How much to save for a wedding, and 25 goals to get there

Wedding budget per guest: start with the guest list

Most wedding costs grow with each person you invite, so count the guests before anything else. The prices below are an example; your own quotes can differ.

• Write the guest list before you look at venues, and count it: 80 guests in the example.
• Ask the caterer for one price per guest with food and drink together: $60 in the example.
• Add the other costs that grow with each guest, like cake, invitations and chair rentals: $15 more, so $75 a guest.
• Multiply: 80 guests at $75 each is $6,000.
• Cut 20 names from the list: at $75 each, that saves $1,500.

Wedding budget breakdown: one line for each cost

Then list the costs that stay the same however many people come, and give each one a cap. In the example they add up to $8,800.

• Venue: $3,000, with the date and the hours in writing.
• Photos: $2,000.
• Clothes for the two of you: $1,000 together.
• Rings: $1,000 for both.
• Music $800, flowers $700, and the officiant and license $300: $1,800 for the three.

How much to save each month for a wedding

Divide the total by the months until the wedding, and move that amount on payday, before you spend. To see each deposit laid out, the savings challenge calculator works out the plan.

• Save $16,000 for a wedding in 1 year: about $1,334 a month.
• Save $16,000 in 18 months: about $889 a month.
• Save $16,000 for a wedding in 2 years: about $667 a month.
• Paid every two weeks? $16,000 over the 26 paychecks of a year is about $616 each.
• Put every bonus, tax refund and cash gift into the wedding fund until it is full.

Small wedding budget: ways to cut wedding costs

When the total is too big, the guest list is the biggest lever. A month of a no spend challenge can also show what you can live without while you save.

• Invite 30 guests instead of 80: at $75 each, that is $3,750 less.
• Ask each venue whether a weekday or an off-season date costs less, and write down the difference.
• Hold the ceremony and the party in one place, so there is only one venue on the list.
• Set a cap for the dress or suit before you shop, and look at rentals and secondhand too.
• Plan a small wedding of 30 guests for $6,500: $2,250 for the guests, $3,800 for the rest and $450 extra.

Saving for a wedding as a couple

Decide together who pays for what before anyone books. For more things to do side by side, see these couples challenge ideas.

• Split the monthly amount: about $1,334 a month is about $667 each.
• Ask family early whether they plan to help, and how much, then take that off the total you save.
• Open one shared wedding account, and both add to it on payday.
• Look at the total together once a month, on the same day.
• Pick the three things that matter most to you both, and make the biggest cuts somewhere else.

How much should you save for a wedding?

There is no single right number, because prices change so much from place to place. What you can do is add up three lines for the wedding you want.

First, the guests: 80 guests at $75 each is $6,000. Second, the costs that stay fixed: $8,800 for the venue, photos, clothes, rings, music, flowers and the license. Third, a little extra for the costs you forget, $1,200 in the example. Together that is $16,000.

Change the guest count and the total moves with it. This is general information, not financial advice.

How long does it take to save for a wedding?

Divide the total by what you can save each month. $16,000 at $1,000 a month takes 16 months. Save more each month, or plan a smaller wedding, and the date comes closer.

Pick the date and the total together. If the monthly amount does not fit your pay, change the guest list or the date before you book anything.

What to pay first: deposits come before the day

Many vendors ask for part of the price when you book and the rest before the wedding. Ask each one when each payment is due, and write all the dates in one list.

Those dates are your real deadlines. If the venue wants $1,000 when you book and the photographer $500, the first $1,500 is your first goal.

Money gifts from guests usually come on the day or after it. Plan as if they will not pay for the wedding, and enjoy them as a bonus.

How to track saving for a wedding

Write down every deposit the day you make it, and keep a running total. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and the effect was larger when the progress was written down.

Being a guest costs money too. For the weddings you are invited to this year, sinking funds spread the gifts and travel over the months.

In Chaltra, make one challenge with the total as its target, and add the guests, the vendors, the rings and clothes, and the extra as four colors. Every deposit fills the picture a little more. A challenge of up to 30 days is free. A longer one needs Premium.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I save for a wedding?

Multiply the guests by the cost per guest, add the costs that stay fixed, and keep a little extra. With 80 guests at $75 each and $8,800 for the rest, that is about $16,000.

How much should I save for a wedding each month?

Divide the total by the months until the wedding. $16,000 in 12 months is about $1,334 a month, or about $667 each for two people.

How long does it take to save for a wedding?

Divide the total by what you save each month. $16,000 at $1,000 a month takes 16 months.

What is a wedding budget for 100 guests?

Multiply your own price per guest by 100, then add the fixed costs. At $75 a guest, the guests come to $7,500, plus the venue, photos and the rest.

How can I cut wedding costs?

Start with the guest list: each name you cut saves the full price per guest. Then ask about a weekday date, use one place for everything and set a cap for clothes.