We hope this budget planner helps
you see just how much we include so that you can compare apples
with apples as you consider all of your possible venue choices. We
provide an excellent value for your wedding dollar, and serve a
particular niche by providing a warm, welcoming space that's
decked out and ready for revelry without requiring that you use any particular
caterer or buy your drinks from us.
To help you
plan as thoroughly as possible we've included necessary elements that we do not provide.
We recommend the vendors mentioned because we absolutely trust
them to take great care of you and be a good value. You are welcome,
however, to use whomever you like with very few exceptions.
The prices listed for other vendors are our best estimates and
may not reflect their exact current prices. No matter what
vendors you choose it is up to you to get your own quotes and
contracts with them.
Of course this is all an estimate, so feel free to make notes of where you're going to spend more and
where you're going to spend less, and what elements you might
add or eliminate.
If your parents are helping
with the costs and you haven't done anything like this yet, you may
want go through it the first time without dad at your side. Or
have the nitroglycerine pills ready. Weddings are shockingly
expensive.
Dance Street Ballroom Wedding Budgets
Tip: While
it is tempting to try and slash one of the Big 3 expenses
(venue/catering/photography) these are the most expensive
elements for good reason - they're the most important.
• You can find less expensive venues for certain, but only
at a greater cost in your time to do the set up, decorating, &
clean up. You only have so much time & energy in any one
day, and we want you to use that energy enjoying your friends and
family, and the moment, not in putting flowers in vases on
tables. The same is true of your family and friends.
• It seems like you can save a LOT of money by doing the
food yourselves, but when it comes down to it the savings is
often very small. For one, you'll still need a bartender
if you're serving alcohol, and a bartender-at-large team is
usually about $200-$300 for the night. Second, you'll need Service Assistants who will put the food out, maintain it &
put it away, clear tables, take out the trash, cut the cake, and
keep the punch and water re-filled. This keeps your family
and friends from having to work the wedding, often missing out
on important moments because they were "in the kitchen."
This is another $200 or so for the night. Then there's the actual food. For
Albertson's meat tray,
cheese tray, veggie tray, & fruit tray you're looking at about
$9 per person, never mind any rolls, salads, or condiments, plus
plates/napkins/forks, and non-alcoholic beverages such as punch
and coffee. Whew! That's a lot of trouble for little
or no savings.
• Photography seems SO expensive considering that the cost
of the equipment has gotten so low. That's true, but
you're paying for much more than someone to stand around and
snap shots. The expertise required to manage the herd of
cats that is your families and bridal party is hard won.
Knowing what shots are going to mean the most to you later, and
what moments shouldn't be missed is crucial, and best left in
the hands of someone who is not part of the celebration.
Uncle Joe may have a great eye, but when he's busy chatting and
laughing with other family he's not going to notice the tender
moment between you and the groom during a slow dance. It
also takes a lot of talent and experience to get the most out of
those shots during the computer phase, and to create a truly
memorable album. It's not as easy as they make it look,
and even with your best intentions life moves quickly. The
odds that you're actually going to put in the amateur hours
needed to correct and organize the best shots out of a couple
thousand images is. . . slight. Lastly, the best argument
I can make for having a professional photographer is this:
I didn't, eleven years ago, and now I wish we had.
• Finally, watch out for the nickel & dime items.
Doohickeys and thingamajigs can drain hundreds of dollars if
not more from your wedding budget like a slowly dripping faucet.
Cute invitations that need extra postage, extra fancy favors,
super-deluxe flowers - these are all fun to play with and pretty
to look at, but if they threaten your budget enough to make you
consider cutting costs on one of the main elements then they are definitely not worth
it.