So you don’t have to take out a mortgage.
They say you can’t put a price on love, but with the average Australian wedding now costing couples anywhere from $36,200 to a staggering $54,000, it seems like love really does come with a hefty price tag.
The cold, hard post-wedding fact is that 35% of couples blow their budget and 60% take out a loan just to say “I do”.
So, where exactly does the money go? The largest expenditures are necessities, such as the venue, food, alcohol and entertainment, but there are also finer details to take into consideration. Decorations, invitations and dance lessons may seem insignificant but can prove to be money-suckers in disguise.
In order to help manage your wedding budget, we’ve uncovered the biggest wedding expenditures and rustled up some helpful hints to ensure you’re not forced to spend your honeymoon in a dodgy highway motel room rather than lying on a beach in the Maldives.
Reception venue.
Australian couples spent an average of $18, 683 on venue hire, food and alcohol alone, making it the biggest cost of a wedding. Let’s face it, you want your reception to be the party of the year, so making sure you’re happy with the venue is crucial. However, there are a few sneaky ways to keep costs down without scrimping on style.
Consider holding the event on a Sunday instead of a Friday or Saturday night. Afternoon events will also be cheaper and, after all, nothing says sophisticated vintage bride quite like a champagne luncheon or high tea.
It also pays to be more selective when creating the guest list. While inviting your hairdressers husband’s cousin might seem like a good idea at the time, it’s a sure fire way to see the price of your wedding sky rocket. If you can, keep it intimate with only family and close friends. Not only will you keep costs down, but you’ll be able to spend more time with people you really care about on your special day.
Wedding clothing and accessories.
The average wedding wardrobe comes in at $4,271, with the wedding dress costing an average of $2,180, though it can reach prices of up to $15,000 (yikes). While we’d all love to say our vows in stunning Vivienne Westwood couture a-la Carrie Bradshaw, this perhaps isn’t a plausible reality for most of us.
Choosing the perfect dress is sometimes one of a bride’s most important (and stressful) decisions, but there are ways to keep down the costs without resorting to wearing a pillowcase. Online websites such as Etsy are now offering a huge number of bespoke and handcrafted designs to ensure all eyes will most certainly be on you.
With regards to the bridesmaids, consider asking them to wear their own accessories in a matching colour rather than buying multiple sets of shoes, hair clips and clutches. And while spending a day at the spa getting primped and preened sounds like fun, why not have a pamper night at home: pull out a bottle of champagne and do some DIY manicures, pedicures and face masks.
