Colorful Cost Comparison: Where Your Wedding Budget Really Goes

Oftentimes brides have a difficult time deciding how to break up their wedding budget. While online resources offer spreadsheets and hard numbers, the easiest way to decide what to spend your money on is asking “what’s most important to us?” Each design expressed at an estimated cost shows where your budget really goes.

Stationery
“If you take a look at these two suites the design, shape and paper stock are all the same. The price difference is all in the details. In the first suite, I applied the color palette by using colorful envelopes. I used a roll of dyed cotton twine for an inexpensive, handmade feel. The envelopes are then hand-addressed.  In the higher priced suite I added the color palette to a neutral paper scheme (white stock, grey envelopes) with hand-painted watercolor accents and gorgeous silk ribbon. Each envelope is addressed with white calligraphy on the light grey outer envelope.” -Ashley Buzzy of Ashley Buzzy Lettering + Press

(Editor’s note: These blue, yellow and mint envelopes aren’t priced any differently than grey envelopes, so switching up the color doesn’t change the price at all!)

Add-ons

Talk to your stationer about creating themed escort or place cards. Keeping the calligraphy and watercolor design consistent adds a well-thought and cohesive detail to your reception setting.

Bridal Gowns

“With the higher price tag of the Christos look, comes higher quality fabric (soft tulle, silk chiffon, and French lace), which often photograph better and provide more comfort to the bride. Lower quality tulle can be itchy and irritating! The craftsmanship of the sheer lace bodice on the christos ‘Penny’ provides a more delicate, detailed look than the thicker lace of the WTOO ‘Sabine’ gown. The addition of the veil also impacts the price! The Kelly Thomas Designs ‘Blayre’ veil is handmade with the finest Alençon lace trim. For a bride on a budget, go for a simpler veil. You can still get a beautiful classic look, but for a more affordable price!” -Mallory Thorburn of The White Magnolia Bridal Collection

“Even if you don’t want an updo on your wedding day, be sure to have your hair professionally styled.  hair stylists come armed with the proper tools and products to make your hair last from first look to last exit. Professional makeup application is just as essential. Be sure you look your very bridal best by hiring someone who knows exactly how to apply makeup that stays put.” -Scoobie West of Scoobie West & Company  

Bouquets
“Size, number of blooms, and types of flowers all play a major part in the cost of a bouquet. Of course the larger in size the more it is and the more blooms (as opposed to just greenery) the more the cost. The piece that a lot of brides don’t realize is they might be choosing all very expensive flower types. Peonies and garden roses are two of the most costly and are both in this bouquet. Also, having a lot of different types of flowers can bring the cost up, which this bouquet also has! Ribbons for Adorn elevate the style one more notch.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

(Bouquet Breakdown: Scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, O’Hara garden rose, helleborus, ruscus, sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus)

(Bouquet Breakdown: Peony, scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, O’Hara garden rose, muscari, helleborus, ruscus. sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus)

Ceremony Setup
“Having an installation piece  is going to make a huge impact to your ceremony space. It is a bit of a cost since the florist will most likely be creating the piece on site and it is time consuming. It also takes a good amount of greenery/flowers to create. We also added arrangements on the ground next to the first row of seats as well as 25 pillar candles down the aisle and at the altar. All of those things combined add to the total cost.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

Floral Elements: scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, muscari, helleborus, freesia, spirea, ruscus, sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus

Additional Elements: 10 pillar candles, 3 gold plant stands

“These three arrangements on the different height stands frame the ceremony space beautifully. The arrangements are large enough to make an impact but not so large that the cost is too much. We also added in about 10 pillar candles to the aisle and alter. These arrangements are more greenery than large blooms which also helps with cost.” -Allie & Bill Webber, Bowman & Clark

Floral Arch Elements: Ruscus, spirea, nagi, fern, baby blue eucalyptus

Aisle Arrangement flowers: Peony, scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, O’Hara garden rose, muscari, helleborus, freesia, spirea, ruscus, sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus

Additional Elements: 25 pillar candles

“Having an installation piece is going to make a huge impact to your ceremony space. It is a bit of a cost since the florist will most likely be creating the piece on site and it is time consuming. It also takes a good amount of greenery/flowers to create. We also added arrangements on the ground next to the first row of seats as well as 25 pillar candles down the aisle and at the altar. All of those things combined add to the total cost.” -Allie & Bill Webber, Bowman & Clark

Reception Tables

“Elevating your design from this simple, understated look to the more detailed, high-end look involves several rental upgrades like specialty linens and printed napkins rather than the poly cotton option; Bentwood chairs rather than folding chairs by the venue; and upgraded tableware pieces to allow for a plated menu. Additionally, the use of the custom farm table draped with the tea stained gauze runner really make this head table shine. Additionally you can take it to the next level with the addition of real china from Zola Registry, gold napkin rings and the beautiful colored taper candles. it’s all about the details.” –Jennifer Gowing & Candace Frank of Evermore Weddings & Events

Table Elements: Simple white linen and gray napkin, table number instead of place cards, folding chairs and folding table, smaller centerpiece arrangement, votive candles.

“Instead of the bistro chairs and farm table the simple table with linen and folding chairs is going to be a more cost effective choice. The smaller arrangement in the center looks beautiful on the table but is less of an impact piece. Votive candles give the warm glow on the table but are less of a design element. The table number is a great way to direct guests but you will not have the place card for each person.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

Table Elements: Adorn Runner, brass candlestick holders, colored taper candles, calligraphy place cards, west elm napkins and napkin rings, flower on each plate, greenery garland for sweetheart seats

“This table has every detail and element that you could think of. It is pre-set with rentals that are more than your standard white. The napkins are beautiful linen with a pop of color from west elm. Each seat also has a beautiful custom painted place card with a flower on their napkin. The table runner is from Adorn and something that you can’t get as a rental. We rent out the brass candlestick holders and source the colorful candlesticks for those. The bride and groom have a beautiful garland on their sweetheart seats to stand out. The chairs and table are rentals from Goodwin that cost more than the typical centerpiece folding table that requires a linen.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

Centerpieces

The cost of floral centerpieces depends entirely on the size of the arrangement, the vessel it’s in, and the bloom varieties utilized. Talk to your florist about how to make a major impact using lesser-known flowers and greenery alongside wedding day classics like roses and peonies.

Arrangement Breakdown: Scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, muscari, helleborus, freesia, spirea, ruscus, sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus

“This arrangement is in a simple mercury glass vase. There are no roses or peonies which brings the cost down a lot. It has more greenery and is smaller in size for this tablescape. The time that it takes for this arrangement is much less than the next.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

Arrangement Breakdown: Peony, scabiosa, sweet pea, ranunculus, O’Hara garden rose, muscari, helleborus, freesia, spirea, ruscus, sword fern, salal tips, baby blue eucalyptus

“This arrangement was approximately 3.5 feet long and FULL of blooms and greenery. Again, like the bouquet the peonies and garden roses immediately bring the cost us. The size of this arrangement is larger than your typical centerpiece arrangement and acts almost like a runner to fill up the table. The size of the arrangement is the main reason for the cost, along with the fact that it is full of blooms and isn’t just greenery, and the vases are unique and more expensive.” -Allie & Bill Webber of Bowman & Clark

Cake

“The inherent cost and complexity of the flavors chosen as well as the exterior design details is where the price difference comes from. The lower price point cake is a lemon lavender cake made of delicious, but not costly ingredients. The design is a fluid swath of colored buttercream running through the white buttercream. It’s A simple but very eye catching DESIGN. The higher price point cake is a red wine velvet cake with cream cheese icing and inner layers of chocolate ganache. The ingredients are more costly and the extra filling requires additional labor and prep time. The exterior design incorporates fondant over the cream cheese icing, which is an additional material cost and time.” -Tessa Pinner of Pylon Cake