We cover the fact about what a wedding costs—average cost per person, average reception costs, etc. We also compare the costs of the various wedding reception types that you have to choose from.
The following article is an EXAMPLE of the content we have in our online wedding planning membership site HappyWeddings.ca under the heading of Wedding Vision. To learn more and get useful wedding planning tools for FREE, click here!
We go into detail about budget in the next module, but here I want to point out some basic facts.
The number of people you invite to your wedding has a direct relationship to your budget. Remember: You are hosting a party, and paying for everything. In the next module, we will talk about how to invite your family to contribute, but let’s get to some more facts.
Costs vary depending upon your city and the popularity of your wedding ceremony site and your wedding reception site. In 2009, an average city wedding costs $25,000 and an average rural wedding costs $20,000. The reception cost, which is your biggest expense, will take between 37% and 50% of your overall budget, and usually equates to $50 per person. An AVERAGE wedding has a total cost of $75 to $100 per person invited, once all costs are totalled. A lot depends upon the choices you make along the way.
A cocktail reception can be less costly than a sit down meal, but it does depend upon how many items you have for the cocktail reception. It CAN go over the cost of a sit down meal if you choose a lot of expensive hors d’ouevres.
A breakfast or lunch menu is less expensive than a dinner menu. A cocktail reception is usually less expensive than a sit down meal. In later modules, we will guide you through how to work with a caterer, or a hotel to work out your costs.
If you think your families will contribute to the wedding, hold off on your overall vision until you get that budget. A formal wedding costs more than an informal wedding, and if your family contributes, you will have the option of a formal wedding that you had not considered before the additional budget came your way.
Once you have your total budget established, that is the time to finalize your vision. Go back and start to finalize all your wedding vision decisions. If you run into questions, feel free to ask them in the forum, or at our live coaching calls.