Brides USA

4

DETAILS ULTIMATE GUIDE

3

HIRING

A WEDDING

PLANNER?

A pro can save you

time, headaches, and

sometimes money

by using connec-

tions to negotiate

deals with vendors.

Geissler breaks

down the different

types and what they

do. Know that if

you plan on going

full-service, you need

to lock her down

before you start

making decisions.

DAY-OF

COORDINATOR

You plan your ow n

wedding but hire

her one to two

months out to man-

age vendors, review

contracts, create a

wedding-day time-

line, and be there

during the event to

help set up and keep

things on schedule.

FEE: 2–7% of overall

budget

SEMI–FULL SERVICE,

A.K.A. DAY-OF-PLUS

PLANNERS

Services vary, but

these folks are day-

of coordinators with

a little extra: They

work with you in the

final months to offer

design consulta-

tions, create your

favors, or take over

communication

with a major vendor,

like the caterer.

FEE: 7–10%

FULL-SERVICE

PLANNERS

They’re with you

from start to finish,

helping you draft

a budget, lining up

venue visits, recom-

mending vendors,

and coordinating just

about everything.

Some also double as

designers, handling

stationery, tabletop

decor, and the like.

FEE: 10 –15%

SET A BUDGET

Now that you have your bottom line and

your guest count, you can begin breaking

down your budget. The columns on the far

right show how much the average U.S.

couple pays for typical wedding expenses,

based on a total budget of about $28,000.

Take it as a starting point, then adjust

according to your priorities and realistic

costs in your area, says Lauren Geissler,

of Downey Street Events in San Francisco.

To figure that out, talk to recently married

friends and check out our wedding-budget

tool at brides.com/ budgettool. Next, ask

vendors you’re interested in for detailed

pricing breakdowns based on your head

count. “Be prepared to spend most of your

budget on venue and catering, but no

more than 50 percent,” says planner Amy

Nichols. Otherwise, you’ll have a tough

time stretching the rest to cover music,

flowers, photography, et cetera.

VENUE &

CATERING

$12, 343

PHOTOGRAPHY &

VIDEOGRAPHY

$3,378

BRIDAL ATTIRE &

BEAUTY

$2,486

MUSIC

$1, 811

WEDDING RINGS

$1,727

FLOWERS

$1, 297

TRANSPORTATION

$808

DECOR

$777

POST-WEDDING

BRUNCH

$709

AFTER-PARTY

$661

STATIONERY

$621

WEDDING-PARTY

GIFTS

$588

CAKE

$461

FAVORS

$326

GROOM’S TUXEDO

$314

MARRIAGE LICENSE

$85

PICK A VENUE

Your wedding date, your decor, your cater-

ing—they all depend on the space. To find

yours, consider meaningful locations (have

a favorite hotel or art museum?), turn to “The

Best Venues in America” in this issue, browse

online databases like Weddingwire.com,

and check out real weddings on Brides.com.

When you’re ready to tour reception sites,

never visit more than three a day, says plan-

ner Claire Bean, of Claire Bean Events, or

you’ll experience sensor y overload. A few

other things to keep in mind:

1

If you’re having a religious ceremony,

first reser ve your house of worship. Many

have set ceremony times, which will dictate

when your reception can start.

“Be prepared to spend

most of your budget

on the venue and

catering, but no more

than 50 percent.”

—AMY NICHOLS, AMY NICHOLS

SPECIAL EVENTS

What the Average Couple Spends

320 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 6

SHAYCOCHRANE.COM

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