Budget & Vendors
A simple way to plan your wedding budget, compare vendor quotes, and track what you're actually spending as you go.
1. Wedding Budget Basics
Your budget is not just a number, it's a plan. It connects your guest count, venue, vendors, and timeline. Getting clear early helps every other decision feel easier.
Start with a Total
Agree on an "all-in" amount that includes venue, vendors, attire, travel, and a small buffer for surprises.
Note Who's Contributing
If family is helping, list who is contributing, roughly how much, and whether it's for specific items or the overall budget.
Mindset tip: Your budget is allowed to change as you get real quotes. The important part is updating it, not sticking perfectly to your very first guess.
2. Set Your Priorities
Not everything has to be top-of-the-line. Deciding what matters most to you as a couple makes it easier to spend with confidence and say "no" without guilt.
Must-Haves
1–3 areas you're happy to invest in: photography, food, music, or something else.
Nice-to-Haves
Details you'd love, but can scale up or down: florals, decor, upgraded rentals.
Can-Be-Simple
Areas where you're comfortable keeping it minimal so you can splurge elsewhere.
Quick exercise: Each of you separately ranks the main categories from 1–5. Then compare, talk through any big differences, and agree on a shared top 3.
3. Break Your Budget into Categories
Instead of one big number, think in buckets. That way you're not asking "Can we afford this?" — you're asking "Does this fit our venue budget?".
Core Categories
- • Venue & rentals
- • Catering & bar
- • Photography & video
- • Music & entertainment
- • Florals & decor
Personal & Extras
- • Attire, hair & makeup
- • Stationery & signage
- • Transportation & lodging
- • Gifts, favors & welcome bags
- • Buffer for surprises (5–10% of total)
Category targets
You don't have to be perfect. Even rough target amounts per category give you something to hold vendor quotes up against and help you see quickly if one area is starting to crowd out everything else.
4. Comparing Vendors & Quotes
Vendor proposals can look totally different from each other. Standardizing what you track for each option helps you compare apples to apples.
What's Included
Hours of coverage, number of staff, setup/teardown, equipment, and any included extras.
Fees & Add-Ons
Travel fees, overtime rates, service charges, taxes, and upgrade costs you'd realistically say yes to.
Vibe & Fit
How responsive they are, how clear the contract is, and whether you feel comfortable working with them.
Pro tip: Add a simple rating next to each quote like "Price", "What's included", and "Gut feeling". The cheapest option is not always the best value.
5. Deposits, Payments & Cash Flow
Once you start signing contracts, your budget becomes a timeline of payments. Keeping those dates in one place protects you from late fees and last-minute stress.
Track for Each Vendor
- • Total contract amount
- • Deposit amount & date paid
- • Remaining balance & due date
- • Payment method (card, transfer, etc.)
- • Cancellation / reschedule terms
Look at the Whole Year
Instead of just looking at totals, look at your payments by month:
- • Which months have multiple big vendor payments?
- • Can any due dates be shifted earlier or later?
- • Do you need to pause new bookings until a certain month?
Reminder system
However you track your budget, add reminders for major payment due dates. A quick calendar alert 7–10 days ahead can save a lot of scramble.
6. Tracking Spending vs Budget
The power move is not just having a budget — it's checking back in as you book things. Your goal isn't perfection, it's staying aware and adjusting as you go.
Planned
What you originally set aside for each category before seeing quotes.
Booked
The actual amount based on signed contracts and invoices.
Remaining
What's left in each category for any last-minute details or upgrades.
Check-in rhythm
Set a simple habit: after you book a vendor or make a payment, update your budget and vendor list in the same sitting. It's much easier to spend 5 minutes updating as you go than to untangle it all at the end.
7. Track Spending in VowSpace
Whether you start in a spreadsheet or directly in VowSpace, having one place for your budget and vendor details makes it much easier to see the full picture.