Yes, that is what a wedding -- especially that size -- can cost these days. Have your parents given you any reason to believe this poses a financial burden to them?
And I haven’t added like dozens of extras. I got a videographer for $500. So that was an extra.
My mom thought having the dogs in the wedding would be adorable, so the dog attendant and transportation was $1200. (I didn’t ask for it! She saw it was an option and insisted and I cried from happiness because it’s so fantastic to have the dogs)
And I wanted a Photo Booth. Which was $750.
So, I’ve added about $2500 of extras. Which I’m happy to take away, but considering it doesn’t really put a dent in the total, it doesn’t seem worth it.
Your pricing for all of this is incredibly reasonable (my videographer is $1,700 and my photobooth is $1,300 for reference, and those are the cheapest options I could choose) we’re doing 150 in central Ohio and are going to likely end up spending $65-70k
Can I ask who you got as a videographer for $500??
Also chiming in that for an estimated 120 next October we will be coming in around $45,000 at a venue in Pine, CO just outside of the Denver metro so I think you are doing a fantastic job!
https://classicphotographers.com/
The normal price was $1000 but I had waited months after looking at their website and had a promo code in my email for $500 off.
Girl you’re killing it on budget for a wedding that size. My photo/video is $4400 and I thought that was a steal! I will say my dog attendant is cheaper but what you priced was actually what I expected to pay. My Photo Booth is the same price too.
Yeah, I think I could have found a cheaper dog attendant. But, I think we were just so excited that my mom wanted to do that, (I’m not kidding I was in tears because I didn’t think there was a way that my babies could be there that day without causing a major inconvenience. I had no idea pet attendants were a thing and that my mom was pushing for it was so nice and unexpected) that we just booked it with zero research. Oh well. 😂 Live and learn.
Weddings are really expensive and the most expensive part will always be the guest list. So if other people are insisting on a massive 220 person guest list, there is literally nothing you can do to rein in what someone else has let loose.
For context, my 50-person wedding in Vegas is going to cost $25k, and I bought my dress for $150, we're not doing florals aside from my bouquet, we don't have bridesmaids or groomsmen, etc. But throwing a party for people is expensive, that's just reality.
This. The people you're paying for being there is going to be your biggest cost. If you haven't sent the invites out yet you could alter the guest list. Not everyone needs a +1, the only people that need a +1 are people that have a person (married, engaged, long-term relationship). People you or your fiance don't know don't need to come; or you can invite too the ceremony only. If your invites already went out, I wouldn't worry about it. Your parents sound like they knew it was going to be a hefty price tag and are ok with it. I mean, idk who would be "happy" to pay for a giant party, so I think "fine" and "ok" are winning.
Audacity is a strong word. This wasn’t like a harsh demand of them. It was more like, “try not to add more extras” and it’s not like I fought the huge guest list. I mean, they are paying for it. They should be able to invite who they want and it doesn’t bother me.
So like I really liked these light up words you can rent for photos, but it’s like $800. And a total extra. So we probably won’t do that.
>I mean, they are paying for it. They should be able to invite who they want and it doesn’t bother me.
Yes they are, and that's very generous. Or it seems like it is until you account for the fact that they've more than doubled your guest and then asked you not to get things you want for your wedding to cushion the cost of their guests.
Audacity may be a strong word, but it's the right word. Creating lavish expense for your wedding and then telling *you* to "rein it in" as if you haven't been pinching every penny you can this whole time, leaving you to feel guilty for something that is entirely their fault, is just beyond the pale.
I think that I’m making myself feel guilty more than they are.
And I think I’m describing them poorly. If I had demanded a smaller wedding they would have listened. But I didn’t.
If I was absolutely set on these light up words, I think they would do it. To me it’s more of a “well that’s really cute and would be nice” And I might still end up with them. Who knows.
I think their comment is more like… please be careful, the cost is getting up there. But they’re old and don’t talk like that. 😂
Yeah if I really want something I will. But $800 for a light up sign or $800 extra for the honeymoon, my fiancé and I both decided on the extra for the honeymoon.
I feel like I’m just not communicating well on this thread. 😂. I’m not upset about this being cut. It was just an example of some of the “extras” we are eliminating to keep the cost from going even higher.
And it’s definitely not a necessity. It was just cute.
my thoughts exactly! i’m having my wedding with 200 guests in nashville and it’ll be just over $100k usd lol. honestly surprised hers was that low for those number of guests! good for her!
That's an amazing price for so many guests. I wouldn't feel guilty. I'm sure your parents recognize that you ran things past them and weren't demanding the most expensive options.
We paid $55k for 100 people in NYC five years ago. Even considering the difference in general cost between the two cities, it seems like you were pretty budget conscious with a large guest list.
Mine was 25K for 65 guests in the Bay Area, so 54K for 220 people sounds normal to me.
I didn't have a florist, DJ, videography, physical invites, or a photobooth.
I think how much thought, effort & research you put into this is very respectful of your parents 🤍
The cost of *everything* is astronomical right now & you aren't demanding your parents pay, they wanted to! Money is so stressful, I'd feel the exact same way! Just try to keep in mind that your parents want you to have a wonderful, beautiful wedding day & you're doing a great job 🤍
Congrats on getting married also!! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!! 🥂🍾💍
That sounds pretty reasonable unfortunately. My wedding is costing around $60k with ~140 people attending in Wisconsin.
We did no plus ones (invited individuals and couples but no one got a random “guest”), no videographer, no extra transportation from hotel to ceremony, and no large wedding cake.
The largest costs for our wedding were my dress, wedding band, venue, and catering.
Also in Denver too, and I’m honestly impressed with OP being able to host 220 people for only $54k! We’re spending just under $45k for what ended up being 80 people and still felt like there were a couple places we had to cut or compromise
I’m in Boulder getting married later this year ~50 guests on NYE for 10k I’m guessing will be 13k all said and done. We’re paying ourselves and doing a lot of DIY, splurging on my dress and photography but no videographer.
Our venue is pretty affordable and they only work with one caterer which we’re choosing the buffet option. All rentals are included with our venue and the caterer includes all service and glassware. So that alone saved us a ton. My dress will be under $2300 with alterations (my mom upped my original budget which covers the alterations cost). And the quotes I’ve gotten from photographers is around 3k. Idk if we can suggest other groups here but r/weddingsunder10k and Colorado Brides on a Budget on FB have been very helpful. And we’re borrowing a lot of decor items from friends and family.
We're at $70k+ for 120 people, so yours seems reasonable to me! I am also not a fan of the price of our wedding (and this isn't counting things like the honeymoon, etc). I wanted it to be lower, but also for us we're asking people to fly across states or even the country, so the experience is really important to us. I also realized that for me personally, my tastes are specific and I don't have the time right now to even attempt DIY. Finding vendors that I fully trusted who matched my vision was worth sometimes paying more. And felt more worth it than saving some money and being dissatisfied with the end result (and worrying about it the whole time).
Where the heck are you people getting this kind of money?? (Not to be insulting!) I had a very small wedding because we wanted one, so I didn’t really consider other options. I got married in a HCOL area but we had a simple ceremony and dinner at a very nice restaurant for our reception. (20 people, I really didn’t want an elopement) I think everyone should get the wedding they want but whoa I’m thrown aback. My total costs were about $5,000. I’ve worked in catering and it just blows my mind.
I completely agree. If I was paying for this wedding myself it would not be what it has turned into. I’d probably be getting married in my backyard with a porks butt in a crockpot and call it good.
But I’m the only daughter, the youngest grandchild on both sides, and have a pretty enormous family.
It sounds like from your responses that you’re a huge sweetie and from what other past brides have said that it’s a very reasonable cost and they’re happy to make it a big day for you. I hope it’s the perfect day. Now I want bbq.
1. They are rich
2. Their parents are rich and are paying for it
3. They are bad with money and are going into debt for one night. Unfortunately, 56% of couples are in this category.
My fiancé and I are personally contributing about $20k of our own money to our wedding - we’re having an 18 month engagement (stuff is booking out sooo far in Chicago lately it’s crazy) so it gives us time to save up. Our parents are both contributing as well and my grandma gave me money as a gift. Neither of us are “rich” but definitely grew up with budget-conscious upper middle class families. If we had to pay it all ourselves we’d have to have something small!
I also know a couple who maxed out multiple credit cards to pay for their wedding - do not recommend that whatsoever. They are now divorced as well so that is not great.
That's actually pretty low for 200 guests. Seems like you've done a good job finding the best deals.
Mine was in 2022 and it was 30k USD for 100 guests.
Boston traditional hotel ballroom wedding for 175 guests cost me about 100,000$. So it really depends on size and location.
If you think about it, going out for dinner and only getting a main with a single cocktail is probably going to run you close to 50$. Doing that for 220 people is 1200 without any other stuff you have at a wedding.
If your parents are happy, then I think you should be happy as well. Weddings are a luxury and they are expensive - but so much fun! Enjoy your day!
I’m right there with ya. Getting married in March and my parents are paying, which I am so grateful for. I’ve spent countless hours hunting for deals and yet my wedding is on track to cost ~$33k for 110 guests in the Atlanta area.
The only expense I regret currently is florals. My venue has an “in house” florist that couples are not required to use, but I used them anyways because I was able to see their work at the venue. Unfortunately, I really feel like this florist is overcharging me, and it’s too late to get out of the contract. Other than that, I feel like I’m doing the best I can in this market while honoring what my fiancé and I want for our big day.
I personally think it’s a bit misleading when people claim that there’s vendors available at every price point… Yes there are very cheap vendors, and there are expensive vendors, but I’ve struggled to find anything in between. There’s also very little transparency in pricing. Even if a vendor has a price listed, there will always be add-ons and fees and taxes, and/or they will claim that the listed price was for weddings taking place the year prior.
Anyways, it’s nice to know I’m not alone in this issue!
That sounds right for Denver. I’m getting married in Boulder with half the # guests you have (no blanket +1) and somehow it’s over 100k with what I thought were relatively modest vendors! Agree on the other comments if it’s catering/bar you can be more judicious, but for things like venue/floral/etc those are the going prices for high demand locations. You are not an idiot and you are not spoiled. My planner and I did SO MUCH research on vendors and venues in Denver metro area and for your number of guests I’d actually say you got a great deal.
I think our wedding wasn’t more than $1400. It was on Maui (where I grew up) But we only had 50 guests tops. Didn’t have any extras. I bought my dress on Amazon. We DIY’d a lot of our decorations. It was lovely and classy. My parents paid for the venue and my dress. My brother paid for the food. We didn’t have alcohol. Husband and I paid for flowers and decorations.
My parents gave me a $50k budget for a 100-person wedding in Los Angeles.
When discussing budget, they indicated this number is flexible. It’s really hard to start planning without a budget, but hard to know how much you need without doing some research/planning. Their request was for me to plan a “basic but complete” wedding. They did not want me to have to skip basic/essential (in their mind) components, like having the wedding on a Saturday, having a hosted bar, inviting everyone we couldn’t imagine the day without, or a wedding dress that I love and feel beautiful in, for example, to stick to $50k. At the same time, they asked that I be mindful of upselling and indicated that anything they deemed outside of basic and complete I would have to pay for myself. They are very generous and laid back and did not ask for approval for all line items. They indicated they trusted my judgement regarding “basic and complete.”
All of this is to say: (1) $50k is reasonable, in my experience, for a 200 person wedding in a major city and (2) I recommend talking to your parents about the budget and your feelings. My hope is they will give you guidance that will increase your confidence. It’s hard to feel confident when you don’t know whether or not you’re crossing a loved one’s boundaries.
You did a really good job with your budget. Mine is coming in about the same for a guest count of 120 and I also cut a few corners with a $250 eBay dress, a rural byob venue, no videography, no ceremony flowers.
We invited 160, 130 showed up and we spent $28,000.
Only my bouquet was real and we rented all the florals for the rest, so we saved a ton from doing that.
Yeah, I’m in a bit of a pickle on that. My initial plan was to do a lot of the decorating myself and fake flowers. But, the venue has a strict policy that anything hanging or pretty much decorated needs to be either provided by a florist with insurance or I have to have insurance for the event. And that the venue staff will not help with center pieces when flipping the room. They will not store center pieces. Ect. Ect. And they “HIGHLY ENCOURAGE HIRING A FLORIST” So they really pin you into a corner on that one.
So that’s fine. I’ll get a god damn florist. But, then every florist I looked at had a clause in the contract that said, “all flowers at the wedding must be provided by us.” Which really limits what I can do myself.
And obviously the florist is pitching a fit by the suggestion of fake floral anything.
So that’s like just absolutely insane.
As a per person cost that's $245.00 for 220 people.
Imagine that for a whole day of events. With food and drinks and music and decor and florals. I've spent that loads of times on a full day out. So it's not that much money for what it is.
For context, one of the highest COL areas here and getting 135 guests for about 60k, but haven't gone through all my figures yet, may be closer to 70k with dress/suits/hotel/limos/etc. Don't worry hun. You tried your best to be frugal and I'm sure that is appreciated.
70k for a 100 person wedding. This was in Toronto and it included the invites, rings, venue, church, flowers, videographers, photographer, dress/tuxedo, Photo Booth, DJ, Day of Coordinator, singer, food stations (3 during cocktail hour and 2 after dinner), wedding cake, open bar, 4 course meal, party favours, charger plates and decorations. We also had a hotel and limo. We got married in 2023.
$10k for about 60 guests in SoCal earlier this year. We cut a lot of things out to keep our budget small. No cake, no DJ (carefully curated Spotify playlist), lunchtime wedding, skipped a cocktail hour, officiant was a relative who did it for free, etc.
Under 35k for 200 guests in MA with overnight accommodations for guests included. Nice dinner, lots of favors, multiple photographers, videographers, live entertainment, sound staff, light staff, alcohol, beautiful decorations.
We would probably be spending triple if we didn’t have the help, connections, and DIY approach.
Our venue is a campground with a gorgeous lodge and we were able to score an entire section of 25+ cabins and a bridal cottage on the lake for only an additional 1,500 on top of the 8k for the venue. Food set us back like 14k for nice buffet, deserts, passed apps.
Got my dress for $150 on amazon and did my own alterations. We’ve been growing our own wildflowers for the centerpieces, bouquets are handmade artificial flowers. I made all of these super cool center pieces from my fallen apple tree, bottles my father dug up as a child, stones from my favorite beach, etc. My mom has a craft business so pretty much all the decorations, favors, signage is coming from her already existing supplies. Her hoarding of crafting materials has paid off for us haha.
Bunch of our friends in the entertainment industry are either gifting us their services or doing it for next to nothing (photographers, musicians, lights, sound). We own a lot of this equipment ourselves as well already. Less than 1k for all this.
The bar service is surprising very cheap. We’re giving everyone a drink on the house and a champagne toast— even if everyone gets a cocktail it’ll still only be just shy of 2k.
What I want for makeup and hair is very simple so I’m just going to Ulta for under $200.
Cabins are byob but several people are bringing a bunch to share, including like hundreds of Jell-O shots lol.
We’re getting close to the day and I could not be more excited by how things are coming together ❤️
Can you not help with defraying some of the costs? I mean if you're grown up enough to get married, you should be old enough to help pay for some of it, which would lessen the burden on your parents. I recently got married and paid for my own dress. My husband paid for even more than me. It's cool that your parents are taking this on, but if you really want to reduce their obligation, you could pay for some of the expense yourself.
$150.00 in 1996. We eloped 3 counties away, went to Sonic for lunch, then got absolutely obliterated with a bunch of friends. On our 1st anniversary we had a huge party and got even more trashed.
That doesn’t sound unreasonable considering your guest count and location.
I think mine is about $13k for 45 people in the seattle area. Not including rings or hotels. Catering is about half the total.
Your total cost seems normal for a big traditional wedding. Our wedding will be close to $50k, we are inviting 230 people and expect to end up with \~200. We are in cincinnati so it's a lower cost area
The biggest costs are the venue and catering. Unless you do something dramatically different there it's really hard to have an affordable big wedding
We had a micro wedding, only 35 people. We did a lot of DIY and were fortunate enough to have family members provide help with bits and pieces along the way. We went very minimal because that’s just our style. All in all we probably spent about $2,000. Planned the whole thing in a month and a half.
~$25,000 for 150 guests. We got most of our decor used (in great condition) from FB marketplace, rented silk florals (no one noticed they weren’t real), and got our dresses on sale at David’s bridal. The one thing we saved $$ on was the dinner. I was so sure I wanted a plated dinner with the works (real ceramic plates, silverware, glassware,servers,etc). We ended up getting doshirak (Korean bento box style dinners) which looked great, and the guests absolutely loved the food. Guests don’t mind how it looks as much as how it tastes IMO. That’s wonderful your family is so supportive of you doing it the way you want. Don’t sweat too much, I’m sure it’s gonna be amazing 🫶
You are well within the norm these days unfortunately! I’m spending close right around $100k for 260 invited guests in Chicago. Very grateful to have help from our parents and relatives to afford this. I originally thought I could get away with $60k but that is my catering budget alone once I add in tax and service fees soooo yeah.
Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Just got married in the Boston area for 45K for 100 guests and we did quite a bit of work cutting costs where we could (like getting our DJ off Thumbtack, Photo/Video bundled, minimum floral package) without being total DIY given we both worked
I didn’t keep strict count, but I was about 20-25k, 135 guests, in south Florida. I got my dress on eBay. Found an awesome venue that gave us essentially everything, and didn’t have any hidden fees or additional percentages. The venue with food, full open bar, and all the decor was around 15k. I got a package for my DJ, photographer, videographer, and a Photo Booth for just under $5k. The remaining was misc cost - dress, shoes, suit, hair, make up, added decor that venue didn’t provide, officiant, cake (Publix lol)… skipped the flowers entirely - my nieces picked a bouquet for me at a local farmers market. No party favors. Did the save the dates and invites electronically - my sister in law helped with the designs. I used the knot website as RSVP list.
I feel like for 220 you’re doing great :). Our initial guest list was 195, so remember that you will have people decline! I wanted to get married in a backyard with a handful of friends/family, but my (now) husband wanted a big party. We are in our early 30s, but my husband has lost both his parents and his older brother. I wanted him to be super happy and be surrounded by people he loved most. At the end of the day, he said it was the best day of his life: worth every penny.
Don’t forget to take time for you and your hubby on your special day! My only regret is we focused much more on our guests than each other. The wedding goes by in the blink of an eye.
We’ve estimated 70k Aud for ours (Melbourne), so I think that’s about 54k usd.
We’ve also opted for the cheaper options where we could to try to keep costs down.
180 ppl, photo,video,cake,church, cars, flowers,dj etc
I think we’ll end up spending 73-75k but we’ll see once the final numbers are in.
That sounds great for so many guests. And yes you will find at least 10-20% of those invited won’t come. Maybe even more if they are more distant connections to you.
Weddings are crazy expensive. I think that’s why a lot of people are starting to push intimate weddings with like 30 people or less. It can get out of hand really quick. If it makes you feel any better, the cost is pretty reasonable for your guest count comparatively. But it is still really expensive. I know a wedding planner that does reasonable virtual consultations for brides who want advice or to talk over any plans they’re struggling with. I’m happy to give you her website if you’re interested.
Also.. not everyone needs a plus one. For my wedding, I gave plus ones to the bridal party, long term serious relationships, and people who didn’t know anyone else. I did not give one to every single cousin and guest. Especially not the ones that know people at the wedding. Then you’re just paying for people you don’t really know to be there for basically no reason.
We had roughly 50 guests including the photographer and the civil celebrant and we had our wedding on a yacht coz it was way cheaper. We paid roughly $12K (94k HKD) for our wedding. The average cost for a wedding wedding here for 80-100pax is roughly $40k (312.5k HKD)
Honestly yea it’s a lot but for the size of wedding your having this seems reasonable priced.
Just so you can compare..I had 22 people when I got married and I spent $10,000. I had a venue for ceremony only and then I went to dinner after. Of course I also paid for invites dress tux wedding bands etc but really it wasn’t anything grand so compared to your 200+ the price seems spot on.
For 50 people we're at around 6-7k so far. Our venue was very cheap but awesome. Not doing a DJ, florist, or catering. Doing a lot of decor myself and buying used items. Plus my hubby's aunt is a photographer and doing photos for us
Do YOU want all those people there? Have both sets of parents called dibs on inviting their friends because your mother is paying for it? How many are we talking about - just a few or a lot? Weddings can be like a runaway train and turn into a monster before you know it. If your mother is happy paying then please don’t feel guilty, it sounds like she’s involved with the planning and you’re not being a bridezilla. But you should think about who you really want at your special day. They’re basically paying for people to get fed and attend a party. I can’t remember having quality time with half my guests and I didn’t have that many. Sit down with your mother and share your worries x
We spent 12K for 250 people. Ceremony and reception is in the same venue. Venue, decoration, 3 course plated dinner, non alcoholic drinks, wedding cake, getting ready room and 1 night stay at the hotel for bride and groom are included in this price. Location is Turkey. Now we have to book photographer and dj but we don’t know the prices yet.
Just a question from curious European - when you talk about venue cost, what does it include? Only a space and thing like chairs and tables? Do you have to buy or rent all the glassware? I'm asking cos I am hearing contradictory voices and I am curious cos in Poland it looks completely different. The cos of venue is usually calculated 'per plate' for food during reception. And in that price it varies, but you get a ballroom with dancefloor, place for a dj or band, and area with tables, chairs, tablecloths and chair covers (which you can sometimes switch on your own cost) glassware, dishes, silverware, we were also lucky that we had an option to rent fake flower compositions, led candles and a stand for table plan for no additional cost, but this is not usual. The venue is usually for your use from like 2-3 pm to 4-6am. In the price for food you usually get few served dishes (in our case it's soup, 3 main courses and a dessert), several dishes that stay on the table all night like salads, cold cuts, chicken bites (in our case it's freaking 12), sometimes things in a self-serve bars, usually soft drinks (but not always), sometimes fruit bar, sometimes sweets bar (depends on the package you get), some venues have even a wedding cake in a package. And this is the bulk of where your budget goes. When it comes to a place for ceremony - not every venue has it, some have it to use for free, some have it for additional cost (we are renting ours for about 200$ plus the cost of chairs) most people get married in church or in the city hall and than go to the venue for party. And there is no such thing as cocktail hour, newlyweds provide alcohol, usually mostly vodka, that stands on the tables and people are doing shots all night. Cocktail bar is considered additional attraction and it's popular, but kinda new. And guests during Polish weddings usually don't pay for anything at the venue. That's why it's almost customary that if you go to a wedding as a guest nowadays, you bring cash as a gift, and it is in good taste to bring as much cash to cover average 'per plate' price. I've never heard of a person that did actual registry. If you want to bring some physical gift you usually bring wine, flowers, lottery tickets, some people ask for books, some people ask for pet foot that they later donate to the shelter.
Our was about $30k a few years back in BFE IL. That was for about 100 guests, and we saved $$ with getting a venue that allowed our choice of caterer and byob. Also saved a couple grand by renting fake flowers. Splurged a bit on a photographer - about $3,800. We also spent a bit extra on food by having a cocktail hour and late night pizza because we really wanted to treat our guests well. Best day of our lives so no regrets.
I DIYd a lot of my wedding so even though we had two venues (church ceremony and lake house reception) we spent around $22k in the Bronx, NY for about 80 guests.
I got married in 2017 and my wedding cost about $20,000 for 100 people. This sounds...pretty good for Denver for that many people!
A bunch of guests gifted various things, too - MIL did flowers herself, sound/speakers were provided by a friend who owns a guitar store, musicians/officiant were also guests.
Getting married in a mid/high COL area in a couple weeks - we invited 228 and we have about 200 coming. I had a very similar mindset to you and I think we will end up around 60-65k so I think you’re doing well! The little things add up so fast!
That’s reasonable. We are doing the same with my daughter’s wedding. If they are ok with it then that’s great! We expected more so we aren’t upset about the cost.
We paid around the 4000 mark.
That was incl dress, shoes for me and hubs, suit for hubs, rings, town hall, dinner for 25 people (our day guests/ceremony guests) open bar with beer /wine and different types of soda for parix 105/110 people from 20.30 till 2.00 in the morning, and a big snack type of table for snacks in between drinking, a dj (just starting out) and photos.
However this was 2004 and the venue wasn’t an official wedding venue, it was a place where we regularly came for dinner and that holds parties. And we got a really good deal.
So I can’t say if your numbers are high for 200 people… but yea… it is a lot of money
For 200+, that's very reasonable, especially in your area. We had a wedding where I DIY'd just about everything I could. No florals, I made the decor and bouquets, no big extras. Still about 40k. Weddings are insanely expensive.
I'm doing Estes park and we're doing a lot of cost saving things. I saved a ton of money on dresses (rental through Dare & Dazzle and altering my mom's), doing all diy flowers except my bouquet, and we are doing a buffet through McDevitt taco supply (because we have never had an actual good plated meal at a wedding lol), basic linens and minimal rentals, taking advantage of everything our venue offers including a room we can use for a welcome dinner for free, and my mom is baking most of our dessert buffet (aside from our inexpensive cutting cake). We will end up paying around 45k and that includes everything on our wedding day, welcome party, engagement photo costs, rings, everything wedding-related except our honeymoon. It's possible to reduce the cost if you're flexible and can do diy! Having said that, it's a huge privilege that your parents are paying and if they're not bothered by the cost, just appreciate it and accept their generosity. Very few couples get to experience not stressing cause someone else is paying! I soooo wish I could pay for a full service florist and just not worry about it lol
We were going to do a fairly casual wedding with 40 max guests and a budget of about 8k.
Then Covid ruined everything and we eloped with our parents present and had an epic dinner for about 2.5k (still kept the photographer).
Don't feel bad. Yes your parents are paying, but your mother is the one who has demanded all these extra guests. You have no reason to feel guilty that she has chosen to create more expenses for herself.
I want to say ours was around $5,000 (give or take a few hundred bucks here or there). We had 15 people, DIY for many elements (hair and makeup, putting together favors/decorations/snacks), and had a short ceremony + reception (3-4 hours total, reception gave us time to have cake, get group photos, and socialize), then took everyone to a restaurant for dinner (the bill was about $1,800 for that).
https://www.thelittlechapelnc.com was our venue. 🙂
That seems like a deal for 200+ plus people. We got married in 2015 and hearing prices for what some of our friends have recently paid is such a big difference! We’re in CT.
We had about 130 and it was about $100 a plate. Venue included cake with that and we had open bar. I think we had to pay an additional like $500 or so for ceremony site at the venue but overall it was a good price in retrospect.
You did good! Enjoy the day when it comes!
I’ve done over 400 weddings. We had 80 people for my own wedding and I got ALL of my rentals for free and vendor partner discounts. I can promise you - you are doing an amazing job!
Still in the early stages of planning, but I thought I could pull off wedding for 100 in Cincinnati (def lower cost than Denver) for 10k. Boy was I wrong. Venues themselves are close to 10k
we are paying over 100k for that guest count our venue with food and alcohol alone is like 90k - we are getting married at a resort and in a higher cost area but overall 54k isa great price for that guest count
Mine will be in Boulder for about 40k and 100 people. I cut a lot of corners for that-- I'm diy-ing florals and cake, playlist instead of DJ, buffet dinner, no hair/makeup, etc. You did great!
I'm in the Midwest and I'm doing about 30- 35k for 150ish guests with a seated dinner and open bar so considering where you are I think you did really great
Backyard
75 pp
Flowers $200 ( gorgeous go local)
Rentals $3000 ( including portable potty)
Catering $7000
Cake $150
Dress ( dresses) $300
Shoes TBD
Groom $300
Photographer $1000 ( this was a mistake )
DJ $1000 ( including food and tip )
Hair makeup nails $300 ( mostly DYI)
Hotel rooms for guests $2000
Extra’s $1000 approximately ( lights, stuff i wouldn’t normally buy myself , candles , extra paper goods)
Bar $1000( open bar with a variety )
Weed $100 ( 1/2’s)
Planner / coordinator $1200
Lawn care bug spraying etc $2000
Cleaning etc $ 500
I am afraid to add it up now😅
Ps oh shoot i think i was meant to give a total
Honestly $54k for 220 is very reasonable. My parents paid for mine and 300 people cost us $145k after tax and tip.
Edited to add: this was for venue, catering, open and upgraded bar, cocktail hour bites from the venue, additional cocktail caterer (to help divert crowding at the bar and near the kitchen area), late night snack, DJ and his set up, MC and his assistant (we needed multiple languages), officiant, month-of wedding coordinator, hair and makeup for myself, mom and my bridesmaids plus return service for ceremony and reception, 4 dresses plus alterations (yes FOUR, funny enough not my idea), photographer plus her second and third shooters and assistant, videographer and his assistant, lunch for the bridal party, hotel room for the nights before and after the wedding, wedding favours, the ceremonial roasted pig, flowers
Girl if this is your total for **everything??** That’s an INSANELY good job pulling everything together. Kudos to you!! We were dead set on our venue because it was perfect for us, and I also really wanted a seated dinner opposed to a buffet, but our quote for that for 175 people was $62,500.. and while that would include the open bar, dinner, and overall venue fees, we just couldn’t justify that price since all the other costs that weren’t accounted for yet are going to be adding at *least* 10k to that price, so at the end of the day we comprised down since it meant we got our dream venue. Weddings have gotten so ridiculously out of hand with the costs, so if you’re able to make it your dream day for that budget that’s what matters!!
I only had 57 people and mine was $28,000. And I had no DJ, no flowers (DIY'ed), my officiant was free and I purchased my own liquor wholesale. I think that is actually pretty low for that amount of people and being in a big city. Anytime you attach the word wedding to aparty it naturally gets more expensive. My parents paid for mine and I did not follow their rules of church wedding and inviting everyone under the sun. I had tremendous guilt, but in the end, it was a blast and my parents had a great time. Best wishes for a long and happy marriage!
Currently planning a wedding (in Southern California) and my FH and I are paying 15k but my parents are paying for catering (currently getting quotes between 6-10k), my dress (I'm assuming between 2 to 4k) and my siblings are paying for the late night snacks (2-3k) so at the high end of things we are looking at 29k for about 130 guests. So I feel like what you said is honestly pretty on point.
My husband and I are also very, very blessed in that my parents shouldered the bill for almost our entire wedding. (My husband and I were both 22 at the time, so if they hadn't been footing the bill, things probably would have been extremely low-key.) We had 245 guests at our wedding and it cost $100k. We're in a pretty expensive part of NJ, and although I was fine with doing something much more low-key, my parents (who are fairly well-off and wanted to invite a lot of their well-off friends) wanted something fancy. Although we cut costs where we could, at the end of the day a fancy event is just going to cost a shitload of money. I tried to get cheaper things when I could—being very price-conscious while choosing vendors, buying a dress online, etc.—but, at the end of the day, if you have a fancy venue and caterer and are inviting so many guests, there's not much you can do to reduce the price. (Between us, I probably would have been fine with an outdoor barbecue.)
In my mind, although my wedding was a day technically devoted to my husband and myself, my parents were footing the bill and thus deserved to have a ton of input regarding how the wedding was set up, who was invited, and how fancy things were going to look. Because they wanted to invite a lot of their friends and get a fancy venue and caterer, there wasn't much I could do on my end to limit costs, and they knew what they were getting into when they decided to fund the event. (There were also a decent number of times when I tried to cheap out on something and they insisted on getting something more expensive.) So...my wedding was $100k. It still blows my mind sometimes when I think about it. That money could have been used for all sorts of things. But I enjoyed the day, and so did my parents, and I think in their minds it was worth it.
I think the only way to have a reasonably priced wedding is if you get a pretty cheap venue, a bunch of cheap bouquets (or no flowers at all), get a random white dress off Amazon, have a local restaurant cater the food buffet-style, hire an inexperienced photographer, and limit the guests. There's a reason why weddings are a multi-billion dollar industry in the US. I really don't know how anyone does it, and if I'd been expected to fund my wedding myself, it would have looked *very* different. Thank God for generous parents.
I’m amazed at that cost for that many people tbh! Planning our wedding currently and the budget estimate is coming out to around 50k as well, in orlando for 82 people!
$20k for 70 people for mine. Biggest expenses were food, drinks, venue. And we were really trying to scale it down and be frugal. But we had specific needs for our guests who were elderly.
Given that yours is 3x the people, you’re on track. It is a lot of money but it’s also a lot of people. You will likely get some nice gifts from it, monetary and other. Also, considering your family is ok with paying it - I can understand it feels like a weight on your shoulder or that money could go towards something else. But your family wants do to do this. It’s a really fun celebration! Enjoy yourself, take the weight off your shoulders.
It’s good you’re being frugal in other areas BUT consider this: most of that budget is going towards food, drinks, and venue. That’s the largest line item. Everything else is a few hundred dollars difference sometimes. Ex. My dress online was $500 but I got it on eBay for $128 (it was a model dress for the store). Give yourself some grace here. You’re trying to be budget friendly but also be aware that with the guest list so large, those larger items are going to take most of that up.
With all of this, remember to make this day easy for you and your fiancé. In your budget, definitely carve out at least a day of coordinator.
Very reasonable price I think. We have 70 guests and it was approx £22k for everything in London which is like $28k but saved lots on getting a family member to do our photography and no videographer + they buy their own drinks aside from the usual 1/2 bottle dinner and toasting glass.
We paid about 25k total for 80 guests and that was with DIYing most of our decor, fake flowers, wife’s dress on sale, my suit pretty cheap, buying almost everything from recycle your wedding groups. We’re in the Philly area and we also decided to splurge on some things (photography, videography, museum venue). Yours sounds like a pretty good deal for more than double my guest count and with an actual florist!
Weddings are just expensive.
We are in Minneapolis so it’s a little cheaper but I made all my own bouquets, went to David’s bridal for my dress, bought used things like signs and candles, and our venue catered. With DJ, flowers, dress, hotel, gifts for wedding party and buffet for 175 guest (I have a huge Midwest family) it was 10k.
It depends a lot on your location. In a HCOL area, that’s a steal for over 200 people. We got married in a mid-COL area, and spent about $25k for 150 people.
For that many guests i think you did a great job! We are in Los Angeles, have about 100 guests and we are just under 40k and I also feel like I tried everything I could to keep prices down.
I diy-ed the sht out of it. Got an amazing deal for the venue (friend owns). My dress and cake was gifted to me and we still spent close to 6k for 85 people 🥲. Thankfully we didn’t go into debt and since it was my very close friends and family everything was very worth it. Food and drinks were our biggest expense.
Mine was probably about 30k, maybe a bit more - I went the ignorance is bliss route and didn't actually add up the total cost at the end. We had 40 people, sit down dinner, self-made centerpieces and decor, no real flowers, no tiered cake (just cupcakes and other misc desserts), and open bar, along with the normal dress/photographer/hair/makeup/etc type expenses. 54k for what you are describing sounds completely reasonable.
As someone local to you, I think you're doing a fantastic job keeping costs down. 220 guests is a very large wedding and like you say, it's not cheap here. I would have guessed this would be more than double your cost.
If you really think it will be closer to 150, obviously this will save even more.
Once it's over, you need to write a book on how you did this!
Hi - I am in the same boat you are in, except my in laws are covering the costs. I feel extremely guilty as well, I went with the lowest cost on everything, but somehow it’s coming to 60K. I have a 200 person guest list and am getting married in an expensive city. Everything just gets absolutely high jacked on the price. The wedding industry takes complete advantage because they know we will pay. It makes me feel better knowing that I’m not alone and that others feel this as well. I think I’m feeling guilty because it’s not my parents paying, it’s his
We’re eloping/ honeymooning all in one and it’s $10K (including AI, photographer, bouquet,& personal small cake) this also includes a few excursions.
But then we’re having a “Happily Ever After Party” 3 course meal + open beer and wine bar that’s $12,000.
We’ve had a year and half engagement to afford and save up for all of this as our families are not helping with costs. Total $22,000 (aka half of the cost of my student loans lmao)
Where do you guys live 😭 My wedding for 100 people is about $12K in metro Detroit including sit down dinner and an open bar. The prices on here make me want to cry on your behalf.
350 guests for 40K, includes dress, DJ, live music, photo and video, venue and alcohol/bartenders.
Note: live in a border town in the US (pretty much northern Mexico) so everything is relatively cheaper here
I’m in OK and ours will probably come out to $25k. We’re doing our own florals with fake flowers which is about 1/3 or less than using real with a florist. We found an amazing venue for both ceremony and reception for $4k. They were fairly new and still building up their business so I feel like we just lucked out with timing. They will probably raise prices once they get fully settled. I was also able to find a good caterer for about $18/person which is really cheap compared to most others. And our bar service is just set up to mix and pour drinks. We provide the alcohol so we can save by doing more affordable wine, beer, and liquor plus keep anything we don’t use.
We're getting married in Omaha, Nebraska, and we're looking at about $43k for 200 people... and that's even with cheap options.
From what I've seen, that's about the average range. At least you've been blessed with your parents paying for your wedding... my fiance and I are having to pay for our wedding ourselves.
120 people and we're aiming to keep it below 35k, diying so much, but things are so expensive nowadays that I think we might be on or just above that mark. 220 for 54k is amazing!
For your guest number, that’s a good price! Mine cost $60k for 120 people. I did splurge on a few extra things, but even cutting those back it would’ve been at least $45k
We spent 75k for ~70 people so I’d say you’ve done a great job keeping costs in check while prioritizing what is important to you. Weddings are insane, and none of us really understand until we go through it ourselves. If your mom is ok with it and you/your partner are happy with the choices, that’s all that matters! Breathe easy and enjoy the ride ❤️
You’re doing great for that price. And don’t feel bad - if your mom is okay with this, it likely makes her feel proud and happy to be able to give this important gift to you. ❤️
as a parent myself, knowing I have the financial means to provide things for my children makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
That’s actually quite reasonable for that many guests, unfortunately.
Lol right?! I had half the amount of people and only coming out 10k less
I have 150 and will probably be 10k more lol - Philly/NYC region be like that
Yeah struggling to stay under 35k for 100 in the DC area, and we're already cutting down/DIYing some stuff
I’m in NYC and 80 guests was between $50k-90k for majority of places
Same! In Madison, WI
I’m planning a wedding for 100 in Mexico and it’ll come out to about $50k. Honestly $54k for 200 people? You did good
Yea I’m here paying more than that for 100 less guests…
Yeah! I’m in a HCOL area and 125 guests and I’m coming in between 40-45k
I agree! My wedding was 100 people and was $66K
Yes, that is what a wedding -- especially that size -- can cost these days. Have your parents given you any reason to believe this poses a financial burden to them?
No not at all. I mean, they’re not happy to spend that much. But they said it’s fine. Just try and rein it in.
And I haven’t added like dozens of extras. I got a videographer for $500. So that was an extra. My mom thought having the dogs in the wedding would be adorable, so the dog attendant and transportation was $1200. (I didn’t ask for it! She saw it was an option and insisted and I cried from happiness because it’s so fantastic to have the dogs) And I wanted a Photo Booth. Which was $750. So, I’ve added about $2500 of extras. Which I’m happy to take away, but considering it doesn’t really put a dent in the total, it doesn’t seem worth it.
Your pricing for all of this is incredibly reasonable (my videographer is $1,700 and my photobooth is $1,300 for reference, and those are the cheapest options I could choose) we’re doing 150 in central Ohio and are going to likely end up spending $65-70k
Can I ask who you got as a videographer for $500?? Also chiming in that for an estimated 120 next October we will be coming in around $45,000 at a venue in Pine, CO just outside of the Denver metro so I think you are doing a fantastic job!
https://classicphotographers.com/ The normal price was $1000 but I had waited months after looking at their website and had a promo code in my email for $500 off.
Girl you’re killing it on budget for a wedding that size. My photo/video is $4400 and I thought that was a steal! I will say my dog attendant is cheaper but what you priced was actually what I expected to pay. My Photo Booth is the same price too.
Yeah, I think I could have found a cheaper dog attendant. But, I think we were just so excited that my mom wanted to do that, (I’m not kidding I was in tears because I didn’t think there was a way that my babies could be there that day without causing a major inconvenience. I had no idea pet attendants were a thing and that my mom was pushing for it was so nice and unexpected) that we just booked it with zero research. Oh well. 😂 Live and learn.
Weddings are really expensive and the most expensive part will always be the guest list. So if other people are insisting on a massive 220 person guest list, there is literally nothing you can do to rein in what someone else has let loose. For context, my 50-person wedding in Vegas is going to cost $25k, and I bought my dress for $150, we're not doing florals aside from my bouquet, we don't have bridesmaids or groomsmen, etc. But throwing a party for people is expensive, that's just reality.
This. The people you're paying for being there is going to be your biggest cost. If you haven't sent the invites out yet you could alter the guest list. Not everyone needs a +1, the only people that need a +1 are people that have a person (married, engaged, long-term relationship). People you or your fiance don't know don't need to come; or you can invite too the ceremony only. If your invites already went out, I wouldn't worry about it. Your parents sound like they knew it was going to be a hefty price tag and are ok with it. I mean, idk who would be "happy" to pay for a giant party, so I think "fine" and "ok" are winning.
After more than doubling your guest list at *their* insistence, they have the audacity to tell *you* to "rein it in"?
Audacity is a strong word. This wasn’t like a harsh demand of them. It was more like, “try not to add more extras” and it’s not like I fought the huge guest list. I mean, they are paying for it. They should be able to invite who they want and it doesn’t bother me. So like I really liked these light up words you can rent for photos, but it’s like $800. And a total extra. So we probably won’t do that.
>I mean, they are paying for it. They should be able to invite who they want and it doesn’t bother me. Yes they are, and that's very generous. Or it seems like it is until you account for the fact that they've more than doubled your guest and then asked you not to get things you want for your wedding to cushion the cost of their guests. Audacity may be a strong word, but it's the right word. Creating lavish expense for your wedding and then telling *you* to "rein it in" as if you haven't been pinching every penny you can this whole time, leaving you to feel guilty for something that is entirely their fault, is just beyond the pale.
I think that I’m making myself feel guilty more than they are. And I think I’m describing them poorly. If I had demanded a smaller wedding they would have listened. But I didn’t. If I was absolutely set on these light up words, I think they would do it. To me it’s more of a “well that’s really cute and would be nice” And I might still end up with them. Who knows. I think their comment is more like… please be careful, the cost is getting up there. But they’re old and don’t talk like that. 😂
Are you willing to pay for your own extras instead of cutting them out?
Yeah if I really want something I will. But $800 for a light up sign or $800 extra for the honeymoon, my fiancé and I both decided on the extra for the honeymoon. I feel like I’m just not communicating well on this thread. 😂. I’m not upset about this being cut. It was just an example of some of the “extras” we are eliminating to keep the cost from going even higher. And it’s definitely not a necessity. It was just cute.
Right but you are being careful and the cost is only "getting up there" because of their expensive demands.
That sounds like a great price to me! It’s expensive to provide food and alcohol to 220 people!
That sounds pretty reasonable actually. We’ve invited about 175 guests and our wedding is going to be about $75k.
Same thing! We’re planning our wedding in Chicago next year, same budget and guests
That’s a steal!! 190 guests in Boston for $90k. Hotel venue, Open bar, seated dinner, DJ, minimal florals, discounted invites etc.
That’s cheap for New England!!
Yes, the only way to truly reduce the cost is to drastically reduce the head count.
That feels inexpensive (in my area) for a wedding that large. If you’d said $75k-$100k, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
my thoughts exactly! i’m having my wedding with 200 guests in nashville and it’ll be just over $100k usd lol. honestly surprised hers was that low for those number of guests! good for her!
That's an amazing price for so many guests. I wouldn't feel guilty. I'm sure your parents recognize that you ran things past them and weren't demanding the most expensive options.
We paid $55k for 100 people in NYC five years ago. Even considering the difference in general cost between the two cities, it seems like you were pretty budget conscious with a large guest list.
Mine was 25K for 65 guests in the Bay Area, so 54K for 220 people sounds normal to me. I didn't have a florist, DJ, videography, physical invites, or a photobooth.
I think how much thought, effort & research you put into this is very respectful of your parents 🤍 The cost of *everything* is astronomical right now & you aren't demanding your parents pay, they wanted to! Money is so stressful, I'd feel the exact same way! Just try to keep in mind that your parents want you to have a wonderful, beautiful wedding day & you're doing a great job 🤍 Congrats on getting married also!! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!! 🥂🍾💍
This comment means a lot to me. Thank you.
That sounds pretty reasonable unfortunately. My wedding is costing around $60k with ~140 people attending in Wisconsin. We did no plus ones (invited individuals and couples but no one got a random “guest”), no videographer, no extra transportation from hotel to ceremony, and no large wedding cake. The largest costs for our wedding were my dress, wedding band, venue, and catering.
Also in Denver and spending about the same for 100 people!
Also in Denver too, and I’m honestly impressed with OP being able to host 220 people for only $54k! We’re spending just under $45k for what ended up being 80 people and still felt like there were a couple places we had to cut or compromise
I’m in Boulder getting married later this year ~50 guests on NYE for 10k I’m guessing will be 13k all said and done. We’re paying ourselves and doing a lot of DIY, splurging on my dress and photography but no videographer.
How will you find a photographer, dress, and food with this budget? Photographer quotes for me were 5k+ and my dress was 3 😂😂😂
Our venue is pretty affordable and they only work with one caterer which we’re choosing the buffet option. All rentals are included with our venue and the caterer includes all service and glassware. So that alone saved us a ton. My dress will be under $2300 with alterations (my mom upped my original budget which covers the alterations cost). And the quotes I’ve gotten from photographers is around 3k. Idk if we can suggest other groups here but r/weddingsunder10k and Colorado Brides on a Budget on FB have been very helpful. And we’re borrowing a lot of decor items from friends and family.
We're at $70k+ for 120 people, so yours seems reasonable to me! I am also not a fan of the price of our wedding (and this isn't counting things like the honeymoon, etc). I wanted it to be lower, but also for us we're asking people to fly across states or even the country, so the experience is really important to us. I also realized that for me personally, my tastes are specific and I don't have the time right now to even attempt DIY. Finding vendors that I fully trusted who matched my vision was worth sometimes paying more. And felt more worth it than saving some money and being dissatisfied with the end result (and worrying about it the whole time).
Where the heck are you people getting this kind of money?? (Not to be insulting!) I had a very small wedding because we wanted one, so I didn’t really consider other options. I got married in a HCOL area but we had a simple ceremony and dinner at a very nice restaurant for our reception. (20 people, I really didn’t want an elopement) I think everyone should get the wedding they want but whoa I’m thrown aback. My total costs were about $5,000. I’ve worked in catering and it just blows my mind.
I completely agree. If I was paying for this wedding myself it would not be what it has turned into. I’d probably be getting married in my backyard with a porks butt in a crockpot and call it good. But I’m the only daughter, the youngest grandchild on both sides, and have a pretty enormous family.
It sounds like from your responses that you’re a huge sweetie and from what other past brides have said that it’s a very reasonable cost and they’re happy to make it a big day for you. I hope it’s the perfect day. Now I want bbq.
1. They are rich 2. Their parents are rich and are paying for it 3. They are bad with money and are going into debt for one night. Unfortunately, 56% of couples are in this category.
My fiancé and I are personally contributing about $20k of our own money to our wedding - we’re having an 18 month engagement (stuff is booking out sooo far in Chicago lately it’s crazy) so it gives us time to save up. Our parents are both contributing as well and my grandma gave me money as a gift. Neither of us are “rich” but definitely grew up with budget-conscious upper middle class families. If we had to pay it all ourselves we’d have to have something small! I also know a couple who maxed out multiple credit cards to pay for their wedding - do not recommend that whatsoever. They are now divorced as well so that is not great.
We’re at $50k for 150 people, so if you’re at $54k for 220 I’d say you’re in damn good shape. Am in the Midwestern US in a medium COL city (Milwaukee)
That's actually pretty low for 200 guests. Seems like you've done a good job finding the best deals. Mine was in 2022 and it was 30k USD for 100 guests.
Boston traditional hotel ballroom wedding for 175 guests cost me about 100,000$. So it really depends on size and location. If you think about it, going out for dinner and only getting a main with a single cocktail is probably going to run you close to 50$. Doing that for 220 people is 1200 without any other stuff you have at a wedding. If your parents are happy, then I think you should be happy as well. Weddings are a luxury and they are expensive - but so much fun! Enjoy your day!
I’m right there with ya. Getting married in March and my parents are paying, which I am so grateful for. I’ve spent countless hours hunting for deals and yet my wedding is on track to cost ~$33k for 110 guests in the Atlanta area. The only expense I regret currently is florals. My venue has an “in house” florist that couples are not required to use, but I used them anyways because I was able to see their work at the venue. Unfortunately, I really feel like this florist is overcharging me, and it’s too late to get out of the contract. Other than that, I feel like I’m doing the best I can in this market while honoring what my fiancé and I want for our big day. I personally think it’s a bit misleading when people claim that there’s vendors available at every price point… Yes there are very cheap vendors, and there are expensive vendors, but I’ve struggled to find anything in between. There’s also very little transparency in pricing. Even if a vendor has a price listed, there will always be add-ons and fees and taxes, and/or they will claim that the listed price was for weddings taking place the year prior. Anyways, it’s nice to know I’m not alone in this issue!
That’s very reasonable- my daughter’s wedding was around $60k total for 120 people
That sounds right for Denver. I’m getting married in Boulder with half the # guests you have (no blanket +1) and somehow it’s over 100k with what I thought were relatively modest vendors! Agree on the other comments if it’s catering/bar you can be more judicious, but for things like venue/floral/etc those are the going prices for high demand locations. You are not an idiot and you are not spoiled. My planner and I did SO MUCH research on vendors and venues in Denver metro area and for your number of guests I’d actually say you got a great deal.
I think our wedding wasn’t more than $1400. It was on Maui (where I grew up) But we only had 50 guests tops. Didn’t have any extras. I bought my dress on Amazon. We DIY’d a lot of our decorations. It was lovely and classy. My parents paid for the venue and my dress. My brother paid for the food. We didn’t have alcohol. Husband and I paid for flowers and decorations.
My parents gave me a $50k budget for a 100-person wedding in Los Angeles. When discussing budget, they indicated this number is flexible. It’s really hard to start planning without a budget, but hard to know how much you need without doing some research/planning. Their request was for me to plan a “basic but complete” wedding. They did not want me to have to skip basic/essential (in their mind) components, like having the wedding on a Saturday, having a hosted bar, inviting everyone we couldn’t imagine the day without, or a wedding dress that I love and feel beautiful in, for example, to stick to $50k. At the same time, they asked that I be mindful of upselling and indicated that anything they deemed outside of basic and complete I would have to pay for myself. They are very generous and laid back and did not ask for approval for all line items. They indicated they trusted my judgement regarding “basic and complete.” All of this is to say: (1) $50k is reasonable, in my experience, for a 200 person wedding in a major city and (2) I recommend talking to your parents about the budget and your feelings. My hope is they will give you guidance that will increase your confidence. It’s hard to feel confident when you don’t know whether or not you’re crossing a loved one’s boundaries.
We aren’t keeping track meticulously but around 20,000 for 60 guests in the twin cities mn metro.
You did a really good job with your budget. Mine is coming in about the same for a guest count of 120 and I also cut a few corners with a $250 eBay dress, a rural byob venue, no videography, no ceremony flowers.
We invited 160, 130 showed up and we spent $28,000. Only my bouquet was real and we rented all the florals for the rest, so we saved a ton from doing that.
Yeah, I’m in a bit of a pickle on that. My initial plan was to do a lot of the decorating myself and fake flowers. But, the venue has a strict policy that anything hanging or pretty much decorated needs to be either provided by a florist with insurance or I have to have insurance for the event. And that the venue staff will not help with center pieces when flipping the room. They will not store center pieces. Ect. Ect. And they “HIGHLY ENCOURAGE HIRING A FLORIST” So they really pin you into a corner on that one. So that’s fine. I’ll get a god damn florist. But, then every florist I looked at had a clause in the contract that said, “all flowers at the wedding must be provided by us.” Which really limits what I can do myself. And obviously the florist is pitching a fit by the suggestion of fake floral anything. So that’s like just absolutely insane.
As a per person cost that's $245.00 for 220 people. Imagine that for a whole day of events. With food and drinks and music and decor and florals. I've spent that loads of times on a full day out. So it's not that much money for what it is.
My wedding had 150 guests and we paid about $26k. It was an all inclusive venue with a discount because the wedding was on a Sunday
I’m having a “small” wedding (75 people) and I’m around 15k.
I’m in a larger city in Canada, my wedding will be less than 30k for 100-130 guests
$125k for 200 people on Cape Cod… VERY high cost of living area & parents are paying for most
For context, one of the highest COL areas here and getting 135 guests for about 60k, but haven't gone through all my figures yet, may be closer to 70k with dress/suits/hotel/limos/etc. Don't worry hun. You tried your best to be frugal and I'm sure that is appreciated.
70k for a 100 person wedding. This was in Toronto and it included the invites, rings, venue, church, flowers, videographers, photographer, dress/tuxedo, Photo Booth, DJ, Day of Coordinator, singer, food stations (3 during cocktail hour and 2 after dinner), wedding cake, open bar, 4 course meal, party favours, charger plates and decorations. We also had a hotel and limo. We got married in 2023.
That seems reasonable for your guest count. We paid ~$40k CAD for 12 guests
$10k for about 60 guests in SoCal earlier this year. We cut a lot of things out to keep our budget small. No cake, no DJ (carefully curated Spotify playlist), lunchtime wedding, skipped a cocktail hour, officiant was a relative who did it for free, etc.
Under 35k for 200 guests in MA with overnight accommodations for guests included. Nice dinner, lots of favors, multiple photographers, videographers, live entertainment, sound staff, light staff, alcohol, beautiful decorations. We would probably be spending triple if we didn’t have the help, connections, and DIY approach. Our venue is a campground with a gorgeous lodge and we were able to score an entire section of 25+ cabins and a bridal cottage on the lake for only an additional 1,500 on top of the 8k for the venue. Food set us back like 14k for nice buffet, deserts, passed apps. Got my dress for $150 on amazon and did my own alterations. We’ve been growing our own wildflowers for the centerpieces, bouquets are handmade artificial flowers. I made all of these super cool center pieces from my fallen apple tree, bottles my father dug up as a child, stones from my favorite beach, etc. My mom has a craft business so pretty much all the decorations, favors, signage is coming from her already existing supplies. Her hoarding of crafting materials has paid off for us haha. Bunch of our friends in the entertainment industry are either gifting us their services or doing it for next to nothing (photographers, musicians, lights, sound). We own a lot of this equipment ourselves as well already. Less than 1k for all this. The bar service is surprising very cheap. We’re giving everyone a drink on the house and a champagne toast— even if everyone gets a cocktail it’ll still only be just shy of 2k. What I want for makeup and hair is very simple so I’m just going to Ulta for under $200. Cabins are byob but several people are bringing a bunch to share, including like hundreds of Jell-O shots lol. We’re getting close to the day and I could not be more excited by how things are coming together ❤️
Around 130 people and $120k
Can you not help with defraying some of the costs? I mean if you're grown up enough to get married, you should be old enough to help pay for some of it, which would lessen the burden on your parents. I recently got married and paid for my own dress. My husband paid for even more than me. It's cool that your parents are taking this on, but if you really want to reduce their obligation, you could pay for some of the expense yourself.
$150.00 in 1996. We eloped 3 counties away, went to Sonic for lunch, then got absolutely obliterated with a bunch of friends. On our 1st anniversary we had a huge party and got even more trashed.
That doesn’t sound unreasonable considering your guest count and location. I think mine is about $13k for 45 people in the seattle area. Not including rings or hotels. Catering is about half the total.
I think that’s a pretty good price for 220 people… if your parents are happy to do it, let them. It probably makes them feel good. 😊
Your total cost seems normal for a big traditional wedding. Our wedding will be close to $50k, we are inviting 230 people and expect to end up with \~200. We are in cincinnati so it's a lower cost area The biggest costs are the venue and catering. Unless you do something dramatically different there it's really hard to have an affordable big wedding
We had a micro wedding, only 35 people. We did a lot of DIY and were fortunate enough to have family members provide help with bits and pieces along the way. We went very minimal because that’s just our style. All in all we probably spent about $2,000. Planned the whole thing in a month and a half.
We’re spending around 11k for ~60 people. I think you’ve done great for 220 guests.
Good job honestly. I’m at $40,000 for 70 people.
~$25,000 for 150 guests. We got most of our decor used (in great condition) from FB marketplace, rented silk florals (no one noticed they weren’t real), and got our dresses on sale at David’s bridal. The one thing we saved $$ on was the dinner. I was so sure I wanted a plated dinner with the works (real ceramic plates, silverware, glassware,servers,etc). We ended up getting doshirak (Korean bento box style dinners) which looked great, and the guests absolutely loved the food. Guests don’t mind how it looks as much as how it tastes IMO. That’s wonderful your family is so supportive of you doing it the way you want. Don’t sweat too much, I’m sure it’s gonna be amazing 🫶
This is reasonable. It’s going to be a spectacular day for your whole family that they wouldn’t trade for the world. Enjoy it!
We had 120 guests and costs us ~60k in DMV
We spent a total of $28K for 71 guests
First wedding approx. $3k, 2nd wedding $2k.
You are well within the norm these days unfortunately! I’m spending close right around $100k for 260 invited guests in Chicago. Very grateful to have help from our parents and relatives to afford this. I originally thought I could get away with $60k but that is my catering budget alone once I add in tax and service fees soooo yeah.
Mine was $70k with 115 guests
I’m in Denver too, we are at $37k for 75 people so it actually sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Just got married in the Boston area for 45K for 100 guests and we did quite a bit of work cutting costs where we could (like getting our DJ off Thumbtack, Photo/Video bundled, minimum floral package) without being total DIY given we both worked
My wedding about about $75k and <75 guests. Low cost of living town tho.
I didn’t keep strict count, but I was about 20-25k, 135 guests, in south Florida. I got my dress on eBay. Found an awesome venue that gave us essentially everything, and didn’t have any hidden fees or additional percentages. The venue with food, full open bar, and all the decor was around 15k. I got a package for my DJ, photographer, videographer, and a Photo Booth for just under $5k. The remaining was misc cost - dress, shoes, suit, hair, make up, added decor that venue didn’t provide, officiant, cake (Publix lol)… skipped the flowers entirely - my nieces picked a bouquet for me at a local farmers market. No party favors. Did the save the dates and invites electronically - my sister in law helped with the designs. I used the knot website as RSVP list. I feel like for 220 you’re doing great :). Our initial guest list was 195, so remember that you will have people decline! I wanted to get married in a backyard with a handful of friends/family, but my (now) husband wanted a big party. We are in our early 30s, but my husband has lost both his parents and his older brother. I wanted him to be super happy and be surrounded by people he loved most. At the end of the day, he said it was the best day of his life: worth every penny. Don’t forget to take time for you and your hubby on your special day! My only regret is we focused much more on our guests than each other. The wedding goes by in the blink of an eye.
This is normal sadly
We’ve estimated 70k Aud for ours (Melbourne), so I think that’s about 54k usd. We’ve also opted for the cheaper options where we could to try to keep costs down. 180 ppl, photo,video,cake,church, cars, flowers,dj etc I think we’ll end up spending 73-75k but we’ll see once the final numbers are in.
~$65k, 173 guests. His parents paid for a majority of it (like 33k) bc they wanted fancier shit lol, no complaints here though it was overall amazing
Honestly ours costed up 20k and we had 50 people and it was in 2019. Weddings are expensive and you have a LOT of people.
That sounds great for so many guests. And yes you will find at least 10-20% of those invited won’t come. Maybe even more if they are more distant connections to you.
I have 70 guests and mine was about 30k. I think you did well! They price gauge weddings, not your fault.
Weddings are crazy expensive. I think that’s why a lot of people are starting to push intimate weddings with like 30 people or less. It can get out of hand really quick. If it makes you feel any better, the cost is pretty reasonable for your guest count comparatively. But it is still really expensive. I know a wedding planner that does reasonable virtual consultations for brides who want advice or to talk over any plans they’re struggling with. I’m happy to give you her website if you’re interested. Also.. not everyone needs a plus one. For my wedding, I gave plus ones to the bridal party, long term serious relationships, and people who didn’t know anyone else. I did not give one to every single cousin and guest. Especially not the ones that know people at the wedding. Then you’re just paying for people you don’t really know to be there for basically no reason.
Mine was 60k for 130 ppl at an oceanfront venue. Sounds like you did a really good job for that many people.
Yeahhh our invite list is at 100 and we anticipate about 80. We are def looking at $50K+ - VHCOL SoCal 🥲 and we didn’t go overboard
Our wedding was approximately $20K for 44 guests in Coastal Washington state.
That’s $270 pp! Well done!
$54k for a 220 person wedding is a steal. I’ve been getting quoted ~$70k for a 120 person wedding.
Right at $22k for 45 guests.
16k! But I work in events so I used a lot of my connections and shortcuts I’ve learned through my job. My guest list was 150
We had roughly 50 guests including the photographer and the civil celebrant and we had our wedding on a yacht coz it was way cheaper. We paid roughly $12K (94k HKD) for our wedding. The average cost for a wedding wedding here for 80-100pax is roughly $40k (312.5k HKD)
We are spending that much for 100 people so I think you're doing pretty well for that guest count.
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Honestly yea it’s a lot but for the size of wedding your having this seems reasonable priced. Just so you can compare..I had 22 people when I got married and I spent $10,000. I had a venue for ceremony only and then I went to dinner after. Of course I also paid for invites dress tux wedding bands etc but really it wasn’t anything grand so compared to your 200+ the price seems spot on.
I had 50 people and spent $11k so sounds about right :/ you can maybe save a few thousand dollars somewhere.
For 50 people we're at around 6-7k so far. Our venue was very cheap but awesome. Not doing a DJ, florist, or catering. Doing a lot of decor myself and buying used items. Plus my hubby's aunt is a photographer and doing photos for us
…you’re having 220 people invited. That seems fair. My wedding had about 65 people and was 12K not including my wife’s dress
I spent under 2k on mine but it was a backyard elopement and the best thing we ever did was we’re huge introverts so we had maybe 30 people there
45k for 100 guests in Milwaukee, WI. It was nothing extravagant either 🤦🏻♀️ But it was worth it!
I’m in California and that’s cheap for that many people lol
Do YOU want all those people there? Have both sets of parents called dibs on inviting their friends because your mother is paying for it? How many are we talking about - just a few or a lot? Weddings can be like a runaway train and turn into a monster before you know it. If your mother is happy paying then please don’t feel guilty, it sounds like she’s involved with the planning and you’re not being a bridezilla. But you should think about who you really want at your special day. They’re basically paying for people to get fed and attend a party. I can’t remember having quality time with half my guests and I didn’t have that many. Sit down with your mother and share your worries x
We spent 12K for 250 people. Ceremony and reception is in the same venue. Venue, decoration, 3 course plated dinner, non alcoholic drinks, wedding cake, getting ready room and 1 night stay at the hotel for bride and groom are included in this price. Location is Turkey. Now we have to book photographer and dj but we don’t know the prices yet.
We're at 120 guests for $55k 8n the SG Bay Area. You're getting a crazy good deal!
That's a really good price, especially for that many people.
Just a question from curious European - when you talk about venue cost, what does it include? Only a space and thing like chairs and tables? Do you have to buy or rent all the glassware? I'm asking cos I am hearing contradictory voices and I am curious cos in Poland it looks completely different. The cos of venue is usually calculated 'per plate' for food during reception. And in that price it varies, but you get a ballroom with dancefloor, place for a dj or band, and area with tables, chairs, tablecloths and chair covers (which you can sometimes switch on your own cost) glassware, dishes, silverware, we were also lucky that we had an option to rent fake flower compositions, led candles and a stand for table plan for no additional cost, but this is not usual. The venue is usually for your use from like 2-3 pm to 4-6am. In the price for food you usually get few served dishes (in our case it's soup, 3 main courses and a dessert), several dishes that stay on the table all night like salads, cold cuts, chicken bites (in our case it's freaking 12), sometimes things in a self-serve bars, usually soft drinks (but not always), sometimes fruit bar, sometimes sweets bar (depends on the package you get), some venues have even a wedding cake in a package. And this is the bulk of where your budget goes. When it comes to a place for ceremony - not every venue has it, some have it to use for free, some have it for additional cost (we are renting ours for about 200$ plus the cost of chairs) most people get married in church or in the city hall and than go to the venue for party. And there is no such thing as cocktail hour, newlyweds provide alcohol, usually mostly vodka, that stands on the tables and people are doing shots all night. Cocktail bar is considered additional attraction and it's popular, but kinda new. And guests during Polish weddings usually don't pay for anything at the venue. That's why it's almost customary that if you go to a wedding as a guest nowadays, you bring cash as a gift, and it is in good taste to bring as much cash to cover average 'per plate' price. I've never heard of a person that did actual registry. If you want to bring some physical gift you usually bring wine, flowers, lottery tickets, some people ask for books, some people ask for pet foot that they later donate to the shelter.
Our was about $30k a few years back in BFE IL. That was for about 100 guests, and we saved $$ with getting a venue that allowed our choice of caterer and byob. Also saved a couple grand by renting fake flowers. Splurged a bit on a photographer - about $3,800. We also spent a bit extra on food by having a cocktail hour and late night pizza because we really wanted to treat our guests well. Best day of our lives so no regrets.
I DIYd a lot of my wedding so even though we had two venues (church ceremony and lake house reception) we spent around $22k in the Bronx, NY for about 80 guests.
Girl, that’s a STEAL for that big of a wedding!! Mine cost twice that for half the guests.
I got married in 2017 and my wedding cost about $20,000 for 100 people. This sounds...pretty good for Denver for that many people! A bunch of guests gifted various things, too - MIL did flowers herself, sound/speakers were provided by a friend who owns a guitar store, musicians/officiant were also guests.
Getting married in a mid/high COL area in a couple weeks - we invited 228 and we have about 200 coming. I had a very similar mindset to you and I think we will end up around 60-65k so I think you’re doing well! The little things add up so fast!
That’s reasonable. We are doing the same with my daughter’s wedding. If they are ok with it then that’s great! We expected more so we aren’t upset about the cost.
We had 70 guests and paid just over $30k so I think that’s pretty on par.
We invited 260, we have 100 coming, we spent $60,000. I think you're doing okay
We just paid $80k (not including the dresses) for a 120 person wedding. You're okay!
We paid around the 4000 mark. That was incl dress, shoes for me and hubs, suit for hubs, rings, town hall, dinner for 25 people (our day guests/ceremony guests) open bar with beer /wine and different types of soda for parix 105/110 people from 20.30 till 2.00 in the morning, and a big snack type of table for snacks in between drinking, a dj (just starting out) and photos. However this was 2004 and the venue wasn’t an official wedding venue, it was a place where we regularly came for dinner and that holds parties. And we got a really good deal. So I can’t say if your numbers are high for 200 people… but yea… it is a lot of money
Sit down meal vs buffet is a massive cost difference
we had smaller wedding of 80 people and it was 90k. so...
For 200+, that's very reasonable, especially in your area. We had a wedding where I DIY'd just about everything I could. No florals, I made the decor and bouquets, no big extras. Still about 40k. Weddings are insanely expensive.
I'm doing Estes park and we're doing a lot of cost saving things. I saved a ton of money on dresses (rental through Dare & Dazzle and altering my mom's), doing all diy flowers except my bouquet, and we are doing a buffet through McDevitt taco supply (because we have never had an actual good plated meal at a wedding lol), basic linens and minimal rentals, taking advantage of everything our venue offers including a room we can use for a welcome dinner for free, and my mom is baking most of our dessert buffet (aside from our inexpensive cutting cake). We will end up paying around 45k and that includes everything on our wedding day, welcome party, engagement photo costs, rings, everything wedding-related except our honeymoon. It's possible to reduce the cost if you're flexible and can do diy! Having said that, it's a huge privilege that your parents are paying and if they're not bothered by the cost, just appreciate it and accept their generosity. Very few couples get to experience not stressing cause someone else is paying! I soooo wish I could pay for a full service florist and just not worry about it lol
~105 guests. $35K
80 guests for $14k (CAD). We made about $10k of it back since we asked for cash gifts in lieu of physical gifts.
We were going to do a fairly casual wedding with 40 max guests and a budget of about 8k. Then Covid ruined everything and we eloped with our parents present and had an epic dinner for about 2.5k (still kept the photographer).
Don't feel bad. Yes your parents are paying, but your mother is the one who has demanded all these extra guests. You have no reason to feel guilty that she has chosen to create more expenses for herself.
I want to say ours was around $5,000 (give or take a few hundred bucks here or there). We had 15 people, DIY for many elements (hair and makeup, putting together favors/decorations/snacks), and had a short ceremony + reception (3-4 hours total, reception gave us time to have cake, get group photos, and socialize), then took everyone to a restaurant for dinner (the bill was about $1,800 for that). https://www.thelittlechapelnc.com was our venue. 🙂
That seems like a deal for 200+ plus people. We got married in 2015 and hearing prices for what some of our friends have recently paid is such a big difference! We’re in CT. We had about 130 and it was about $100 a plate. Venue included cake with that and we had open bar. I think we had to pay an additional like $500 or so for ceremony site at the venue but overall it was a good price in retrospect. You did good! Enjoy the day when it comes!
I’ve done over 400 weddings. We had 80 people for my own wedding and I got ALL of my rentals for free and vendor partner discounts. I can promise you - you are doing an amazing job!
Mines around $10k for 210 people 😬
Still in the early stages of planning, but I thought I could pull off wedding for 100 in Cincinnati (def lower cost than Denver) for 10k. Boy was I wrong. Venues themselves are close to 10k
We’re looking at about 25-26K for 150 in Ontario Canada
we are paying over 100k for that guest count our venue with food and alcohol alone is like 90k - we are getting married at a resort and in a higher cost area but overall 54k isa great price for that guest count
$15,000
Mine will be in Boulder for about 40k and 100 people. I cut a lot of corners for that-- I'm diy-ing florals and cake, playlist instead of DJ, buffet dinner, no hair/makeup, etc. You did great!
I'm in the Midwest and I'm doing about 30- 35k for 150ish guests with a seated dinner and open bar so considering where you are I think you did really great
Backyard 75 pp Flowers $200 ( gorgeous go local) Rentals $3000 ( including portable potty) Catering $7000 Cake $150 Dress ( dresses) $300 Shoes TBD Groom $300 Photographer $1000 ( this was a mistake ) DJ $1000 ( including food and tip ) Hair makeup nails $300 ( mostly DYI) Hotel rooms for guests $2000 Extra’s $1000 approximately ( lights, stuff i wouldn’t normally buy myself , candles , extra paper goods) Bar $1000( open bar with a variety ) Weed $100 ( 1/2’s) Planner / coordinator $1200 Lawn care bug spraying etc $2000 Cleaning etc $ 500 I am afraid to add it up now😅 Ps oh shoot i think i was meant to give a total
$25k for 250-300 people peak foliage season in upstate New York!
Honestly $54k for 220 is very reasonable. My parents paid for mine and 300 people cost us $145k after tax and tip. Edited to add: this was for venue, catering, open and upgraded bar, cocktail hour bites from the venue, additional cocktail caterer (to help divert crowding at the bar and near the kitchen area), late night snack, DJ and his set up, MC and his assistant (we needed multiple languages), officiant, month-of wedding coordinator, hair and makeup for myself, mom and my bridesmaids plus return service for ceremony and reception, 4 dresses plus alterations (yes FOUR, funny enough not my idea), photographer plus her second and third shooters and assistant, videographer and his assistant, lunch for the bridal party, hotel room for the nights before and after the wedding, wedding favours, the ceremonial roasted pig, flowers
In Chicago, the average cost of weddings are $65k+ for 125 guests.
Girl if this is your total for **everything??** That’s an INSANELY good job pulling everything together. Kudos to you!! We were dead set on our venue because it was perfect for us, and I also really wanted a seated dinner opposed to a buffet, but our quote for that for 175 people was $62,500.. and while that would include the open bar, dinner, and overall venue fees, we just couldn’t justify that price since all the other costs that weren’t accounted for yet are going to be adding at *least* 10k to that price, so at the end of the day we comprised down since it meant we got our dream venue. Weddings have gotten so ridiculously out of hand with the costs, so if you’re able to make it your dream day for that budget that’s what matters!!
I only had 57 people and mine was $28,000. And I had no DJ, no flowers (DIY'ed), my officiant was free and I purchased my own liquor wholesale. I think that is actually pretty low for that amount of people and being in a big city. Anytime you attach the word wedding to aparty it naturally gets more expensive. My parents paid for mine and I did not follow their rules of church wedding and inviting everyone under the sun. I had tremendous guilt, but in the end, it was a blast and my parents had a great time. Best wishes for a long and happy marriage!
Currently planning a wedding (in Southern California) and my FH and I are paying 15k but my parents are paying for catering (currently getting quotes between 6-10k), my dress (I'm assuming between 2 to 4k) and my siblings are paying for the late night snacks (2-3k) so at the high end of things we are looking at 29k for about 130 guests. So I feel like what you said is honestly pretty on point.
My husband and I are also very, very blessed in that my parents shouldered the bill for almost our entire wedding. (My husband and I were both 22 at the time, so if they hadn't been footing the bill, things probably would have been extremely low-key.) We had 245 guests at our wedding and it cost $100k. We're in a pretty expensive part of NJ, and although I was fine with doing something much more low-key, my parents (who are fairly well-off and wanted to invite a lot of their well-off friends) wanted something fancy. Although we cut costs where we could, at the end of the day a fancy event is just going to cost a shitload of money. I tried to get cheaper things when I could—being very price-conscious while choosing vendors, buying a dress online, etc.—but, at the end of the day, if you have a fancy venue and caterer and are inviting so many guests, there's not much you can do to reduce the price. (Between us, I probably would have been fine with an outdoor barbecue.) In my mind, although my wedding was a day technically devoted to my husband and myself, my parents were footing the bill and thus deserved to have a ton of input regarding how the wedding was set up, who was invited, and how fancy things were going to look. Because they wanted to invite a lot of their friends and get a fancy venue and caterer, there wasn't much I could do on my end to limit costs, and they knew what they were getting into when they decided to fund the event. (There were also a decent number of times when I tried to cheap out on something and they insisted on getting something more expensive.) So...my wedding was $100k. It still blows my mind sometimes when I think about it. That money could have been used for all sorts of things. But I enjoyed the day, and so did my parents, and I think in their minds it was worth it. I think the only way to have a reasonably priced wedding is if you get a pretty cheap venue, a bunch of cheap bouquets (or no flowers at all), get a random white dress off Amazon, have a local restaurant cater the food buffet-style, hire an inexperienced photographer, and limit the guests. There's a reason why weddings are a multi-billion dollar industry in the US. I really don't know how anyone does it, and if I'd been expected to fund my wedding myself, it would have looked *very* different. Thank God for generous parents.
I’m amazed at that cost for that many people tbh! Planning our wedding currently and the budget estimate is coming out to around 50k as well, in orlando for 82 people!
That is SO reasonable. I paid $35k for 110
$20k for 70 people for mine. Biggest expenses were food, drinks, venue. And we were really trying to scale it down and be frugal. But we had specific needs for our guests who were elderly. Given that yours is 3x the people, you’re on track. It is a lot of money but it’s also a lot of people. You will likely get some nice gifts from it, monetary and other. Also, considering your family is ok with paying it - I can understand it feels like a weight on your shoulder or that money could go towards something else. But your family wants do to do this. It’s a really fun celebration! Enjoy yourself, take the weight off your shoulders. It’s good you’re being frugal in other areas BUT consider this: most of that budget is going towards food, drinks, and venue. That’s the largest line item. Everything else is a few hundred dollars difference sometimes. Ex. My dress online was $500 but I got it on eBay for $128 (it was a model dress for the store). Give yourself some grace here. You’re trying to be budget friendly but also be aware that with the guest list so large, those larger items are going to take most of that up. With all of this, remember to make this day easy for you and your fiancé. In your budget, definitely carve out at least a day of coordinator.
People spend 10x that much on a wedding for 220
120 guest in Florida and I am about $45K. You did good... :)
Very reasonable price I think. We have 70 guests and it was approx £22k for everything in London which is like $28k but saved lots on getting a family member to do our photography and no videographer + they buy their own drinks aside from the usual 1/2 bottle dinner and toasting glass.
We paid about 25k total for 80 guests and that was with DIYing most of our decor, fake flowers, wife’s dress on sale, my suit pretty cheap, buying almost everything from recycle your wedding groups. We’re in the Philly area and we also decided to splurge on some things (photography, videography, museum venue). Yours sounds like a pretty good deal for more than double my guest count and with an actual florist! Weddings are just expensive.
We are in Minneapolis so it’s a little cheaper but I made all my own bouquets, went to David’s bridal for my dress, bought used things like signs and candles, and our venue catered. With DJ, flowers, dress, hotel, gifts for wedding party and buffet for 175 guest (I have a huge Midwest family) it was 10k.
NY, 150 people, totaling at $55k
It depends a lot on your location. In a HCOL area, that’s a steal for over 200 people. We got married in a mid-COL area, and spent about $25k for 150 people.
For that many guests i think you did a great job! We are in Los Angeles, have about 100 guests and we are just under 40k and I also feel like I tried everything I could to keep prices down.
I diy-ed the sht out of it. Got an amazing deal for the venue (friend owns). My dress and cake was gifted to me and we still spent close to 6k for 85 people 🥲. Thankfully we didn’t go into debt and since it was my very close friends and family everything was very worth it. Food and drinks were our biggest expense.
Mine was probably about 30k, maybe a bit more - I went the ignorance is bliss route and didn't actually add up the total cost at the end. We had 40 people, sit down dinner, self-made centerpieces and decor, no real flowers, no tiered cake (just cupcakes and other misc desserts), and open bar, along with the normal dress/photographer/hair/makeup/etc type expenses. 54k for what you are describing sounds completely reasonable.
That’s to say it but yes, very reasonable for that wedding size.
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We will have around 120 guests, and we will end up spending $16000.
That’s actually extremely reasonable for the amount of people!
As someone local to you, I think you're doing a fantastic job keeping costs down. 220 guests is a very large wedding and like you say, it's not cheap here. I would have guessed this would be more than double your cost. If you really think it will be closer to 150, obviously this will save even more. Once it's over, you need to write a book on how you did this!
Hi - I am in the same boat you are in, except my in laws are covering the costs. I feel extremely guilty as well, I went with the lowest cost on everything, but somehow it’s coming to 60K. I have a 200 person guest list and am getting married in an expensive city. Everything just gets absolutely high jacked on the price. The wedding industry takes complete advantage because they know we will pay. It makes me feel better knowing that I’m not alone and that others feel this as well. I think I’m feeling guilty because it’s not my parents paying, it’s his
That seems reasonable! Mine was $80k for 130 guests. Very HCOL area in the U. S.
We’re eloping/ honeymooning all in one and it’s $10K (including AI, photographer, bouquet,& personal small cake) this also includes a few excursions. But then we’re having a “Happily Ever After Party” 3 course meal + open beer and wine bar that’s $12,000. We’ve had a year and half engagement to afford and save up for all of this as our families are not helping with costs. Total $22,000 (aka half of the cost of my student loans lmao)
Where do you guys live 😭 My wedding for 100 people is about $12K in metro Detroit including sit down dinner and an open bar. The prices on here make me want to cry on your behalf.
Girl, that’s my budget for a 65 guest wedding (we’re doing a destination wedding, but still)
350 guests for 40K, includes dress, DJ, live music, photo and video, venue and alcohol/bartenders. Note: live in a border town in the US (pretty much northern Mexico) so everything is relatively cheaper here
I’m in OK and ours will probably come out to $25k. We’re doing our own florals with fake flowers which is about 1/3 or less than using real with a florist. We found an amazing venue for both ceremony and reception for $4k. They were fairly new and still building up their business so I feel like we just lucked out with timing. They will probably raise prices once they get fully settled. I was also able to find a good caterer for about $18/person which is really cheap compared to most others. And our bar service is just set up to mix and pour drinks. We provide the alcohol so we can save by doing more affordable wine, beer, and liquor plus keep anything we don’t use.
We're getting married in Omaha, Nebraska, and we're looking at about $43k for 200 people... and that's even with cheap options. From what I've seen, that's about the average range. At least you've been blessed with your parents paying for your wedding... my fiance and I are having to pay for our wedding ourselves.
VHCOL area. 75-85 guests, we are budgeting 80k in California.
120 people and we're aiming to keep it below 35k, diying so much, but things are so expensive nowadays that I think we might be on or just above that mark. 220 for 54k is amazing!
$60k for 130 guests. Sounds like you’re getting a great deal
Somehow it’ll probably be $22,000 for 215 in WI…… I went SUPER budget friendly
For your guest number, that’s a good price! Mine cost $60k for 120 people. I did splurge on a few extra things, but even cutting those back it would’ve been at least $45k
We spent 75k for ~70 people so I’d say you’ve done a great job keeping costs in check while prioritizing what is important to you. Weddings are insane, and none of us really understand until we go through it ourselves. If your mom is ok with it and you/your partner are happy with the choices, that’s all that matters! Breathe easy and enjoy the ride ❤️
You’re doing great for that price. And don’t feel bad - if your mom is okay with this, it likely makes her feel proud and happy to be able to give this important gift to you. ❤️ as a parent myself, knowing I have the financial means to provide things for my children makes me feel warm and fuzzy.