Arizona Wedding Budget Part 4: What's in YOUR Budget?

There are so many pieces of this pie, it's hard to know which ones to take a bite of next!  But this one is kinda fun and it will help you organize your wedding budget plans.   Let me ask you a very important question: When you say, "My budget is 'X' number of dollars, what exactly do you mean?"

Whenever you are planning for a big project, one of the first things that helps set the stage for all things to come is to define your scope.  What is the 'scope' of your budget? This may sound like a funny question, but you might be very surprised to hear the sweeping variety of budgetary scope that we hear.  

For some couples the scope is limited. 
Diane and Phil had booked their photographer and were having an intimate dinner party after their ceremony.  The Ceremony would be at a private estate, the dress was purchased. They had already reserved their dinner reception and chosen their menu. The deposit was paid.    For them, "Budget" included: flowers, linens, cake, reception decor, ceremony decor and any necessary rentals (chairs, tent, etc).  

For some couples, the budget is much more inclusive.  

Commonly seen budget items include: Ceremony and Reception Venue, Wedding Gown, Groomswear, photographer, DJ, cinematographer, catering, bar, invitations, flowers, linens and decor.

Some budgets include items that are less commonly thought of and may or may not be consider as part of the "initial budget":  insurance on engagement ring, wedding party gifts, hotel rooms, wedding rings, transportation for couple and/or wedding party/family, guest travel, wedding party attire, decor rentals, rehearsal dinner, engagement parties, honeymoon.  

Let's define our terms for the sake of this conversation.

To keep it simple, our budget includes:

Wedding Attire

Officiant

Wedding Planner

Floral: Personal and Decor

Photographer and/or Cinematography

Venue

Food and Beverage Service

DJ or Band

Desert or Wedding Cake

Transportation for Couple

Rentals--tables, chairs, linens, furniture, decor, etc..

Don't forget to include Gratuities

And here's a great tip:  Add a line item with a couple thousand dollars for Miscellaneous so that should you decide to add something unexpected to your budget, it won't affect your bottom line. 

So what should you expect to spend on each of these vendors I mentioned? Funny you should ask...

Next up! Arizona Wedding Budget Part 5: The Wedding Vendor Sweet Spots

Important News for Engaged Arizona Couples!

Just a quick note tonight to remind all you Fall and Winter Arizona Wedding couples to get your marriage licenses and avoid the lines.  With the recent news about the imminent change in Arizona Marriage Equality, we are planning for the best!  And when gay marriage becomes legal in Arizona, it will mean long lines at the County Courthouse.  It will be really amazing to be a part of history, but you may want to be prepared. The Office of the Clerk has a posted list of locations where you can obtain a marriage license.  Justice Court locations require you pay by money order. We suggest you contact your location to see if there are any special requirements.  When you complete the paperwork and show your proper identification, you will be given your license.  You can obtain your license up to a year before you get married. Your license will expire after one year.  After your wedding, your officiant has 30 days to return the signed license back to the court in the pre-addressed envelope provided.  

And if you want to avoid the lines, get your license now, before the rush!

Check the Clerk of Court website for more information on getting your marriage license in Maricopa County. 

Arizona Wedding Budget: Part 3--3 Things You Need to Know About Your Food and Beverage Budget

1.  Service Charge

2.  Tax

3. Gratuity

That's it.  If you can get a handle on these items in advance, you will be glad you did! Imagine you take your mom out for dinner, and she has appetizers, salad, a delicious entree and a heavenly dessert.  The bill comes and her meal was $100.  The tax was added before they gave you the check, and you add in your own gratuity.  
As wedding planners, it is our job to set realistic expectations about budget and help translate the cost of food and beverage at various venues.  

Just like that dinner you bought for your mom, the price on the menu was a little different than the "out the door" price.  But that little difference can add up when we are multiplying it times 150 guests if you are not aware.  With caterers/banquet departments, the final charges will be a combination of:

1. the cost of the food, let's say $100 for the sake of easy math...

2. The service charge 22-25% and 

3. Sales Tax of 7.95%+

4. Gratuity. Often included in the service charge, although it is important to check in advance. This can vary.  

Your $100 delicious meal is actually $130+ which for 150 guests is the difference between $15,000 and $19,500 for dinner.  That's a big difference if you aren't prepared for it!

$100/meal is not uncommon at many 4+ star venues, but remember...this is often very inclusive!  At a resort or country club, you will likely not have to rent tables, crystal, china and silverware...all of those items as well as ample veteran staff are usually included in your contract.  

The good news about this size of wedding is this:  If your guest list reaches 150 (or more), a significant portion of your budget will likely be going to food and beverage. Food and beverage is a variable cost, it fluctuates based on the size of the event. Other vendors, like DJ, Wedding Planner, Photographer, Cinematographer...these are fixed costs and don't change if you reduce your guest count.  Reducing the numbers of a wedding this size will help you trim your food and beverage expenses considerably.  Limiting the cost of each meal or the bar budget will also significantly reduce expenses.  

I know, I know. If you are like me, you want it all! And I can do a REALLY good job of convincing myself I *need* it all too.  If in doubt, consider a temporary decision to reduce the guest count. Or select a less expensive meal choice.  If the decision doesn't sit well, you can change it back. Just be sure you communicate with your Planner or Caterer if you want to make any adjustments to your Banquet Order.   Usually, changes can be made until the month before your wedding. (Check with your caterer so there are no surprises.)

You can see how your large guest count and catering can interact to impact your budget. That said, it makes sense you can save money by reducing your numbers. But there are PLENTY of other pieces of your Wedding Budget to talk about.

Find out next post.....Arizona Wedding Planning: Part 4 -- Red Hot Tips for your Wedding Budget--What's in YOUR Budget?

Arizona Wedding Budget: Part 2- Your Wedding Guest Count. It's a numbers game.

 We are back to talk about Wedding Guest Count!

For a variety of reasons 150 is a very popular number for weddings. We design and plan all types of weddings. From intimate weddings with 10 guests to large events with hundreds of attendees.  But 150 seems to be the golden number with marrying couples.  So we will use that for our baseline for this blog series.  And you'd like to know what you can expect to spend on your 150 guest wedding....Back to that in a moment. (I promise.) 

  Just like there seems to be a popular number of invited guests with wedding planning clients. There are some popular budget numbers as well.  I get emails from many couples who have decided their budget is $20,000.  Now, $20,000 is a LOT of money.  And 150 guests is a great size for a wedding.  The issue here isn't the budget or the guest count. It's the COMBINATION of 150 guests and a $20,000 budget. 

For the purposes of streamlining this discussion, we will define our terms. We are talking about a wedding at a rented venue, where the dinner and bar are catered or provided by the banquet services. We are not referring to a backyard bbq where your uncle makes all the food and serves everyone. 

  So here it is.  I am going to say it.  You will curse me now, as the messenger, but I am certain you will thank me later.   While you do not have to spend 100,000 to have a gorgeous and elegant wedding for 150 guests….you will have a really difficult time having the items you would like at your wedding and reception for 150 guests for $20,000.  In Arizona we suggest a minimum range of $30,000-45,000. Your jaw may drop, or you may be saying, "Yeah, I believe it."   But now the worst is over.  

Next time we will start going over the real ins and outs of your budget and tell you why....And I am going to help prepare you and suggest ways to save, so you can have the wedding YOU want.

Stay Tuned for Part 3- Your Wedding Food and Beverage Budget