Charleston wedding planner – The $25,000 budget
The average Charleston wedding costs $25,000. So how is that money typically spent? While every bride and every wedding is different below is a sample budget of an average wedding with 100 guests on a Saturday night
Charleston wedding planner budget breakdown
| $25,000 Budget | 100 Guests | |||||||
| Fixed Costs | ||||||||
| Reception site | $ 4,000 | |||||||
| Wedding Planner | $ 2,500 | |||||||
| Photography | $ 2,500 | |||||||
| Music/DJ | $ 700 | |||||||
| Bride’s Gown, veil, shoes & jewelry | $ 1,500 | |||||||
| Grooms attire | $ 150 | |||||||
| Ceremony music | $ 400 | |||||||
| Limousine | $ 500 | |||||||
| Spa (bride only) | $ 250 | |||||||
| Wedding party gifts | $ 200 | |||||||
| Wedding Party Flowers | $ 600 | |||||||
| Ceremony décor | $ 400 | |||||||
| Variable costs | ||||||||
| Floral centerpieces | $ 750 | $50 x 15 tables | ||||||
| Reception tables & chairs | $ 700 | |||||||
| Ceremony chairs | $ 350 | |||||||
| Linens (poly cotton) | $ 400 | |||||||
| Catering cocktail hour | $ 1,000 | $10 person | ||||||
| Catering dinner | $ 3,000 | $30 person | ||||||
| Catering tax, gratuity, service charge 30% | $ 1,300 | |||||||
| Bar | $ 1,200 | $12 person | ||||||
| Bar tax, gratutity, service charge 30% | $ 400 | |||||||
| Cake | $ 600 | |||||||
| Dishes cutlery barware | $ 500 | |||||||
| Invitations, Announcements etc | $ 500 | |||||||
| Emergency | $ 300 | |||||||
| Misc – flower girl basket, ring bearer pillow | $ 100 | |||||||
| Favors | $ 200 | |||||||
| Total | $ 25,000 | |||||||
As you can see each category has a modest amount allocated and the budget does not include uplighting, photo booths, videography, a band etc. The cost of rings is not included as some couples opt to spend as much on their rings as they did their Charleston wedding.
As a Charleston wedding planner I include separate categories for the rentals as many Charleston wedding venues, particularly the popular historic buildings don’t include tables and chairs and most offsite caterers do not include dishes, cutlery or glasses. Couples are also often surprised by the 30% charged for gratuity, service charges and taxes on top of the price per person and this can be a very unpleasant surprise.
As a Charleston wedding planner I was asked “So if you wanted to have a wedding with 50 people would it cost $12,500?” Not necessarily as not all costs would be cut in half. The fixed expenses are not dependent on guest count and would remain the same, while the variable costs could be cut in half. It’s important to note the number of categories that are affected by the guest count as this is often the largest predicator of budget.
Tanis Jackson
Accredited Bridal Consultant
www.tanisjevents.com
843-847-8478
organizeyourevent@gmail.com
“Where modern ideas meet old fashioned service”
Call us today if you are looking for a Charleston wedding planner!
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