Tips
What budget for your event? The real cost, line by line
Catering, venue, décor, photos: how the budget of a wedding or big celebration really breaks down — and where to save without regretting it.
“How much does it cost?” is always the first question — and rightly so. Here is how a reception budget actually breaks down, no sugar-coating.
The classic split
For a wedding, you typically see:
- Catering & drinks: 40 to 50% — the biggest line, proportional to the guest count;
- Venue: 15 to 20%;
- Décor, flowers & equipment rental: 10 to 15%;
- Photo / video: 8 to 12%;
- Music, outfits, stationery: the rest.
Where to save smartly
The most powerful lever isn’t the unit price, it’s the guest count. Then: a next-day brunch instead of a second dinner, seasonal flowers, and renting furniture rather than buying.
Where not to save
Catering and photography. A mismatched chair is forgotten; a cold meal or botched photos are not.
And the wedding planner?
Good support partly pays for itself: negotiated quotes, no duplicates, no costly last-minute mistakes. Request your quote — itemised line by line, and free.
