A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO DETERMING YOUR WEDDING BUDGET

Advice

Jan 17

So you want to know all about wedding budgets huh?

Well you’ve come to the right spot! Below you will find our best tips for figuring out YOUR personalized and realistic wedding budget.

SETTING SOME PERIMETERS

Over the years, we’ve planned all sorts of weddings - from intimate beach picnics to ornate weddings with 200+ guests. If there is one thing we can tell you it’s that no two wedding budgets are the same! Weddings are comprised of many moving parts and the best thing you can do in the beginning is to establish your wedding vibe, wedding priorities, and max guest count. Thinking through these things together, as a couple, is a great way to officially kick off your wedding planning as a couple.

Wedding Vibe

First, let’s talk about the wedding vibe! Typically I suggest narrowing down your descriptive words to 3-5 max. For example, these descriptors will help you determine if you are going for something glamorous, unique and formal OR intimate, organic and casual. You can automatically tell by these descriptive words which wedding style is more likely to require a higher budget. It’s also a fantastic way for the both of you to establish the tone of your wedding day to ensure that you’re planning an event that mirrors your unique personalities.

Priorities

Next, let’s discuss priorities in more detail. As much as we know you would like to have ALL THE THINGS, you know deep down inside, some elements are a lot more important to you than others.

Here is a list of the typical vendors you would include in your budget. Take a moment to determine which ones are:

1. A top priority

2. Mid range priority

3. Nice to have, but not essential

Planner
Venue
Caterer
Cake
Liquor
Photographer
Videographer
Music
Officiant
Stylist
Wedding Attire
Rentals
Flowers
Graphic Design
Misc Decor
Transportation

Guest Count

TYPICAL VENDOR PRICE RANGES in O’ahu

Once you have a clear idea of what is important to you, how you want the wedding day to feel, and what your guest count is, it is easier to start thinking about how to best allocate your money.

Before we begin this next section, I would like to point out that every region will likely have different pricing. You have to consider that each vendor is determining their prices on factors like cost of living, demand, average time invested into each project, experience, travel, etc. Since most couples reading our blog are interested in getting married on O’ahu, we’ve formulated these price ranges to reflect what is normal here and in many cases, for our clients.

Photo Credit: Jayleigh Flood Photography

Coordinator/ Planner

($3,000 - $20,000)

First of all, when you first start looking into this, it is important to determine what your needs are. If you just want someone to help out on the wedding day, then you are looking for a day- of coordinator. If you want someone to help you plan everything, then you are looking for a full service planner. If you need something in between perhaps you are looking for a partial planning service or some combination of consulting and day-of coordination. The price for a reputable professional will be directly linked to their experience and the time they will be investing in your event.

If you need a little bit more information regarding the type of assistance you'll need when it comes to planning your special day, this blog post definitely has a lot of the information that you need to ease the confusion!

Our client’s average - $10,000

Venue

($3,000 - $12,000)

When we are talking about the cost of a venue, we mean just the rental cost of the location. The average venue location will typically provide power, restrooms, parking and trash disposal at a minimum. Some venues also offer rentals, getting ready suites and additional perks. When you choose your venue, it is also important to determine what costs come along with it. Are you required to book all food and beverage through them OR are you able to bring in another company of your choosing? Can you bring in your own rentals OR do they require you to book rentals through them in-house? Do they have ample parking OR will you have to hire transportation or valet services? Make sure you consider all costs associated with the venue before determining if it is a good fit for you.

Our client’s average - $8,000

Caterer

($80-$250 per person)

This is one of the budget line items that is directly affected by your guest count. Now, if you’ve chosen a venue that allows you to bring in any caterer you like, you will have a lot of flexibility in this area. However, if you’ve chosen a hotel or a venue with an in-house caterer, you will have to work with their menus and pricing.

Our client’s average - $150 per person

Cake

($40 - $2,000)

Again, this factor will depend on your venue. For some weddings we’ve had clients order a small 8” cake from their favorite bakery whereas others had elaborate 5 tier gold leaf embellished cakes.

Our client’s average - $650

Liquor

($20 - $200 per person)

This is another factor that is determined by your venue. If you are able to provide your own alcohol from Costco, you could be spending as little as $3 per drink whereas if you choose a higher end hotel it could be $20 per drink. Typically, we estimate 1 drink per person per hour.

Our client’s average - $50 per person

Photographer

($3,500 - $10,000)

The average amount of time our clients will book a photographer is 6-8 hours. This usually covers the tail end of getting ready through to the first 30 minutes of an open dancefloor. Each photographer's price will be based on experience, how many people are on their team needed, time booked for, travel expense, and the products they deliver after the event.

Our client’s average - $6,000

Videographer

($2,000 - $10,000)

Similar to photography, the average amount of time our clients will book a videographer is 6-8 hours. This usually covers the tail end of getting ready through to the first 30 minutes of an open dance floor. Each videographer's price will be based on experience, how many people are on their team needed, time booked for, travel expense, same day edit inclusion, and the products they deliver after the event.

Our client’s average - $6,000

Music

($500 - $25,000)

There are a ton of options to consider whether you are considering a DJ, live music or a combo. On the lower spectrum, you are looking at a sound system that you plug in your own music into and manage yourself. On the higher end, you are looking at live music for the duration of your event.

Our client’s average - $6,000

Officiant

($0 - $1,000)

Many of our clients opt to have friends and family perform their ceremony, which in most cases is free. This typically requires more work on their end, but often leads to more personable ceremonies. On the higher cost spectrum, some couples fly in officiants to perform special religious ceremonies that are otherwise not available on island.

Our client’s average - $500

Stylist

($150 - $600 per person)

Each company prices differently based on experience, the number of stylists they require to to be able to perform your services before you need to be ready, travel expenses and their time. Most of our clients really ever need a stylist in the morning when they are getting ready, but there are the occasional few who pay the additional fee to have their stylists at their venue for either touchups or hair and makeup changes.

Our client’s average - $350 per person

Photography Credits: Lauren Dixon Photography

Wedding Attire

($100 - $10,000)

We’ve had the full spectrum of clients in regards to wedding attire. Some of them find a dress on Lulu’s for $100 whereas others shop at high end bridal boutiques. It is also important to consider if you will be renting or buying suits/ tuxes and if you will be purchasing your wedding party’s attire.

Our client’s average - $4,500 dress, $600 suit, $200 per person in the wedding party

Rentals

($12,000 - $35,000 for approx 100 guests)

Rentals needs vary greatly depending on your venue. Some venues may only require some upgraded linens and chairs where as others you will need the entire infrastructure of your event. Our budget price range above is based on the latter.

Our client’s average - $16,000 for 100 guests

Flowers

($5,000 - $25,000 for approx 100 guests)

Flower costs will partially depend on how many arrangements you need, but also what types of flowers are used and how labor intensive the arrangements are. Often times, prices will reflect a florists level of experience.

Our client’s average - $10,000 for 100 guests

Graphic Design

($150 - $5,000)

Some of our clients go the printable template route whereas others source calligraphers and artists to create one of a kind work.

Our client’s average - $800

Misc Decor

($200 - $4,000)

This includes things like guest favors, miscellaneous decor you order online to help bring all the details together, and all the items that don't fit into the categories above.

Our client’s average - $1,000

Transportation

($200 - $5,000 for approx. 100 guests)

If you are looking for a limo to drive you away at the end of the night or shuttle buses to transport all your guests to and from the venue, the price will depend on what types of vehicles to the amount of locations.

Our client’s average - $3,500

Setting your wedding budget can be a major roadblock as you begin planning, but with a solid approach, it is a lot less scary. Hopefully this guide will get you off to a good start!

If you feel like you could benefit from a wedding planner or consultant, head on over to our services page to learn more about how we can make wedding planning a whole lot easier!