When planning a wedding, there are several costs you’ll need to consider. Some are relatively cheap, while others are more expensive. We’ll take a minute to discuss three of the most expensive costs you’ll likely have to deal with when planning one of the most significant events of your life.
1. The Venue
The wedding venue cost is always one of the most expensive if you’re budgeting for your special day. You can have your wedding in a church, but you might also have it at a high-end hotel. You may have one at a lavish estate if the owner makes it available for that purpose.
Some individuals choose to have their weddings on private beaches that can be rented out. You might select a castle courtyard if you’re having a destination wedding and want to go all out with the theme.
The average wedding venue cost is about $16,000, but you can find others that cost less or considerably more than that. You’ll need to think about how much money you’re willing to spend when planning for this expense. You must also consider how many individuals you’re going to invite.
2. The Wedding Rings
Wedding rings are usually one of the most expensive items associated with the event. You can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars on a customized ring with gold and diamonds. You can always find them considerably cheaper than that, though.
Men sometimes like to go for a relatively simple look for their wedding rings. They might get a simple gold band, or others like the more modern look of a platinum, silver, or even a wooden ring.
Wedding rings for women often cost more, especially if they are more elaborate. Some women also like to have an engagement ring that they might wear for months or even years in advance, depending on the timeline of the engagement. The couple will have to agree on how much they want to spend on rings for each individual.
3. The Food and Drink
The catering at a wedding is usually one of the biggest costs as well. You might spend thousands on food if you’ve invited a couple hundred people or more.
The cost of the catering will also depend on how fancy you want to get with the food. If you do something like chicken or fish, it might not be too expensive. If you go with something like Kobe beef and lobster, that will come with a higher price tag attached.
You will also have to increase the price of the wedding if you’re going to have an open bar. That can raise the cost considerably, so you might consider a cash bar if you’re running low on funds. You may also choose to give each guest a couple of drink tickets, and then they can pay for additional drinks themselves if they want more.
Plan for These Costs Ahead of Time
Once you’re engaged, take some time with your fiance to start pricing the wedding. The venue, rings, and food and drink at the event will likely be your three biggest costs.
You can always go with cheaper or more expensive venues. The number of people you have will always be a consideration. The cost of the rings can also vary dramatically. Think about how much money you have to spend and how elaborate you’d like to get with these symbols of your love.
The food and drink will likely be expensive, but you can lower the cost by having less costly entrees. You can also consider having a cash bar or only allowing each guest a couple of drink tickets before they need to start buying additional drinks themselves.
There will doubtless be other expenses, but plan on these three being the largest.
