Planning your wedding budget: How much does a wedding really cost?

##Why you should set a budget early

Many couples start with beautiful ideas: a dream venue, good food, lovely decoration, music, a photographer, maybe a wedding website and a special schedule for the guests.

All of that is completely understandable – but without a budget, planning can quickly become unclear.

If you decide early how much you want to spend overall, you can make better decisions. You will know, for example, whether a venue really fits your plans, how many guests are realistic and which service providers fit your budget.

A budget does not mean that you have to give up everything. It means that you plan your wedding more consciously.

##How much does a wedding cost approximately?

Wedding costs can vary a lot. A small celebration with fewer guests will naturally cost less than a large wedding with many people, several service providers and an exclusive venue.

In Switzerland, wedding costs are often estimated between CHF 20’000 and CHF 50’000 – depending on the location, season, number of guests and personal wishes. For a celebration with around 60 to 80 guests, many couples spend approximately CHF 30’000.

Other Swiss wedding sources also mention guide prices between CHF 25’000 and CHF 55’000 for a celebration with 60 to 80 guests.

Important: These numbers are only rough guidelines. Your wedding can be cheaper or more expensive – depending on how you want to celebrate.

##The biggest wedding cost factors

For many weddings, the venue, food and drinks make up the largest part of the budget. After that, photography, music, outfits, decoration and stationery often follow.

Typical cost factors are:

Cost factor What it includes
Venue Room rental, hall, garden, terrace, cleaning, infrastructure
Food & drinks Apéro, menu, buffet, drinks, wedding cake, service
Outfits & styling Wedding dress, suit, shoes, accessories, make-up, hair
Photography & video Photographer, videographer, shooting, editing, gallery
Music DJ, band, singer, sound equipment, lighting
Decoration Flowers, candles, table decoration, signs, guest gifts
Stationery Save-the-date, invitations, menu cards, seating plan, thank-you cards
Ceremony Church, civil ceremony, symbolic ceremony, music, documents
Planning & organisation Tools, wedding website, guest list, budget, schedule

Food and drinks in particular depend heavily on the number of guests. Even a difference of 20 people can noticeably affect the budget.

##What couples often forget

Besides the big expenses, there are many small things that are easy to overlook at the beginning. These small amounts can make a big difference in the end.

For example:

• Tips
• Transport
• Accommodation
• Alterations to the wedding dress or suit
• Postage for invitations
• Children’s meals
• Technical equipment for music or microphones
• Meals for service providers
• Small gifts for witnesses, bridesmaids, groomsmen or parents
• Decoration accessories
• Spare shoes, emergency kit or beauty appointments

That is why it makes sense to plan a reserve from the beginning. A good idea is to keep around 10 to 15 percent of the budget as a buffer.

##How to plan your wedding budget step by step

It is best not to start with individual prices, but with your overall budget.

First, ask yourselves:

###How much do we want or can we spend in total?

After that, you can divide your budget. For example:

• How much can the venue cost?
• How much do we want to spend on food and drinks?
• How important are photos and videos to us?
• Do we want a band or is a DJ enough?
• How much do we want to spend on outfits, decoration and stationery?
• Which things are nice to have, but not absolutely necessary?

This helps you quickly see which things have priority.

##Saving tip: Set priorities instead of saving everywhere

When it comes to the wedding budget, it is not about spending as little as possible everywhere. It is much more important to make conscious decisions.

Maybe good food is more important to you than expensive decoration. Maybe you would rather invest in a good photographer and save on guest gifts. Or maybe you prefer a smaller wedding with more quality and less stress.

A beautiful wedding does not need to have everything. It needs to fit you.

##Why the number of guests is so important

The number of guests is one of the biggest budget factors. Every additional person usually means more costs for food, drinks, seating, stationery and sometimes even a larger venue.

That is why it is worth creating the guest list early. It does not have to be perfect, but it should be honest.

Think about:

Who really needs to be there?
Who do we definitely want to invite?
Are there plus-ones?
Are children invited?
Are there guests who only come to the ceremony or the apéro?

Once you have clarity here, the budget becomes more realistic too.

##Wedding in Switzerland or in Croatia?

Since many couples today plan internationally or have guests from different countries, the country can also make a big difference.

A wedding in Switzerland is often more expensive than in many other countries, especially when it comes to the venue, catering and service providers. For Croatia, there are also big differences depending on the region, venue and number of guests. Some destination wedding sources mention a rough range of around 15’000 to 35’000 euros for smaller to medium-sized weddings in Croatia with around 50 to 70 guests.

Here too, this is only a guideline. A large traditional wedding, a seaside celebration or an exclusive venue can significantly increase the budget.

##How VJENY helps you with your wedding budget

Wedding planning is not only about collecting beautiful ideas. It is also about keeping an overview.

With VJENY, you can organise important parts of your wedding in one place: wedding website, planned guests, RSVPs, guest list, schedule, seating plan, gallery, budget, checklist, communication as well as QR codes and links.

Especially with the budget, it helps if you do not have to work with many separate lists. You can structure your planning clearly and see more easily which areas are already settled and where decisions are still open.

This keeps your wedding not only beautiful, but also easier to plan.

##Conclusion

A wedding can cost very different amounts. There is no one correct budget – there is only a budget that fits you, your guests and your wishes.

It is important to talk honestly about money early on, set priorities and plan enough buffer. This helps you avoid stress and enjoy your wedding more consciously.

With clear budget planning, you do not have less excitement – you have more security.

##Plan your wedding budget more easily with VJENY

With VJENY, you have your wedding website, guest list, RSVPs, budget, schedule, seating plan, checklist and QR codes all in one place.