How much should i be looking to spend

Can't really answer this for you, it depends entirely on the area you live in and what type of wedding you want (formal, backyard, loft, etc.)

There are so many factors that go into a budget, which can make it vary a ton from person to person. This is really going to depend on what type of wedding you want, what your “must haves” are, and the price of things where you live. If I were you, I would start researching venues and vendors (ie, officiant, photographers, caterers, cake bakers, florists, etc.) to get an idea of the average cost of these items in your area, then go from there.

As others have said, there are many factors that go into the cost. I’ll probably end up with around the same number of guests and our wedding will likely cost around $26k. But we also live near DC/Baltimore and the base costs of the type of vendors we want to use are going to be higher than an area not near a major city.


I would start figuring out the type of wedding you want to have and reaching out to vendors for estimates to see what costs are going to be. I certainly could have had a cheaper wedding if I chose a different venue and more casual food, those are the biggest costs for me.

We have 80 people in California and are spending 28K.

It's really all dependent on where you live and what you can afford.

If you’re on a tight budget, I would suggest sitting down with your fiancée and figuring out what is most important to you. Is it a photographer? The quality of the food? The ceremony? There’s lots of ways to cut money. The first thing to figure out is whether you want it in a venue or at a church/park/backyard, etc. Keep in mind that some venues are just the price of the space while others may include tables, chairs, linens, dishes, sound system, and sometimes even cake/food. You could book a photographer for less hours to save money. Mexican, Italian, and BBQ restaurants will often cater for good prices. Good luck!

I'm in Southern California and I am at $12k. It's doable but I am foregoing a typical reception. I am not a big fan of traditional weddings.

Start with a conversation with your fiance - figure out what is important to you both, and what kind of vibe you want. Church? Backyard? etc. THEN do some research, and I would highly recommend you're only looking at numbers for your area. If you're looking at the national average, but you live near or in a city (or just in a more expensive area), those will not be accurate, and can lead to some serious disappointment and stress. Also, venues that seem affordable, but require a lot of travel from vendors won't always be cheaper.

The research will help you understand what your options are. Maybe you dreamt of having lush florals, but you'd be okay with just bouquets and boutonnieres, if that meant staying in budget. And you can really hone your expectations on what you can do. As others have said, I recommend figuring out where your priorities lie, and allow that to guide where you'll want to spend you money.

Also, this is a good time to have lots and lots of conversations with your fiance. As you both do some research, you might be inspired by something that would work perfectly for you, or maybe that something you both had wanted seems out of budget (helloooo floral arches). And that's okay. It's okay to change what you want. The research phase is for exploring and finding your boundaries. But allowing you both to adjust expectations is important. So definitely communicate.

No matter the budget, it will be beautiful and amazing, if you focus on what you value.

I'd also recommend looking at pinterest with a lot of skepticism. lol Lots of over budget ideas there.

My husband and I are contributing $6,000 for our daughter's wedding/reception of up to 100 people. We're in the piedmont/triad area of NC. She fell in love with a dress that was over budget - so she paid the difference. She also wanted tons of flowers and is paying for the florist. Otherwise, everything else is falling into that $6,000 budget - and we've been lucky to find excellent vendors with excellent rates. It took a ton of time and research - but I have more time than money The wedding venue was the biggest expense at $3300. It included so much we all agreed it was worth the cost - separate ceremony and reception areas, DJ, bartender, tables/chairs, linens, dinnerware/dinner service setup, staff to setup/cleanup/serve food, day of coordinator, tons of decorations such as silk eucalyptus, lanterns, signs, etc. We could have saved about $2000 if my daughter and future son-in-law had wanted a church wedding but they didn't.

It really does all depend on what you want. If you're on a tight budget, check local parks and museums. Do a search for all-inclusive venues. We found several that were in our general price range of $6,000 +/- for 100 guests. Two of them included the meal and cake for a little more (with choice of a couple local caterers/bakers).

It totally depends on what you want and where you live. My brother and SIL got away with about a $2k wedding with about 150 guests by getting married at the church he worked for and then having family provide all the food potluck style. Meanwhile my fiance and I are going to end up around $20k for 75 people even thought we're doing very minimal decoration and foregoing flowers.

There is no one size fits all answer as no two couples spend the same amount, even in the same city. You and fiancé need to decide together what your priorities are and what to cut. Most couples focus on the guest experience (good food, free drinks, great dj) and great photos for your memories. You decide together how much you are comfortable spending without asking for assistance because you hand over control of decisions to whomever contributes financially. Blank slate venues that allow outside catering are cheaper than all inclusive venues and give you more flexibility, especially if you are on a budget. Be aware that all inclusive venues may have a small rental fee but their 5+ figure food/beverage minimum can easily be more than your entire budget.


Guest count determines prices as well and your guest list needs to be figured out before you look for venues. Only invite those you can’t imagine the day without that you are not inviting out of obligation to please others.

It depends on what you want to fir wedding ceremony and reception did you guys decide buffet style or seat down dinner. Then no cocktail hour were not going one just go straight from ceremony straight to reception. Are you going to have drinks available like alcohol drinks or just juice,soda,water ,tea. Say 10,000