Read this before you plan your wedding.
The wedding business has definitely seen it’s fair share of hits in 2020 but to really produce a safe event for your guests there are only certain procedures, items, people, and places that can make it happen.
Guest lists are cut, sure. But does it really mean you are spending less? Especially with the boom of people that are doing small celebrations now and planning their elaborate anniversary celebration for 2021 in addition to their initial nuptials.
Let's Break it down.
The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. in 2019 was $33,900. (According to CNBC.Com )
Of course anyone would expect for that number to go considerably down based on the wedding industry basically being desecrated this year with cancellations, elopements, and postponements. Just look at the wedding professionals march in California a few weeks ago!
When you look at the safety and health measures couples and families are taking now to produce any kind of celebration and making people even want to come or stay in one place for more than 30 minutes, you have to apply a cost to safety and to postponing your wedding. Some couples are even postponing several times due to covid spikes in recent weeks all across U.S.
Say you were/are able to postpone your wedding an elope this year. We have put together a little break down for you with a couple variables. If you are planning to elope this year or early 2021 and have a larger anniversary celebration the following year you would add columns 1 adn 3 together or 2 and 3 together.
Here are some break downs of how we calculate these numbers.
Places:
Elopement: Venue - may be free if done on the sly or at a private home/ could cost at least the amount of photo permit at a public park
avg of $500.
Because some people elope at a courthouse or at their home We will say the Avg total cost of elopement venue $250
Smaller venue hosting 50 or less $2500
If you plan to do a Anniversary / “re wedding” your venue could be an average of $8,000
Meal :
Then you have a dinner or meal.
Could be private chef or dinner at a restaurant with up to 6 - 10 people. Depending on space.
Avg dinner cost $35 plus drinks and tax ( $50 per person)
Elopement Meal: $500
In a a venue or catered privately - Avg guest count of 50 ppl. $2500 plus tax and service.
Then you have your anniversary celebration meal 100 ppl at least
$5000 plus tax and service.
Keeping people Informed:
Stationary
Then you have the second set of invitations saying wedding is postponed
( possibly two to three mailed announcements being sent from couples
Initial Save the date Avg cost per person $ 100 per 100
Initial Wedding Invite ( $400 - 650 according to shutterfly.com)
Postponement Announcement $100
New Save the Date $100
New Wedding Invite ( $400 - 650)
Avg Total with anniversary celebration : $1600
Avg Total With just elopement announcement: $ 750
Your Guests Need a Compass or A Map Or Everything to know what do.
If you decide to do any sort of celebration place cards and signage are needed. When people are afraid to even touch each other or surfaces Directional signage about where to go and where things are at ARE necessary.
Basic signs like :
labeling hand sanitizing/ washing stations ( at least 2)
Welcome
Covid temp check area
Check in with attendant area
Coat Check
Coctails
Drinks
Hopefully if you did a small event you can reuse these at the big bash if you plan one.
Each sign done one acrylic ( because it’s the trend) is about $25 per sign.
= about 10 x $25 = $250
Flowers
At the very least at you elopement you want a bouquet. $110
Say you do a small ceremony and do backdrop with flowers, bouquet and boutonnière $35
Then multiply that by two for your anniversary celebration/ re- wedding $110 + $35 = $145
Then you have bouquets and centerpieces for your mini wedding $65 x 10 = $650
$65 x 15 $975
Plus rentals ( such as an arch or backdrop) Which couples seem to be renting at the very least a backdrop large or small wedding.
( these prices are based off of average and taken into account brides that may do their own flowers. )
Makeup:
Bridal only $140
X 2 if you are doing a wedding redo.
Hair $ 120
Redo: $120
Officiant :
Elope $225
Redo/ renewal $225
Planners and Coordinators have become even more important to couples not just on the big day but to be the person they lean on to navigate through the postponements and contacting vendors that may be less accommodating to move their date.
The Average for Planning and coordinating is as follows according to national average.
Day coordination avg cost Elopement: $900
Partial planning for a small celebration 50 or less $ 2400
Full planning for your elopement and your redo wedding $5000
Dresses and Rings and other variables not purchased by each couple in every scenario we leave out because pricing can vary even greater and we are basing these numbers on averages from data collected on different studies over the past couple years.
Zoom into the diagram above to see totals and basic break downs.
With all the totals and averages being taken into account, not really looking hard at the numbers could have you spending and budgeting for more than you bargained for.
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