By far one of the most difficult things to me about being a wedding planner is explaining to brides how their budget will be spent.  My heart sinks when I talk with brides and they tell me they have a not so small guest count and an unrealistic budget.  I get inquiries all the time through a leads website for (I am not kidding you) $5,000 total budget and 250 – 300 guest counts.  I don’t even respond to these inquiries of course, but many of my qualified leads start out with small budgets that increase, sometimes even double by the time the bride and her family have made informed decisions.  While I have a budget form that I often share that breaks down average spending per category, lately, I have been starting budget discussions with a very simple formula and a detailed dialogue.  It goes something like this:

Hypothetical Scenario:  Bride’s budget = $20,000, Anticipated guest count = 200

The first thing I tell clients is that the national average for weddings is around $27,000.  I also explain to them that Atlanta is a healthy market and most of my weddings average closer to $40-$45,000.  I tell the client that a good general rule of thumb is that 50 – 60% of their total budget will be spent on the reception, with 40% of the total budget going only towards food and food service.  The remaining 10 – 20% of the reception budget is spent on wedding cake, venue fees, alcohol, rentals, etc.   Are there exceptions to this?  Absolutely.  This is merely a jumping off point, to help the client begin to wrap their head around realistic wedding costs.

I literally take out a blank sheet of paper and write some simple calculations for the client.

Based on the above scenario, my notes on a piece of notepaper look something like this:

Reception = 50% of total budget = approximately $10,000

Food & Service Costs for reception = 40% of total budget = $8,000

Divide the food & service costs by the number of guests. $8,000 divided by 200 = $40 per person.

I then ask what they would expect to pay per person for a meal a a nice restaurant that would include an appetizer, a salad, a nice entree with two sides and a dessert.  Then I tell them to add a couple of glasses of wine to that total.  At this point, I can begin to see the realization (and disappointment) sink in.  They are starting to see it all come together.  Very quickly, they can add the actual food total up to about $75 per person, which is the average estimated per person cost that I use for catering with my couples in Atlanta. 

So, a more accurate estimate would be $75 per person X 200 guests = $15,000.  (Remember, this is for food only!)  This only leaves $5,000 for EVERYTHING else for the wedding!  At this point, the client has already exceeded the TOTAL reception budget.  We haven’t even started discussing decor, flowers, linens, tables, chairs, etc.

I then share with the client the good news…by cutting your guest count, you can decrease your budget significantly, and decreasing the guest count has a trickle down effect on almost all budget categories.  Less guests = less cake, less food, less alcohol, fewer tables, fewer chairs, fewer centerpieces, etc.  For every 25 guests removed from the count, clients can expect to save over $2,000.  Cut the guest list by 50 and you’ve successfully decreased your budget by about $4,000.  I find that with weddings over 150 guests, it is very difficult for the couple to make their way around to everyone anyway.  The lower the guest count, the better your wedding will be if budget is a concern to you.

NOTE:  I always budget the alcohol over and above the food cost.  More and more couples are going with beer and wine only instead of a full bar to cut costs, or specifically looking for venues that allow them to bring in their own alcohol.  Because there are so many variables to alcohol, I prefer to keep it separate from food. 

At this point, I talk with the client about other budget categories and give them some ballpark estimates on what they can expect to spend based on what they have in mind.  I talk about some general ways they can save money such as using a DJ instead of a band, repurposing bridesmaids bouquets for centerpieces, etc.  I encourage them to go home and think about what we have discussed, and decide if they will be lowering their guest count or increasing their budget.  I also ask them to prioritize their remaining vendor categories.  For instance, photography is increasingly more important to couples than flowers.  Couples today are open to creative desserts such as pies in lieu of a 5 tiered, ornately decorated wedding cake.

The key thing to remember is that every couple is different and some things are non negotiable for them.  For my clients on a budget, I have started including in my packages a comprehensive budget spreadsheet with an estimated spending category and an actual spending category. Anytime a vendor is booked, I add it to the actual spending and send the client an update so they can see in real time where their spending is taking them.  Many times, my clients do exceed their budgets, but I have always recommended less expensive options for them. 

A final note I would give to my planner colleagues is this:  just because a client may come to you with a small budget does not mean you should discount your services.  I find that I actually work harder on small budget weddings than on larger budget weddings.  Much of my value comes from knowing ways to decrease costs and having creative solutions for my clients that honor their desire for a beautiful event along with their desire to be frugal.

I hope this is helpful information for you.  Feel free to use the formula I shared with your clients. but please keep in mind that my dollar estimates are based on my experience in the Atlanta market.  It will be very helpful for you to know estimated costs in your area.  If you have any questions at all about my method, feel free to email me at info@thestylishplanner.com.

Happy Planning!