Welcome to our real wedding budget breakdown series! There's no right or wrong amount to spend on a wedding, but for some reason, couples rarely talk about the bottom line of their big day. And we want to change all that! We're taking the guesswork out of wedding budgets and sharing itemised lists of real life couple's wedding splurges and savings. Hopefully it will help you see what's achievable and realistic for your own wedding, whether you've got €3000, €30,000 or €300,000 to blow on your big day.
Today's couple are 31 and 29, they work in marketing and advertising in Dublin, and had a weekend-long foodie wedding at an exclusive hire country house venue in the Midlands.
Budget: €51,000
Guests: 125
Venue: A church ceremony and a private-hire country house reception.
Wedding Budget Breakdown
Venue Rental: €8,500
Catering: €11,900
Alcohol: €2000
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Photography: €2300
Videography: €900
Music & Entertainment: €5000
Flowers: €2200
Wedding Cake: €150 (we baked it ourselves)
Decor: €200
Stationery: €1600
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Wedding Dress €4400
Groom's Suit: €2000
Groomsmen's Suits: €735
Bridesmaid's Dresses: €750
Shoes & Accessories: €500
Rings: €1100
Hair & Make-up: €980
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Gifts: €300
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Honeymoon: €3000
More or less than you expected to spend?
It was more than we expected.
Where did your wedding budget come from?
It came from savings and gifts.
Biggest Splurge?
Entertainment and food.
Biggest Savings?
Baking the cake ourselves.
Honeymoon
We went to Jordan.
Were you happy with what you spent on your wedding?
Yes, we don't regret any of our spending.
Any Tips or Advice?
The most important thing is the feeling of the day - Don't worry about the things people won't notice - and make sure there's loads of great food, booze and entertainment. If the guests are full and having fun, the day will be memorable.
Need more wedding budget real talk? We've got lots of tips and advice, and be sure to check out more real wedding budget breakdowns!
Thanks so much to this couple for sharing their wedding spending with us. Got your own real wedding budget breakdown to share? Help other couples and fill in our anonymous Q&A - and give as much detail as you can!
Feature image: Moat Hill Photography via One Fab Day | All images are from a mix of real weddings, not the one featured in this budget breakdown.
