I have a wedding budget of around £15,000 and I have a ‘typical’ cost breakdown from a magazine to work off because I have no idea how much things cost.
After doing some research and getting some photography and Florist quotes it seems to be way out! I am worried I don't have a big enough budget to pay for everything.
Firstly, it is important to note that a £15,000 wedding budget is rather substantial! Some couples get married on very little and the final amount depends on the ‘Who’; ‘What’; ‘How’; and ‘When’!
Magazine budget breakdowns are tricky as the data is likely to be gathered from brides who live across the country, with varying guests numbers and also different preferences; thus should be used as a guideline only.
Similarly I think it is difficult to base your budget around a percentage. Whilst your reception (catering and drinks) will take up approx 50% of your budget all the other things need to be looked at individually, compared next to your remaining budget.
The most important thing with all your suppliers is that you should see what's important to you. Some people would rather not have a videographer, some people have someone who can make their wedding cake and some people don't require chair covers- it literally does just depend on your circumstances.
The best thing to do is for you and your partner to spend an evening discussing your ideas to establish what you want and what you don't and where to 'allocate' extra funds. Entertainment may be something which you want to spend more money on yet you may want a photographer to provide your images on a disc which is normally cheaper than an album.
From here you need to tackle each supplier seperately ensuring that you do thorough research, ensuring that you obtain at least three quotes per supplier so you have something to compare.
The most important thing to remember is to hold back at least 10% of your budget for a contingency or emergency wedding fund then IF you do spend more than you intended you will have a safety net.
All in all, each wedding and each couple are different so be creative and be original- you will be surprised how far your budget will stretch.
I hope this helps!