How much did you budget for your wedding?

[Keurig]

I’m getting married shortly, really low key affair. 3 star hotel, no bridesmaids/groomsmen, no cars, no white dress. Was assured I could do it for about £10K, but final costs will actually be about £25 - 30K. Is it usually a ‘take the first number you thought of and double it’ scenario? This is not a question of affordability, more expectation!

The biggest cost will be the number of guests rather than the trappings.

How is a three star hotel wedding with no dress coming in at 25-30k? How many people have you invited? Even 100 people at £30 a head is only 3k???

Eh? That's insane! Don't spend that!

£600 dress from Wed2B, £150 alterations
£50 veil on Facebook, shoes I already had
£200 hair and make-up for me and MOH
£200 for MOH dress and shoes

£2.5k for evening meal and first drink which included the venue hire - a v nice 3* hotel in Cornwall
Then whatever we paid for DJ
£250 for a coach to take people to and from the wedding itself as we were at a church about 30mins drive away in high tourist season (only a few miles!) but also had a champagne reception there so it allowed everyone to drink (put on by in laws, about 50 bottles of cava, prosecco and champagne they bought over a year)
£150 for canapés
£300 for our hotel room for 2 nights

I think you're being taken for a ride tbh.

Where's all the cost coming from?

I'm another one who can't see how a £25-30K wedding could possibly be low key. I think the PP who mentioned £30 a head for guests was being very optimistic but even so, you must have a hugh number of people coming for that price!

That seems a lot if you're having no bells and whistles. We spent £25k admittedly it was 6 years ago, but that was for 100 guests in a boutique hotel and included bridesmaids, all food and booze (we paid corkage to bring own wine).

Our wedding came in at just under £2k. We were fortunate to know businesses/people that could help. I worked in a menswear store at the time, so that took care of the suits. My dress was a sample, but never worn. We made the decorations for the church, and our cake was made from a mum of a school mate. We wanted a simple wedding, and we got it. I know that's to everyone's taste, but if you're trying to stick to a budget there are always things you can do to keep to it. Congratulations, btw.

That doesn't sound right, what's the breakdown of those costs and how many guests?

What is the breakdown of your spend, £25k sounds a fortune for a low key affair?

We did something very similar and ours was just under 2k. Glad someone else managed it!

(My MIL thought I was too cheap. It was DH's dream wedding.)

How many guests are you having? What is the breakdown of that £25k??

We did ours for under £1,000 but obviously it's not what everyone would want. I think it's the number of guests, and therefore food, that adds a lot of cost.

£500. We eloped.

No need to spend that amount of money.

£35-40k but that included exclusive use. Paying for all the rooms available in the property including breakfast for them the following day. Food, drinks, entertainment, photos, makeup, dresses, party decor etc.

A good number of years ago though, I’m sure would cost a lot more now.

I’ve had 2 nieces get married in the last couple of years. One paid <£10k for her wedding, the other £35k+. As a guest, granted I was not paying attention to where money would have been spent, there were no significant differences.

The wedding industry sells a dream and is there to get as much money out of couples as it can and unfortunately many fall for it.

We’re getting married in June, registry office ceremony and then a 5 course meal in a Michelin recommended countryside pub. We’ve invited immediate family only which will be 22 people including us and we’ve spent £3.5k so far and pretty much done, I might buy a few more bits of decorations for table but that’s it.

Ours was under £5k:
£1000 my outfit
£400 his outfit
£500 rings
£200 bus hire
£2000 dinner and drinks for 50 people in the restaurant where we had our first date
£700 for booze and light buffet back at our house for a party with a further 25 guests

£30k for a low key wedding with no dress/car/bridesmaids.!!!!!!

So even if it's £1k for the cake and £1k for the disco and £1k for flowers, thats £27k for the wedding breakfast?

How many people have you got coming?

That's crazy. I had sept 2023, Saturday wedding. 5 star hotel, 40 day quests and venue and food was just under £3000

Thats very high when it's not even everything. How many guests are you having and what does the package include?

£120. Legal paperwork and that was all. Offered witnesses a coffee after but they had other things to do. Wore clothes we already owned and parked in a free car park 10 mins walk away

Edit: punctuation

£2.5k and it was a lovely day. Anything £10k or more is far from low key!

£500. Register office, afternoon tea for 10 people, dress I already owned, disposable cameras. Stress free and simple. The best thing about it was that I was 4 months pregnant after years of trying and IVF 🙂

We spent about 5 grand. Small do. I could never justify a 30k wedding or anything near it. Each to their own though.

Whaaaat?! Why on earth is it that much? Compare to the people above.....

If you have a disposable income of £25-30k, then it's your choice, but that's no way it's a small event.

How do these costs break down?