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tips&tricks
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cambridge bride
Wedding Cake: Trends & Options
Budgeting That Makes Sense
Wedding Tunes Database
(16 Lists, 700
Songs)
A Cambridge Bride's
To-Do List
Making Memories Click: The Photos
Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
cambridge reality weddings
The Ring meets
Reality TV on the net!
Tell Your Story!
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Budgeting
That Makes Sense
The
Budget Spreadsheet |
You're
in luck! Check out the brand new Budgeter giving basic price ranges for
absolutely everything! Keep in mind, none of the prices seen here are
guaranteed, however they are based on the pricing coming from Cambridge wedding
vendors and are completely subject to change. There may be less expensive
vendors and more expensive vendors, depending on your needs and where you
look, but this Budgeter gives you the best starting point you could hope to
ask for! It's realistic, local, and will be your guideline for setting your
Wedding Day stage.
The
Budget Spreadsheet
(based on 100 guests)
|
CEREMONY
|
SHOESTRING |
CINDERELLA |
ROYAL
GALA |
| MARRIAGE
LICENCE |
$100.00 |
$100.00 |
$100.00 |
| OFFICIANT
FEE |
$100.00 |
$250.00 |
$500.00 |
| CEREMONY
LOCATION - CHURCH VS. OUTDOOR VS. OUTDOOR W TENT |
$100.00 |
$750.00 |
$5,000.00 |
| RINGS |
$300.00 |
$600.00 |
$2,000.00 |
|
ATTIRE
|
| BRIDAL
GOWN & ALTERATIONS |
$600.00 |
$1,200.00 |
$2,500.00 |
| VEIL
& HEADPIECE |
$100.00 |
$200.00 |
$500.00 |
| SHOES |
$30.00 |
$150.00 |
$500.00 |
| GARTER,
GLOVES, PURSE, JEWELLERY, ETC (ACCESSORIES) |
$100.00 |
$400.00 |
$2,500.00 |
| LINGERIE |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
$500.00 |
| HAIR
& MAKE-UP (AND SPA FOR ROYAL GALA) |
$40.00 |
$200.00 |
$1,000.00 |
| GOING
AWAY OUTFIT & ACCESSORIES |
$100.00 |
$300.00 |
$500.00 |
| GOWN
CLEANING & PRESERVATION |
$100.00 |
$300.00 |
$1,000.00 |
| GROOM'S
ATTIRE |
$0.00 |
$300.00 |
$500.00 |
|
THE
WEDDING RECEPTION (based on 100 guests)
|
| RECEPTION
HALL CATERED MEAL INCLUDING GRATUITIES |
$2,000.00 |
$3,900.00 |
$10,790.00 |
| CHAMPAGNE,
WINE FOR EACH TABLE |
$150.00 |
$500.00 |
$1,000.00 |
| 2
FREE DRINKS FOR EACH GUEST |
-- |
$1,300.00 |
-- |
| OPEN/HOST
BAR |
-- |
-- |
$3,000.00 |
| CASH
BAR |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| WEDDING
CAKE |
$150.00 |
$500.00 |
$900.00 |
| DECORATIONS
& RENTALS (lighting, pedestals, ceiling panels, etc.) |
$550.00 |
$1,000.00 |
$10,000.00 |
|
FLORAL
DÉCOR & ACCESSORIES FOR BRIDAL PARTY, CEREMONY, RECEPTION
|
| BRIDE'S
BOUQUET |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
$600.00 |
| BRIDESMAIDS'
BOUQUETS (3 total) |
$120.00 |
$225.00 |
$500.00 |
| GROOM'S
BOUTONNIERE |
$10.00 |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| GROOMSMEN
BOUTONNIERES (3 total) |
$9.00 |
$15.00 |
$50.00 |
| BOUTONNIERES
& CORSAGES FOR OTHERS |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
$100.00 |
| RECEPTION
CENTREPIECES (17 tables) incl in décor or handmade vs custom |
-- |
$255.00 |
$1,275.00 |
| CEREMONY
FLOWERS/DECORATIONS |
$200.00 |
$500.00 |
$750.00 |
|
MUSIC
TO SET THE MOOD
|
| CEREMONY
MUSIC (organist vs harpist or duet vs string quartet) |
$125.00 |
$300.00 |
$600.00 |
| DANCE
MUSIC |
$550.00 |
$900.00 |
$1,500.00 |
|
PRESERVING
MEMORIES
|
| PHOTOGRAPHER
& ALBUMS & PRINTS ORDERED |
$1,000.00 |
$2,500.00 |
$5,000.00 |
| VIDEOGRAPHER
- friend (not recommended) vs. professionals and editing |
$500.00 |
$1,500.00 |
$3,000.00 |
| TABLE
THROW-AWAY CAMERAS (5 vs one on each table) |
$85.00 |
-- |
$200.00 |
|
STATIONARY
|
| INVITATIONS
WITH RSVP CARDS AND ENVELOPES |
$150.00 |
$500.00 |
$1,000.00 |
| PROGRAMS,
PLACECARDS |
-- |
-- |
$450.00 |
| POSTAGE |
$60.00 |
$60.00 |
$60.00 |
|
WEDDING
NIGHT
|
| BRIDE
AND GROOM HOTEL ROOM |
-- |
$175.00 |
$500.00 |
| OUT
OF TOWN GUESTS' ROOMS |
-- |
-- |
$1,500.00 |
|
TRANSPORTATION
|
| LIMOUSINE
- 6 SEAT - 3 HOURS |
$395.00 |
-- |
-- |
| HORSE
& CARRIAGE - 4 HOURS |
-- |
$499.00 |
-- |
| LIMO-BUS
- ALL DAY |
-- |
-- |
$1,600.00 |
| |
$7,869.00
|
$19,854.00 |
$61,525.00 |
*Prices
here are all estimated and may be higher or lower than seen here. Please check
with your wedding vendor for specific pricing.
download
this Excel spreadsheet
About the
budget spreadsheet...
These budgets categories have to be tweaked to work for you (no one we know
will be spending $61,525 on a wedding!). The most commonly used budget here
will be the Cinderella, which can easily be tweaked to ring in at as low as
$15,000 and as high as $25,000.
•
decide which parts of each element of your wedding is most important and spend
more on them, less on everything else.
•
if you want to save on decor, rent a reception hall that is already beautiful
and needs little help with appearance, then either stroke the saved money off
of your budget, or allocate it elsewhere to something you'd like to spend more
money on.
•
the Cinderella can be made to be anywhere
between $15,000 and $30,000.
•
the Royal Gala shows extremely high
expenditures on all aspects of the wedding, and is not realistic for anyone
that doesn't have an unlimited budget. However, if a Cinderella Bride's
highest priority is preserving memories, she may want to increase that part of
her budget to the Royal Gala expenditure and then decrease it to compensate in
other areas.
•
the Shoestring Budget (not that over $7000
seems so 'stringy' to the average person...) can be tweaked in many different
ways. This budget can be decreased to as low as $4000 and as high as $12,000.
Related
Articles:
Best
Guesstimate Chart: How much money do you really have?
~
Considering
your options: What to spend on your wedding
~
Bridal
Basics Planning Sessions: One-on-one help with budgeting
~
Planning
Index |
