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!

We ended up not going for our initial choice of venue. It sounded reasonable to start with (I wouldn’t call it low key, but not hugely extravagant). But once we started to look more closely at exactly what their costs included and what we’d need to add (and they required you to use particular suppliers and then everything costs more for a weekend etc), it was soon adding up to much more than we’d anticipated.

£6000. Came in at £6800. Including the honeymoon in Rome.

Church wedding, 2 classic cars for us and the bridesmaids, 85 people for a 3 course meal in a nice venue.

M&S cake, posh decorations, nice off the rail suits and dresses rather than bespoke.

The only time I have been offered accommodation for free was when I have attended three weddings in America.

Should add that my friend did my hair and make up, she was a fully qualified beauty therapist. I think that’s the thing with my wedding though it was years ago. Three major costs were covered by friends offering free professional services so the same would apply these days. At first one of my sisters offered to do the catering as she was sales rep for a National catering supplies company but it seemed too much of a faff. I always remember the lovely cakes costed at 20p a portion! She did do the catering for our other sisters wedding anniversary party a few years later but it was 30 people for far more manageable.

Our honeymoon cost the same as the wedding, we went to Kenya for two weeks and London for a week.

That seems a lot for a low key wedding. You must be having lots of guests. I think meals now cost between £50-£100 each for food. My son is thinking of popping the question but says he wants to save up some money first otherwise he said engagement would have to last many years. My wedding cost £13.5k 18 years ago. We got married in a castle and had our reception in a medieval banqueting hall with a full sit down meal with 4 courses for 80 people and an evening reception with food for 100 guests. It covered all costs, wedding dress, 3 bridesmaid dresses, shoes, make up, hairdressers, tiara and veil for me, suit hire for DH and groomsmen, horse and carriage to take me and bridesmaids and 1 paige boy to castle and to take me and DH part way to re eption then we switched to car as too far for horsess. A coach to transport guests to reception, wedding cake, photographer and live singer at evening reception plus DJ and all flowers which I decorated the castle myself and bouquets for me and bridesmaids plus gifts for bridesmaids and groomsmen also wedding rings for DH and me and invitations and order of service. We paid corkage for champagne for the reception and wine for tables which we got on a booze run to France one weekend. I know today a similar wedding would cost £45k - £50k. I don't regret a penny though. I felt like a princess.

@caringcarer im enjoyed your day and said it was worth it!

We budgeted £1000 and spent around £650 I think.

My son got married last year. 65 guests, 4 star hotel (we all paid for our own rooms though-don't know how you thought you'd be able to pay for 24 rooms and still come in under£10k!) Cake made by a friend, photographer for part of the day only, a live band in the evening, lovely 3 course meal with 2 bottles of wine on each table of 8 and a light evening buffet. It came in at under £12

That's £12k obviously 😂

That seems incredibly high. We had a city centre 4 star hotel wedding for £15k, 90 guests. That included everything - canapés and fizz, 2 course meal, wine; fizz for toast, evening buffet, a band in the evening, bridesmaid and ushers outfits, white dress, £2k behind the bar in the evening, cost of the registry office. We didn’t pay for anyone’s accommodation though, I bet that’s where your costs are coming from. It was a Saturday. The per head cost was £90. I’d really go through all your costs and see where the high costs are coming from, if you want to cut down. It seems a lot for a “low key” wedding!

We budgeted 5k and spent about 5.5k. Church wedding then reception in a brewery, it was great!

My budget was £5k, spent slightly under.

@99victoria because the quote for food and hotel rooms is under 10K

Oh don't clarify, double down and keep to the £12

2k

We got married 7 years ago so prices were lower. We had a hotel wedding which included-

Wedding service
A hog roast for 80
3 drinks for 80
Evening buffet for 100
Wedding dress
3 bridesmaids dresses
2 suits
4 bouquets
Shoes x 5
Brides jewellery
Photographer
Icecream van
Casino experience (2 hours)
Live band (2 hours)
Cake
Sweetie table
Children's games
Dj
Table decs and favours

Total cost 6k

£20,000- 25,000 13 years ago.

Fairly traditional type wedding.

The money went on a lot of lovely food and champagne!