Why Brides and Grooms should plan their weddings for THEMSELVES and no one else.
I’m here today to talk about pricing. It’s arguably the most controversial part of the wedding industry, and no one likes to talk about it. I am by no means an expert on pricing for each vendor. However, I did put together a loose average amount that couples are paying right now in Colorado.
Venue: $8050
Floral: $1180
Catering: $2640
Planner: $2440
Cake: $365
DJ: $870
Photography: $1624
HMUA: $260
Bar: $1000
Total: About $20,000
(That also doesn't include the dress or the suit!)
That’s a lot of money, and from what I have seen recently, that’s the low average of what brides and grooms are paying. To give a wider example, there’s a new, very popular venue in Alabama called Stone Haven that averages $35,000 for the venue alone! Lauren Fair is a well-known wedding photographer, and she charges between $8,000 - $12,000 for an 8-hour day. Just those two exceed the averages that I came up with, so keep in mind that these are examples of what it costs to plan a typical wedding in Colorado.
Which brings me to why you should be planning your wedding day for you and no one else. If having a big wedding with 200 people is what will bring you joy, then do that, but be ready for the price tag that will come with it. The key here is “bring you joy”. If that kind of wedding will not, in fact, bring you joy then pick the three things that will mean the most to you on your wedding day and plan your budget around those!
The best example I have of a budget friendly wedding experience is one I planned. The styled shoot in the Dunes would have averaged out at about $10,000 which included; Venue (that doubled as a hotel), floral, suit, dress, photo, and video. I love photographing weddings as well as planning them. I even have a special package where I do both for elopements. I hope I get to do more of that in the next couple of years.
To conclude, plan a day that will bring you and your partner joy. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of planning, stress, and money that goes into it, only for you to come out of it realizing you planned an event for everyone else’s joy.
