Your Wedding Budget - 5 Basic Tips, Tricks & Secrets
Let’s talk wedding budgets. If you're already sweating, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Before couples come to me for help planning their big day, they usually hit a few bumps when trying to create a budget on their own.
That’s why I’m sharing the top 2 mistakes I see all the time and giving you 6 simple, realistic steps to set up a successful wedding budget—without the overwhelm.
🔍 P.S. I typically handle most of this for my couples, starting with a quick phone call and a short questionnaire. Within a day or two, I can get you a solid, personalized budget so you can breathe easy and move forward with confidence.JUMP TO
Top 2 Mistakes Couples Make with Their Wedding Budget
1 - Using ‘Free’ Vendor Directories
I get it—websites like The Knot and WeddingWire are shiny and easy. Pretty photos, awards, endless lists of vendors who look like they have it all together. But here’s what most people don’t realize: those vendors pay to be featured. That means they’ve got higher overhead, and that often trickles down to you.
You might not find the most budget-friendly or best-fit vendors there. Instead, I recommend Googling vendors directly, browsing wedding blogs or Pinterest, or (yep, you guessed it) working with a Wedding Planner who already knows the top vendors in your price range.
2 - Using ‘Easy’ Budget Building Tools & Lists
You’ve probably seen the tools that say, “Spend 8% on florals, 25% on catering…” But these generic calculators don’t account for regional differences. A wedding in Ohio is very different from one in the Hudson Valley, and even two New York towns—like NYC vs. Oak Hill—can be worlds apart.
💡 That’s why I create custom budgets based on your location, priorities, and vibe. Not some copy-paste template that assumes all weddings are built the same.
6 STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BUDGET!
If you're a DIY couple, these steps will help you get organized. But heads up: I usually do all of this for my couples, so if you're already overwhelmed, reach out! I’ve got a system that starts with a quick consult, and I can turn around a full budget draft in a day or two.
Step 1 – Make a Planning Folder
Create a wedding folder in Google Drive or on your desktop to keep everything in one place. Proposals, ideas, spreadsheets, random screenshots at 2am—you’ll want it all saved where you can find it.
Step 2 – Build a Budget Spreadsheet
List every possible item you might need for the big day:
Venue
Catering
Bar
Florals
Rentals
Music
Cake
Restrooms (yes, especially for tented weddings!)
Ice, water, linens, and about a hundred other things you don’t want to think about
With my math background, I look at weddings like a giant (beautiful, chaotic) equation. There are always constants—restrooms, food, tables, etc.—and vendors are how you solve for those. Let them handle the nitty gritty so you don’t have to!
Step 3 – Make a Vendor Category List
Don’t worry about names yet—just list out categories like:
Florist
DJ or band
Photographer
Rentals
Transportation
+All the others..
You can browse sites like WeddingWire just to see which vendor types exist (not necessarily to hire from them). I also make “inquiry tracking docs” for each category that include:
Vendor name (linked to their site or Instagram)
Availability
Notes, pricing info, links to quotes/proposals
All organized in one easy place in Google Drive. Yes, I’m a little Type A. Yes, it works.
At this stage, you're NOT looking to book vendors. You're looking to get a range of pricing for each type of service you'll be hiring.
Step 4 – Research 3–4 Options per Vendor Type
Skip the paid directories. Instead:
Google reviews
Pinterest
Wedding blogs
Your venue’s preferred list
Me! (Have I mentioned I’ve done this before? 😄)
You’re not booking anyone yet—you’re just getting a feel for what pricing and style is out there.
Step 5 – Reach Out for Pricing
Contact a few vendors and ask for basic pricing info. No pressure or deep dives—just ballpark quotes. Pop those into your inquiry docs to help you set realistic budget numbers for each category.
💡 I usually do this step for my couples, reaching out on your behalf and organizing quotes so you don’t have to chase down a dozen email threads.
Step 6 – Finalize Your Budget Spreadsheet & Keep it Updated
Take the average pricing you’ve gathered and pop those numbers into your spreadsheet. I copy those numbers into a second column and turn them red—this is your "current budget" column.
As you start booking vendors and locking in real prices, I change those red numbers to black so you can compare estimated vs. actual costs side by side throughout the planning process. That way, you always know where your money’s going and can adjust as needed.
Whether you’re planning a mountaintop ceremony in the Hudson Valley, a tented soirée in New England, or a cozy destination wedding abroad, your budget is where it all begins.
Yes, it feels like a lot at first. But when you’ve got someone guiding you—someone who’s built a bajillion of these and knows what’s realistic—you can stop spinning and start actually enjoying the planning process.
🎉 P.S. I offer free custom budget creation. Because no one should feel like they need a second job in finance just to get married.