You're newly engaged, it's an incredibly exciting time! Somewhere amongst the excitement, the celebrations and the endless wedding inspiration, you might start to wonder how much this is going to cost.
So you come up with a number. Maybe it's based on what you've saved, what you're comfortable spending, what a friend spent on their wedding or simply what you think a wedding should cost. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But you probably haven't started getting quotes yet. Until you do, it's actually quite difficult to know whether the wedding you're imagining and the budget you've set are going to match.
The difference between your wedding budget and the actual cost of your wedding
Photo Credit: Darren Burnett
Often couples have a budget in mind and a pretty clear idea of what they'd like their wedding to look like. It might be a beautiful venue, 80 guests, a photographer for the whole day, a florist, a celebrant, a DJ, delicious food, plenty of drinks and a few special touches. And they've got your budget in mind.
But they might not have actually worked out what those things cost and if their budget will stretch that far. That's where the challenge begins.
Deciding what you'd like to spend on your wedding isn't quite the same as knowing what your wedding will cost.
You don't know what you don't know
Photo Credit: Koru Photography
Unless you've planned a wedding before, why would you know what a wedding photographer charges? You likely have never had to organise catering to feed 80 people or understand what goes into the price of wedding flowers?
Wedding pricing isn't always straightforward either. A photographer might offer six hours of coverage or ten. One caterer might include staffing and equipment, while another quotes for the food alone. One venue might include furniture, glassware and an event manager, while another requires you to hire those separately.
It's not always easy to compare like for like. So when couples start receiving quotes, they can be surprised by how quickly everything adds up. It's not necessarily that they've chosen extravagant suppliers or are spending recklessly.
Pinterest and Instagram don't come with price tags
Photo Credit: Midge Edine Photography
We all love a bit of wedding inspiration. That beautiful wedding you've saved on Pinterest doesn't tell you how much the flowers cost, how many people were involved in setting everything up or what the couple actually spent. You might fall in love with a particular style of wedding without realising what goes into creating it.
The same applies to guest numbers. You may not realise the difference between having 50 guests versus having 80 guests in terms of your budget. It's easy to think you can just add another 10 guests. But those ten guests mean additional catering, drinks, furniture, table settings, stationery and potentially even a different reception layout.
Small decisions can have a much bigger impact on the overall wedding budget than couples initially realise.
Why getting quotes early matters
Photo Credit: Sally Anne Photography
One of the best things you can do when you start planning your wedding is to get some actual prices before you commit too heavily to your budget or your plans. Do enough research to understand the likely cost of the elements you want. If photography is really important to you, find out what photographers whose work you love actually charge. If you've got your heart set on a particular style of floral arrangements, talk to a florist about what might be involved. If you're planning a wedding for 80 guests, get a realistic idea of what catering and beverages might cost.
When you're comparing wedding venues, look carefully at what the venue hire includes rather than simply comparing the headline price. The more information you have, the easier it becomes to make decisions that work for you.
Your priorities matter more than someone else's wedding budget
Photo Credit: Robin + Andie Photography
One of the things we always encourage couples to do is work out what's genuinely important to them. Maybe you absolutely love flowers and want to allocate a significant part of your budget to them. Perhaps food is your priority, and you'd rather have an incredible dining experience than elaborate styling. Maybe photography is the one thing you're not prepared to compromise on.
Your wedding budget should reflect your priorities, rather than trying to squeeze in every possible wedding tradition or extra.
Don't forget the costs that aren't immediately obvious
Even once you've received your main supplier quotes, there can be additional costs to consider. Costs like delivery and travel fees, staffing, equipment hire, alterations, transport, extra hours, set-up and pack-down can all affect your final wedding spend. Some suppliers include these in their packages, while others charge separately. It's important to understand exactly what each quote includes.
Start with gathering information
But before you start booking suppliers, take the time to understand what the wedding you want is likely to cost. Get quotes. Ask questions. Find out what's included. Understand where your money will go. Then compare that with what you're genuinely comfortable spending.
Planning your wedding at Waipuna Estate
Photo Credit: Robin + Andie Photography
At Waipuna Estate, we know that understanding what's included in your venue hire is an important part of planning your wedding budget.
Our wedding packages include a range of essentials, including tables, chairs, glassware and an event manager. We also offer the flexibility of BYO catering and beverages, with no corkage fees, giving you more choice over how you allocate your wedding budget.
If you're exploring wedding venues in Christchurch and Canterbury, we'd love to show you around and talk through the options available for your day.