quite early, you will have some time to think about extending the budget. Once you have a number, it will become easy for you to decide where the money goes. Now that we have how to create your wedding budget out of the way, let’s talk about allocating the wedding budget for your wedding.
 

The Guide to Splurge-vs-Save for your Wedding 

Wedding ideas are plenty, but knowing which wedding idea works for your wedding is crucial. If you’re in the process of planning your wedding and have your wedding budget in place, but are not sure which expenses make the most sense for your wedding, then we have just the guide for you. 


Splurge: Photography and Videography 

One of the most important aspects of wedding planning is to book the photographer and videographer for the day. A good photographer and videographer can make a huge difference in your wedding. After all, when you think about a wedding, apart from the day you live with the memories. A great photographer and videographer will take photos that help you remember the day. Not only do these photos serve as the day’s memory, but also help you find photos to frame and put up in your home, or on your social media. You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, which is why you should not think twice when it comes to splurging on a wedding photographer and videographer. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples spend about 15% of their budget on wedding photography and videography. (This is just a general number, the allocation can be higher or lower depending on your choice.)


How to know if a wedding photographer and a videographer are good?

Finding a wedding photographer and videographer can be a walk in the park if you know how to go about it. Before searching for a photographer and videographer, make sure that you know what style you like, this will help you streamline your research. Once you know which videography and photography style works for you, you should start your research, get in touch with the vendors, and make a decision. Before making a decision be sure to check their recent work before you get in touch with them. If you’re sure, remember to discuss the costs and fees, along with other details for your wedding. 


Save: Bridesmaid Proposal 

Wedding planning is a great pleasure, and so are bridesmaid proposals. However, when you’re planning a wedding on a budget, you can skip the grand bridesmaid proposals. Instead, you plan an elaborate trip with your best girls or even go out for lunch. You can save extra cash by choosing a budget-friendly venue to propose to your best girls. Additionally, if you feel that your proposal lacks some pretty charms, then how about adding a gift? You can skip the massive gift boxes, you can choose some lovely coffee mugs, personalized tote bags or even t-shirts, or any other gift that helps your bridesmaids remember the day! The money you save here can be utilized in some other aspect of the wedding planning or even help you add some extra wedding decor to your venue. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples spend about 2% of their budget on wedding gifts and favors. However, you can choose to keep the bridesmaid and groomsmen’s gifts budget separate. 


How to find the perfect gift for your bridesmaids? 

When you think of giving gifts to your lovely bridesmaids, make sure that you consider what they like. Choosing budget-friendly gifts for the proposal makes more sense if you’re planning to give your bridesmaids a gift, each, on the day of your wedding. If you’re not planning on giving them more gifts, then you can extend your budget and give grand presents during the proposal. 


Splurge: Wedding Planner 

One of the most common notions is that a wedding planner is a luxury. And if you’re planning a wedding on a budget, you’ll most likely feel that the money you’d pay your wedding planner is better spent elsewhere. However, we’re here to tell you that a wedding planner is an essential cog, and will save you a bunch of money. Wedding planners are professional money-savers, once you tell them that you have a budget, give them the number and tell them of the ideal wedding you envision, they will help you attain just that. And they’ll do it within your budget. On the other hand, if you plan and run the show, you may not be able to do it. It is not impossible to work around a tight budget for your wedding, but a wedding planner sure makes it easier for you! What’s more, with your wedding approaching, you’ll have much to do, and a wedding planner will definitely help you save time and money. A great benefit of hiring a wedding planner is that they usually have connections and know what elements work well together. Furthermore, they can help you source your wedding decor without extending the budget. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples spend about 3% of their budget on the wedding planner. Depending on the wedding planner, and their work, the percentage could be higher or lower. 


How to find a great wedding planner?

A quick internet search will give you a list of wedding planners in your area. Once you have a list, get in touch with the ones you like, and try to set up an in-person meeting. In-person meetings help you get the ball rolling and give you insights, which will otherwise be impossible to find on a telephone call. When you’re talking to your wedding planner, be sure to ask them questions and pay attention to their answers. After the interview is over, sit back and think about how the interview left you feeling, did you feel heard, did you feel that the wedding planner knew what they were talking about and if the wedding planner walked their talk. 


Save: Dress and Attire 

Although the suggestion of saving money when it comes to your wedding dress is a suggestion most couples don’t appreciate and we understand that. However, this suggestion stands true if you’re on a very tight budget. Although wedding dresses and wedding attires can cost a fortune, if you’re smart about it, you’ll find the perfect outfit for your wedding without breaking the bank. And this is why we always suggest that wedding dress shopping should not be undertaken last minute. Last-minute shopping stresses you out and forces you to step out of your budget. However, if you do it before you won’t have to worry about it. Instead of spending a large chunk of your budget on your wedding dress and outfits, save it for the venue! 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples spend about 5% of their budget on wedding dresses and outfits. If you’re smart, you’ll be able to lower the percentage of your budget. 


How to find the perfect wedding dress and outfit for your wedding on a budget? 

One of the best ways to start your wedding dress and outfit search is to start early. And before you start, make sure that you know what you’re looking for. Think of the style and the type of wedding dress you want for your wedding. Once you have that settled, start looking for inspiration. This will help you understand the designs of the dresses as per their price. Window shopping helps you to understand the prices and allows you to get a realistic idea of the budget you’d need for your wedding dress. Furthermore, if you’re looking to find a jaw-dropping look, but on a budget, then we suggest you find some amazing stores that offer a wide range of affordable wedding dresses, such stores will offer you the best price. Apart from this, looking for stores that offer sustainable wedding dress options or help you buy used wedding dresses will also help you save a lot of money. In such stores, there’s a high chance that you’ll find that even designer dresses come with a slashed price tag. 


 Splurge: Venue 

One of the things that you should not think about saving money for your wedding is the venue. A great venue, regardless of the size of your wedding party, will make or break your wedding look. At the end of the day, the day of your wedding is a celebration of your love. When you plan the allocation of your wedding’s budget, remember to keep the bigger chunk of the budget for your wedding venue. A great venue will add to your experience, and will also help you to improve your wedding guests’ experience. Whether you’re thinking of a smaller wedding or have a larger wedding planned, a great wedding venue will help you to improve the aesthetics of your wedding. Above all, a great wedding venue will enhance your wedding photos. Think of the decor and the ambiance you want to create for your wedding, and look for a venue per that. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples spend about 40% of their budget on wedding venue bookings. Now, you can divide the percentage half and half, or however you like, if you’re planning on throwing a wedding reception and wedding ceremony in different locations. The percentage you’ll spend on the wedding venues can be higher or lower, depending on how you plan it. 


How to find the perfect wedding venue for your wedding on a budget? 

Well, if you’re looking for the perfect wedding venue, then there are some questions you should ask yourself or the vendor. Start by asking how many people can the venue accommodate, and move on to deposits and the staff for your wedding. If your heart is set on a particular wedding venue, make sure you make a deposit and book the venue long in advance. Apart from this, if you’re looking for a wedding venue at the last minute, then you should look for a venue that fits the number of wedding guests as per the budget you have allocated. Apart from this, if none of your wedding venues seem to be a good match, you can have your wedding ceremony at a church and then throw a garden or backyard wedding. Because, if you host a wedding at your home, you will save the venue deposit and you will be able to use savings to have a better wedding cake or wedding decor! 


Save: Wedding Flowers and Cake 

Most couples end up spending a large chunk of their wedding day budget on their wedding cake and wedding flowers. Before we start talking about wedding flowers, let’s talk about wedding cakes. Wedding cakes have a reputation for being “too expensive” simply because they are wedding cakes. However, you can skirt these expenses by being smart. First of all, always remember, your wedding will have a dessert menu or at least have some other treats for the sweet lovers at your wedding. Now, the point here is, it makes no sense to spend a large chunk of your wedding budget on a grand cake, which may not even be used completely. Instead of taking the leftover wedding cake home, you can simply order a smaller wedding cake and divert the money elsewhere. Also, on the topic of sweet treats, if you’re working with a tight budget, remember a dessert table or the trending tables with cakes, and sweets can also leave a dent in your pocket. A dessert table is a good idea only if you end up slashing your wedding cake, wedding dress, and bridesmaid proposal budget. Apart from this, wedding flowers are a big expense, only if you’re not sure of how to create an aesthetic. Most couples feel that they need to spend big money on impactful grand floral details for their wedding. However, money does not equal impact. When it comes to planning a wedding, especially with a budget in mind, make sure that you’re smart about the wedding floral details. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically couples spend about 10% to 12% of their budget on floral wedding details. If you’re smart, details of which are discussed in the section below, you can either reduce the percentage or you can use the entire 10% for more floral details. The percentages can differ if you choose to buy some decor and do some DIY projects for your wedding decor. 


How to find the right kind of wedding flowers for your wedding on a budget? 

If you’re working with a budget, you truly need to look into the flower selections and the wedding cake along with the dessert table. All of these pointers can be difficult to manage. However, you can easily avoid spending more money on these wedding details by playing it smart.


Budgeting for Wedding Cakes and Dessert Table  

One of the most ingenious ideas, when it comes to saving money on wedding cakes, is embracing simplicity. Always remember, wedding cakes with elemental designs or even fancy figurines will cost you extra. However, you can easily avoid it by choosing a simpler cake. If you want a lovely design worthy of a great cake-cutting ceremony photo, then try using a lovely wedding cake topper, instead of going with large designs. That aside, you can also choose to decorate the table for an impact. Also, if you’re ordering a smaller cake but want the cake to look bigger than its size, you can opt for illusions. Simply, ask your baker to make the cake look bigger for you. Also, if you’re choosing to purchase a tiered cake for your wedding, then remember that the largest layer should be of standard flavor. The thing is standard flavors cost less than premium ones. Keep that in mind. 

As for desserts, remember that you can have a dessert table, but you’ll have to figure out which sweet treats should be ordered and which ones can be a DIY project for your wedding. For example, choosing brownie platters from a supermarket and adding your own topping or frostings will be more economical, instead of ordering it from a bakery. Apart from this, another way to keep your wedding non-messy and within the budget is to choose half-frosted cupcakes. Also, serving full-sized cupcakes will help you save some more money. See, if you order mini cupcakes, which are absolutely lovely, you’ll need more of them. Mini cupcakes are easy to snack on, and one wedding guest can pop up to three to four of those. As cute as they are, you’ll need double to triple the number of your wedding guests. However, a full-sized cupcake will be a great option in its place. 


Budgeting for Floral Details: 

For example, choosing to step away from using trending or in-trend flower options for your wedding will help you save a lot of money. The trending flower options may seem like an amazing idea to you. However, popular flowers become expensive, only because everyone wants them. Apart from this, if you’re looking to create a minimal yet classy look for your wedding, then try using focal flowers, these will be expensive. However, the focal flowers are fewer in number, which is why they will not cause a dent in your budget. Once you have your focal flowers, you can pair them with some greenery for a great look. Apart from this, if you save a bunch of money in the budget by implementing the ideas we’ve already listed above, you can also have clusters of flowers. You can use focal flowers and other clusters of flowers (affordable floral options) to make your wedding look absolutely stunning. 


Splurge: Food and Drinks 

As you plan your wedding, you may find it tempting to slash the budget for your food and drinks. After your venue, the expense for food and drinks. However, we suggest that you don’t take that fall. Instead, you should utilize the budget and get the best-in-class options for your wedding guests. Remember, your wedding is as much of a celebration to your wedding guests as it is to you. Choosing high-grade options, with top-tier quality will help you cater an amazing experience for your loved ones as well. 


 How much should you spend? 

Typically couples spend anywhere between 15% to 20% of their wedding budget. If the venue and catering are combined, then the percentage can go as high as 40%. However, these numbers are just general observations, it can be different for you. 


How to find the perfect wedding food and drinks menu? 

When it comes to choosing a great wedding menu, remember that you will need to make sure that most of your wedding guests are taken care of. If you have vegan, vegetarian, and meat lovers on your wedding guest list, make sure that you have something for everyone. Apart from choosing picks for your menu, remember to opt for a food tasting before making payments and such. Whichever wedding caterer you choose, ask them for tasting samples, this will help you to pick the best of the bunch. 


Save: Wedding Invitations and Wedding Stationery

Another expense that will leave a dent in your budget is your wedding stationery. Although custom wedding stationery is perfect and leaves you with a big, wide happy smile, it also is expensive. An entire set with multiple cards will demand a good price, especially if you have particular colors in mind. Forgoing this will help you improve your wedding, in general. Because the money you save by not ordering the grand, multiple-card wedding stationery can be put to use elsewhere. Additionally, printed wedding programs for each of your wedding guests will leave you looking at a big invoice. Looking for affordable options will help you save extra money. 


How much should you spend? 

Typically, couples tend to spend about 3% of their wedding budget on their wedding stationery. However, if you’re sending e-invites instead of the traditional ones, the percentage can be lower. 

How to find the perfect wedding stationery ideas for your wedding? 

One of the best ideas to use instead of the regular, multiple-card wedding stationery, is to choose a lovely template and create an e-invite. However, if you’re set on sending out traditional stationery wedding invitations, then you can pair your e-invite with a single-leaf stationery and a save-the-date card. 


The Takeaway 

We hope that our list helps you to create the perfect wedding budget and allocation for weddings. We also hope that our ideas and options help you to find ways to save your money and aid your budgeting endeavors. Before we leave, we will leave you with a workable wedding budget and cost tip. When you’re planning your wedding, make sure that you check the reviews, and gauge the vendor’s quality. This should be done, even before you book a session for trials. With that said, we hope you use the information in the blog to create your ideal wedding! Also, remember, the numbers in our blog are general observations, the actual number for you can be different. Make sure that you check the percentage as per your expenses.