When it comes to having a great wedding, it is very easy to start overspending. The average wedding costs about 30,000 dollars (without a honeymoon and engagement ring). We have made a list of the top reasons why weddings can be so costly.
Reception Venue
The wedding reception venue is one of the biggest expenses for every wedding. To have your ceremony be held at a church, expect to spend close to $1000. This does not include the fee for hiring an officiant at your ceremony not does it include the cost to decorate the venue. For the reception, hotels can charge about $3,000 to $15,000 and up for rental of a large space or a ballroom, and many of these require the of an on-site caterer who might charge around $200 or much more per person.
Catering
According to recent research, the average wedding catering cost, including food, drinks, and cake is around 13 thousand dollars for 100 guests. A buffer or reception with a limited bar and no cocktail hour may cost up to 80 dollars a person. A cocktail hour and an open bar in some expensive hotel, resort or country club can cost up to 3000 dollars or more per person, including gratuity and service.
Engagement Rings
The exchange of wedding rings is a very old tradition that many newlyweds will spend a bit more in this area. A wedding band can cost you up to 3000 downloads and if you want one with diamonds or other stones such as a ruby it will probably cost a few thousands more. If you are unsure how much you should spend on this item then read more about it here.
Open Bar
If the reception offers a menu of house brand liquors, you probably will not spend no more than 40 a person for drinks. However, that does not include tips, setup, bartenders, and tax fees. It is not a good idea to ask your guests to pay for their drinks or to tip the bartenders, so a bar that is paid with cash is not what you want on your wedding day. If you are looking to cut some costs in this area, serve a specific cocktail and just a few types of wine and beer.
Wedding Dress
It is difficult to put an exact price for a wedding dress since every bride to have her style. On average, brides spend about 2000 dollars on a wedding dress. For a designer dress or dresses with beading, lace and complex hemlines could rack up the price to about 5000 dollars. If you want to make some alterations to your new dress it might cost you another 500 dollars. And after you pick out matching accessories like the headpiece, lingerie, veil, and shoes, another 500 dollars will add up.
The Flowers
When it comes to wedding flowers there is only one rule. The more, the better. You will probably need to spend no less than 2000 dollars if you want to cover the cost of the flower designs and arrangements. Remember that these costs may increase depending on the season, since your desired flower may not be obtained easily