How much will your wedding cost? Use the calculator below to get an idea of how much you’ll spend on each expense. Then adjust the numbers to make sure you stay on budget (and out of debt) for your big day.
Whether it's an intimate gathering or a blowout celebration, don’t let your dream wedding turn into a financial nightmare. Use this wedding budget template to map out your wedding must-haves, set priorities, and plan for every expense.
When you tie the knot, you’re not just saying “I do”—you’re also combining finances. The EveryDollar budget app helps you plan, track and stick to your budget, for your wedding and beyond. Because couples who budget together win together!
Weddings are so exciting! But without a plan, costs can spiral fast. Having a wedding budget keeps you in control, lets you prioritize what matters most, and helps you plan your wedding with confidence.
Follow these steps to create a wedding budget that works for you:
As a couple, what do you already have saved up for all the upcoming wedding costs? Jot down that number. You might be perfectly content with this amount, or you might be eager to work on the next two steps to get that number higher.
The average wedding costs $33,000, with an extra $5,300 if you tack on the honeymoon expenses.1 But this does not mean you have to spend that much. Remember that!
It used to be that etiquette told us exactly what roles the parents of the bride and groom played—including who paid for what. But things aren’t quite so spelled out anymore.
It’s possible your parents opened up the financial conversation the moment you showed them that shiny new engagement ring. If not, you need to open up those lines of communication yourself.
How much are they wanting or willing to contribute to your nuptials? Just make sure you don’t assume your parents will cover most of the cost—or any amount, really. Be thankful and content with whatever they gift you.
After you’ve filled in what you’ve already saved and any extra your family will contribute, you still have another option for upping your wedding budget: You can make some extra money.
Now, this shouldn’t be about impressing anyone or living up to a standard you’ve seen on Pinterest. But if you honestly want to spend more on your wedding and can do that without sacrificing your other money goals, then get a temporary side hustle—or even sell some stuff—and put that extra money into your wedding budget!
Yes, it’ll take some work—but with that extra cash, you can totally book that extra night (and the ziplining package!) at your all-inclusive resort for the honeymoon. Worth. It.
It’s time to dream together. Talk about your big vision for the big day. Bring up any ideas you want. Then narrow things down and come up with three (shared) nonnegotiables. These are your top three most important wedding dreams!
What do you want to make sure you prioritize: food, flowers, photography? A big guest list, live band and restored barn for the venue? The sky isn’t even the limit if you dream of releasing live doves.
Once you decide, write down your top three nonnegotiables on the front of your wedding budget template. Then you can put a star (or heart!) beside them on the second page. (Fill in a blank spot if it’s not already on the sheet.) And anything that doesn’t matter at all—cross it off!
Now that you know how much you can spend, it’s time to plan how you’ll spend it. Do your research and fill in the budgeted amounts in your wedding budget template—starting with your top three nonnegotiables and covering the less important wedding costs after those most important ones.
Just make sure it all evens out so you don’t end up spending more than you have.
And don’t forget to put a little padding in there for anything unexpected that might pop up. Give yourself a couple hundred dollars (at least) in a line labeled “miscellaneous.” If you don’t spend it, then take it on the honeymoon or put it toward your Baby Steps journey (aka the proven plan for saving money, paying off debt, and building lasting wealth).
When you’re adding up the numbers, you might realize you don’t have enough money to cover all the wedding costs you’re planning for. Here are some options for how to create a more budget-friendly wedding if that happens:
Whatever you do, do not take out a wedding loan or put any of these expenses on a credit card! It. Isn’t. Worth. It. And don’t spend every bit of money you have either. Walk down the aisle with money still in savings. Because getting married is about so much more than one day—it’s about your future together.
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