The Ultimate Wedding Budget Checklist: 47 Items You Can't Forget
Print this list. Tape it to your fridge. You will forget something. This list will remember.
I have planned 200 weddings. Every single couple forgot at least three items on this list. The marriage license. The cake knife. The tip envelopes. The overnight bag for the hotel. The list goes on.
Venue and rentals (8 items)
Venue rental fee
Ceremony site fee (if different from reception)
Tent rental (backyard weddings)
Tables and chairs
Linens, napkins, table runners
Dance floor
Lighting (string lights, uplighting)
Portable bathrooms (backyard weddings)
Catering and bar (9 items)
Food (per person)
Beverages (alcohol and non)
Service charge (18-22%)
Gratuity (15-20%)
Tax
Cake or dessert
Cake cutting fee
Corkage fee (if bringing your own alcohol)
Late night snack
Photography and video (6 items)
Photographer hourly rate or package
Second shooter
Engagement session
Videographer
Album or prints
Travel fee for photographer
Attire and beauty (5 items)
Wedding dress
Alterations
Suit or tuxedo rental
Hair and makeup (trial included)
Accessories (shoes, jewelry, veil)
Flowers and decor (5 items)
Bridal bouquet
Bridesmaid bouquets
Boutonnieres
Centerpieces
Ceremony decor (arch, aisle petals)
Music and entertainment (4 items)
DJ or band
Ceremony musician
Cocktail hour music
Photo booth
Stationery (3 items)
Save-the-dates
Invitations
Thank-you cards and postage
Gifts and favors (3 items)
Bridal party gifts
Parent gifts
Wedding favors for guests
Logistics (4 items)
Marriage license
Officiant fee
Transportation (shuttle for guests, cars for wedding party)
Day-of coordinator
The Wedding Budget Calculator can help you allocate dollars to each.
The Per-Guest Cost Estimator helps you see the per-person impact of each category.
If you have 100 guests, each of these 47 items has a per-guest cost. Multiply by 100. That is your total. The estimator does this math instantly.
Sarah thought she had a complete budget. She had venue, catering, photographer. She forgot tips. She forgot the marriage license fee. She forgot overnight parking for guests. Her final bill was $2,400 higher than she planned. She used the Wedding Savings Tracker to adjust.
She added those $2,400 to her savings goal. She saved an extra $100 a week for six months. She made it.
A "week of" checklist, separate from your budget. Ten days before the wedding, run through this:
Final payments to vendors (cash in labeled envelopes)
Gratuity envelopes (labeled with vendor names)
Marriage license (in your go-bag)
Rings (in someone's pocket, not a drawer)
Vows (printed, in case your phone dies)
Overnight bag for the hotel (change of clothes, toiletries, phone charger)
Snacks for getting ready (you will not eat otherwise)
Comfortable shoes for dancing (your feet will thank me)
Emergency kit (bandaids, safety pins, stain remover, pain reliever, tampons)
Printed timeline for the wedding party (no one checks their email that morning)
Priya forgot her marriage license. She realized the night before. Her county did not issue duplicates on weekends. She had to reschedule the ceremony for Monday. Her out-of-town guests had already flown home. She did a private ceremony later. She still gets sad about it.
The Venue vs Backyard Analyzer can help you decide which items you can skip.
A backyard wedding might skip some items — no corkage fee, no cake cutting fee, no venue coordinator. But you gain other items — portable bathrooms, generator, tent. The analyzer shows you the trade-off.
Print this checklist. Go through it with your partner. Check off each item. Add the estimated cost. Then open the budget calculator and build your real budget.
Sarah — who forgot the $2,400 — she now sends this checklist to every engaged friend she knows. She says "I do not want anyone else to learn the hard way."
Olivia
