Bride
and/or Her Family
Wedding Invitations and Stationery Estimate #1 Estimate #2 Estimate #3 Actual
____ Invitations
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Envelopes-Return
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Envelopes-Inner
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Reception Cards
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ RSVP Cards
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Announcements
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Thank You Notes
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Ceremony Programs
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ At Home Cards
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Calligraphy
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Napkins
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Matches
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Cake Boxes
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Place Cards
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Guest Book/Pen
__________ __________ __________ _________
____ Postage
__________ __________ __________ _________
Totals This Page
__________ __________ __________ _________
Budget Planning
In the post-modern era, the question of
who pays for a wedding has as many answers
as locations where can you get married. Tradi-
tionally, the bride’s family assumed responsibility
for the majority of the wedding expenses with
the groom’s family paying for specific items.
Today, most couples enter marriage after start-
ing careers and both plan, and to some degree,
pay for their own weddings. Often the bride
and groom accept help from either or both sets
of parents.
Budget Details
When planning your budget, be realistic!
Divide your planning by those services definitely
needed and those wanted if budget allows.
Once you’ve determined what you need and
what you want, it’s time to start shopping. Try
calling various vendors to see what their fees
are. Keep accurate records so that you can es-
tablish your budget. When asking about costs,
ask about low-end, high-end and average
prices. Keep in mind that some vendors will not
discuss fees over the phone; they may send
you information or may not discuss monetary
issues in any way but in person. A time effec-
tive way of shopping for service providers is to
attend a bridal show or hire a bridal consultant.
A professional bridal consultant will be able to
tell you quickly what the going prices are for
services in your area.
Once you have an idea of the price range
of your needs, you will then know if your bud-
get will accommodate any of your additional
wants. Don’t forget the details in each category.
For example, the wedding dress is only one part
of your expense. Remember to add in the cost
of alterations and all of the accessories (under-
garments, hosiery, shoes, etc.).
Using the Checklist
Below is a checklist of expenses typically
covered by the bride/family, the groom/family,
and various attendants. If you are splitting costs
differently, use the space on the left to help
indicate who’s paying for what. For expenses
being covered by the bride and/or her family,
place a “B” on the line on the left; for expenses
covered by the groom and/or his family, place a
“G” there.
Once you have made these decisions,
write down estimates and actual costs in the
spaces provided on the right side of the form.
This detailed list will give you an overview of
your wedding budget as you progress. (Note:
You may want to photocopy these pages for
“guesstimates,” and fill in the estimate columns
below as you arrive at budget figures you are
happy with.)
