How to calculate a wedding budget and what you can save on

How much money do you need for a wedding?

Organizing a celebration requires advance planning. It is better to start it even before submitting an application to the registry office, because even a lot depends on what time of year the wedding falls. How much money is needed for a wedding is influenced only by the imagination and financial capabilities of the newlyweds.

First of all, the price depends on where you plan to celebrate the event. A banquet hall in the center of Moscow costs much more than a small cozy cafe in the region. Organizing a buffet outside the city will be a good alternative to a boring feast, will require less decor and will not hit your wallet so hard.

It is generally accepted that the most popular seasons for getting married are late spring, summer and early autumn. During this period, restaurants, wedding planners, DJs and limousine rentals raise prices. But in other months you can count on discounts, especially if you order in advance and choose a weekday. This will become a means of saving.

The number of guests will also significantly affect the final amount. The size of the hall, the choice of motorcade and much more depend on how extensive the circle of friends the young people have and whether they are ready to refuse the invitation of numerous relatives.

But still, the main expense for a wedding remains the creation of a unique image of the bride. Dress, makeup, hairstyle, bouquet and many additional details can account for up to half of the cost. The groom's appearance is usually inexpensive, but it also requires attention.

It is better to involve not only the future spouse, but also the parents in compiling the list of expenses and the list of invitees. They will be able to give practical advice, help with finding a banquet hall and take on part of the expenses. The main thing to remember is that this is a holiday for newlyweds, and invited guests should please them, not their relatives.

A stylish wedding for 50 people costs 750,000 rubles

Expert opinion

Anna Kuzovkina

CEO Wonder Event

— Since the tastes of each couple are very individual, the cost of organizing a wedding will vary. But in general, to organize a modern, stylish wedding for 50 guests in a large city, for example, Moscow, you need to start with a budget of 15,000 rubles per guest, respectively - 750,000 rubles. Then, in terms of style, content and team of the event, everything will be fine.

How to calculate a wedding budget

It is important not only to think through the main points of the holiday, but also to find out the price of each of them. Plan whether you need to save and on what items.

You can calculate your wedding budget using Excel spreadsheets. They make it easy to mark parameters and get preliminary results for different lines. Online planners will help make calculations easier. It is enough to enter the basic parameters and dates into the lines, and the program will display all the numbers. The result can also be uploaded in the form of an Excel-like table, on the sheets of which the wedding budget is divided into items.

It’s even more interesting to create your own business card website with many additional functions dedicated to the wedding. With its help, you can develop a detailed plan for the event, send out invitations and receive confirmation from friends, communicate wishes about the dress code and gifts. Often such pages can be created on special resources on the Internet for free. This opportunity is provided by the sites onelovestory.pro or zankyou.ru.

Now let’s take a closer look at the minimum amount of money you need for a wedding. To do this, we will highlight the main expense items and determine their price.

How to distribute money correctly

As a percentage, the distribution of the average wedding budget looks like this:

banquet - feast and hall rental (41%);
motorcade – 7%;
wedding ceremony – 3%;
video and photography – 11%;
decoration – 9%;
show program - 12%;
technical support – 5%;
clothing and accessories (candlesticks, cushions for rings, icons, towels, etc.) – 12%.

The indicated percentages do not include additional, unforeseen expenses, which may account for up to 10–20% of the total budget.

List of unforeseen expenses and the amount required for them (in rubles):

ironing a wedding dress (500);
cleaning the area after a banquet when it is held outdoors (600);
delivery of a wedding bouquet and cake to the venue (200–300);
evasion of the motorcade from a pre-agreed route with the company that owns the transport (from 300 to 1000);
delay of musicians - at the end of the evening, not all guests may be ready to go home immediately (from 600);
buying alcohol and snacks while walking (approximately 1000);
if the banquet is planned to be held outside, then the whole celebration can be ruined by the weather. To prevent this, you should think about
so that there is some money left to buy awnings, blankets, umbrellas and raincoats (2000);
tips for waiters who will serve the banquet (1000-1800).

Wedding decor budget

This item should include spending on the image of the newlyweds, rings, motorcade, photos and video accompaniment. Here you can add pleasant little things like wedding glasses, prizes for guests, decorations on bottles, pillows on which rings are usually placed. All this will make up the bulk of the costs. Check-list for checking prices:

The price of a wedding dress can range from 10,000 to 300,000 rubles. In addition to the expensive option, you can get a custom fit or accessories.
The veil costs about 2000 rubles.
Comfortable shoes in which the bride can celebrate the whole day will add from 2000 to 5000 rubles to the check.
Hairdresser services will cost from 4,000 to 5,000 rubles.
A makeup artist will charge at least 1,500 rubles for services.
The price of a solarium is about 30 rubles. in 10 minutes.
A men's suit costs from 7 to 100 thousand rubles, shoes - from 2 to 5 thousand.
A tie and boutonniere will highlight the man's image. Their price can be from 700 to 1500 and about 500 rubles.
Wedding rings cost at least 5,000 rubles. There is no upper limit here.
A limousine and bus for guests will cost from 1 to 2 thousand rubles per hour. It is better to order delivery taking into account the number of guests. Renting a high-end car can cost up to 50,000 rubles. at one o'clock. Decorations for the procession are usually included in the price.
A good photographer and videographer will be able to capture all the moments of the holiday; it makes no sense to save on this budget item. The services of each specialist cost from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles per hour, video editing will cost another 8,000 rubles.

The minimum expenses will be 50 thousand, the maximum limit is unlimited.

Wedding ceremony budget

When calculating how much money you need to have a wedding, it is worth considering where the registration will take place. If the ceremony is held at the registry office, you will only need to pay a state fee when submitting an application in the amount of 350 rubles. By submitting an application through the State Services website, you can reduce the price to 245 rubles. Additionally, they have no right to demand anything from the couple. However, registry offices often employ specialists who can organize a celebration, as well as a photographer. Their services are paid, they can include receiving guests, holding a buffet after the ceremony, photo and video recording. The price will be from 1500 to 3000 rubles.

If you plan to register your marriage outside, the price will increase significantly. This opportunity is only available in the Moscow region, and in 2021 you need more money for such a wedding. Costs will need to be calculated depending on the location, date and time of the ceremony.

Parents of the bride and groom pay for the wedding

This option occurs when the bride and groom are very young, do not have savings and the ability to pay for the celebration.

Naturally, in this case, you can have a very modest wedding. However, often the parents themselves insist on a grand celebration if they have the opportunity to pay for the banquet.

Undoubtedly, there are also cases when young people want to pay for the wedding themselves, but parents consider themselves obligated to take full responsibility for the financial part of organizing the event, and most importantly, they have such an opportunity.

Expenses between the parents of the newlyweds can be divided exactly in half or in proportion to the number of guests invited to the wedding. There are cases when the number of relatives and friends of the bride significantly exceeds the number of guests from the groom, and vice versa.

How much money do you need for a restaurant for a wedding?

Restaurant rental is another significant expense in a wedding budget. The size of the room and the price of the menu depend on how many guests are invited to play the party. For a crowded event of 40-50 people, you will need to rent the entire restaurant, but for a modest wedding you need much less money. A menu for one guest in a restaurant costs about 2,000 rubles; in a small cafe further from the center you can spend less. Compared to 2018-2019, the average cost increased by 10-15%.

Cost savings can be achieved by holding a banquet at home, but this will create a lot of inconvenience for relatives and will not allow the ceremony to be beautiful.

An interesting alternative could be a buffet in nature. It will not require too much investment and will create a unique atmosphere. To prepare it, you should contact a catering company that will take care of the delivery of snacks and fruits, serving and cleaning. Such services cost from 900 rubles. per person.

This also includes organizing leisure time. A DJ and toastmaster will be able to entertain guests, hold competitions and keep them from getting bored. The services of each specialist cost from 20,000 rubles. It is better to order them from one organization that has developed show scripts and permanent teams of performers. If there are children among the guests, you need to hire an animator who will organize their leisure time. The price will be about 1500 rubles. at one o'clock.

Banquet and show program

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The venue for the unofficial part of the celebration can be an outdoor tent, a yacht, an estate or cottage, a country hotel, a banquet hall or a restaurant .

. Prices start from a few tens and reach hundreds of thousands of rubles. You can get together only with close friends and rent a country house. Its rent per day will be approximately 12,000-15,000 rubles, and for a banquet you will have to spend 15,000-20,000 for 15-20 people.

A banquet in a restaurant would also be an economical option. Some establishments allow you to bring your own alcohol

, having paid only the “cork fee”. Please clarify this point in advance when ordering a banquet.

More non-standard options for holding a holiday will require additional rental costs.
You can rent a cottage for 50,000 rubles, an old mansion - 300,000-400,000. This price does not include the banquet itself. Catering services are usually involved in its organization. Economy:
35,000 rubles – a banquet in a country house or an inexpensive cafe
Average level:
100,000 rubles – a restaurant or 120,000 rubles – a cottage
Maximum:
from 300,000 rubles to 1 million rubles.

You can refuse the show program if there are less than 20 guests at your wedding.
If it’s more, be sure to include these expenses in your budget so you don’t have to entertain your guests yourself! The host's fee (toastmaster) with normal jokes and fun competitions starts from 25,000 rubles. Additionally, you can order a DJ, a cover band, a magician, classical musicians, an animator for children, or invite a “star” presenter. Economy:
presenter + rental of musical equipment = 30,000-35,000 rubles
Average level:
presenter + rental of light/sound + DJ = 70,000 rubles
Maximum:
from 100,000 rubles

Wedding budget calculator

It is very difficult not to forget anything when planning a budget. A calculator that can be found on many forums dedicated to weddings will help you figure out how much money you need for a wedding. Convenient services are available on the websites: catalog-svadba.ru, wedhub.ru, catalog-svadba.ru. The required fields are filled in – the minimum amount of spending, the number of guests and the prices of the selected services. The application will display a summary table with the budget broken down by main items. This way you can quite accurately determine the minimum amount of money you need for a wedding. If you enter more detailed data, the result will be even more accurate.

Planners save time and allow you to properly allocate available money. Each site dedicated to this topic contains different types of calculators for calculating your wedding budget. Now you can also download apps to your smartphone that will help you track what preparations have already been made and how much money has been spent. WedHappy and Trello services are free.

How to save your wedding budget

If the final estimate, obtained after calculating the price of wishes and drawing up a list of guests, turns out to be too large, it is worth thinking about how to save money. Many expenses that seem necessary can either be reduced or removed from the mandatory ones altogether. Proper distribution of finances will help you plan more accurately how much money you need for your wedding.

To save money, it is better to schedule the celebration for the end of autumn or one of the winter months. During the cold season, you can spend less on renting a hall and hiring staff. Prices on weekdays are also usually lower than on weekends or Fridays.
A wedding dress is an essential element of the celebration. If you buy it not during the hot season, but in advance, you can get a discount from the salon. Often, ordering a dress from an atelier costs less than having one ready-made in a boutique, and the quality is even higher. Another way to reduce this budget item is to rent a dress.
Spend a little more time preparing. At the beginning of each year, thematic exhibitions are held, where you can negotiate additional discounts and find everything you need in one place.
If you want to have a budget wedding, you should review the list of guests to see if all of them will be welcome to the newlyweds. If you invite only your closest friends and family, you can reduce the cost of renting a hall and a toastmaster.
Invite guests to give cash gifts; they are much more convenient to use.
A limousine leading a wedding procession is beautiful, but expensive. Renting a luxury car and decorating it will be cheap. You can save even more by asking friends who have their own cars for help.
When ordering alcohol for a party, it is useful to decide whether vodka is needed on the table. If you choose champagne and cheaper wine, this will reduce the average bill per person and protect you from unnecessary excesses.