How much money do you need for a wedding: current prices for 2021

A wedding is one of the most awaited events in life. It would seem that the offer has been received, consent has been given, and you can go to the store to buy rings and a dress! But it's not that simple. The wedding needs to be properly organized and planned so that the celebration does not hit the pockets, but can also please the newlyweds, the couple’s relatives and friends.

Some people trust the organization of their wedding to professionals, who, accordingly, need to be paid. The main part is engaged in planning the budget of the event through their own efforts, because although these tasks are troublesome, they are also pleasant.

Main nuances

To roughly determine how much a wedding will cost in 2021, you should answer several questions:

Time (winter will cost a little cheaper).
Source of finance (loan, parental help, own savings, etc.)
Number of invitees.
Wedding theme: a classic one will require less cost than a themed one.
Place of marriage registration: Civil registry office, away ceremony.
Banquet location: home, restaurant, cottage, etc.
Composition of wedding contractors: photographer, host, show ballet and others.
Availability of friends in the wedding industry, promotions for events.
When these questions are answered, an approximate plan for the cost of the wedding will be formed.

Budget

By making a list of necessary items, you can roughly estimate the budget for the wedding event. Of course, it is approximate, because many prices depend on the place of residence and time of year (prices are given in rubles).

Bridal outfit

An important part of the budget is drawing up the image of the newlyweds.

The couple will have to spend money on the following items:

wedding dress – 10000-30000;
shoes - from 1200 (women's) and from 3000 (men's);
veil – from 900;
women's handbag – from 1200;
underwear – from 700;
makeup – from 1200;
manicure – from 1000;
wedding hairstyles: women’s – from 1200, men’s from 900;
wedding bouquet – from 900;
accessories for the dress: hat, gloves, cape or fur coat (for winter) - about 7000;
groom's suit - about 10,000;
men's shirt – from 1200;
tie - about 900, boutonniere - from 400.

Banquet

Holding a wedding banquet requires paying for the rent of the hall, room decoration, drinks, wedding cake and menu depending on the number of guests.

For one guest it costs about 900 rubles + about 300 to pay for alcoholic drinks. If the number of guests is 50 people, this item will cost approximately 60,000.

Cortege

This expense item includes renting a car for newlyweds (about 900 per hour on average), a bus for guests (1100 per hour for at least 3-4 hours), festive decoration of cars (about 1000). As a result - 3000 rubles.

Toastmaster

On average, the services of a presenter will cost about 10,000 rubles for 5 hours.

Entertainment for guests

Guests may include actors, trainers, magicians, show ballet, and jugglers. If children are present, it is necessary to invite another animator - about 1500 per hour. On average, about 15,000 is needed for entertainment.

Shooting photo and video material

Specialists in capturing wedding events set different prices for their services depending on demand and professionalism. Approximate amount – 5000.

Newlyweds dance

The approximate price of a one-time choreography lesson is 1200, a minimum of 3-4 lessons will be required. Taking into account the subscription - about 6000. By the way, have you already chosen the appropriate dance?

Details

Decorations for a bottle, a pillow for rings, invitations, a wedding towel, and prizes for guests will cost about 5,000.

Rings

To purchase wedding jewelry you will need 4000 – 7000 depending on the metal and jewelry.

Additional expenses

The list needs to be completed with a room for newlyweds and accommodation for visiting guests. This all depends on the number of guests and room rates.

Expert advice. Allocate about 10-20% of your total budget for additional expenses.

It is important to include in the estimate such activities as preparing the wedding dress (ironing - about 500), tips for waiters (about 1000), delay of artists (not all guests leave at the same time - about 600), delivery of a bouquet (200-300), etc. d.

Budget wedding on your own

Our wedding took place on July 25, 2015 in Moscow. The budget was quite limited, but at the same time I wanted to do everything beautifully and tasty. I suggest you see what came of it!

I want to start my story by telling you what to do after you have received a marriage proposal. And they agreed. You need to decide what time of year you want to celebrate your wedding. My future husband proposed on December 27, and we decided to get married in the summer. In July or August. Therefore, we had enough time to think through everything, find the best contractors and book the optimal restaurant. We submitted the application remotely, through the Mosuslug website. In this case, one person fills out an application, and the other receives confirmation of this application.

Initially, I wanted to get married on July 4, a very symbolic day - the anniversary of our acquaintance and my mother’s birthday. And I wanted to undergo this solemn procedure precisely at Wedding Palace No. 1 (Griboyedovsky), since I fell in love with it completely and irrevocably when I was there at the wedding of my classmate five years ago. At Mosuslugi, the desired date was booked from morning to evening and we had to wait for the next opening of the date. And they open six months in advance. Thus, we missed July 11 and 18 and on the night when July 25 opened, I sat on the site and updated it every 2 minutes. Then it turned out that the recording opens not at 00:00, but at 9 am. And at 8:59 the next day I was ready to book the desired registry office on the desired date and time. We basically wanted it at lunchtime, so as not to get up to get ready at 5 am, but to get a good night’s sleep. Lunch at the registry office from 14 to 15, if I'm not mistaken. I wanted to do it at 15, but someone else, from his computer at home, was a few seconds ahead of me. And I was able to sign up only for 15:30. As it turned out later, it was even better. After you fill out all the documents and pay the state fee (350 rubles), the status of your application will be constantly displayed on the website. The status you need to wait for is “In progress. Registered". And on the special day itself, the status will change again (but you will already see this when you are married) - “Service rendered. It was decided positively.”

After submitting the application, you need to run to book contractors. That's what we did. ! Attention ! If you apply 2 months before the wedding, or even a month, then find a good restaurant, photographer, etc. it won't be easy. I recommend booking everyone in advance. And especially famous personalities long in advance.

I spent a lot of time on this site, reading forums and reports. This site helped me a lot in choosing contractors. Somewhere indirectly, link to link to link, somewhere directly. In one of the forum threads, I saw that one girl, who recently had her wedding, would like to try herself as a wedding planner absolutely free of charge. I wrote to her, we had several meetings, like two. First, we got acquainted and made a rough estimate, then we went with her to several restaurants. I want to thank her so much for the time she spent on me, for her help, for her advice and recommendations. But nothing worked out with her, let’s call it “we didn’t get along.”

The first person we will talk about, in whom I was confident long before the wedding, is, of course, a makeup artist! If any of the readers don’t know, once upon a time I was trained as a makeup artist, and after a while also as a hairstylist. My teacher on two occasions was the wonderful Anastasia Zhavoronkova. Even then, a long, long time ago, I knew that I would invite Nastya to my wedding. If only both of us were in the same city on the same day. I wrote to Nastya immediately after we submitted the application to the registry office. That is, in six months. And thank heavens, she was free for this time!

Cost of services (at the time of booking, January 2015): — Makeup and hairstyle for the bride (including rehearsal and rental of false hair) — 13,500 rubles — Makeup and hairstyle for mom — 2,500 rubles

The next person with whom everything was also clear was the florist. link (link). We met her at a massage therapy course (yes, this happened in my life). And since then, I have followed Yulia’s development as a florist, turning to her for a bouquet for her birthday.

But that’s not what we’re talking about now. I ordered a bridal bouquet and a bouquet for my mother from Yulia (which the groom gives her before meeting the bride). I sent some sample photos of the bridal bouquets that I liked to Yulia, and then she clarified a few points about the color of the roses. The end result was exactly the bouquet I imagined. — Bridal bouquet — 5000 rubles — Bouquet for mother — 2000 rubles

A small lyrical digression. During preparation, we contacted one of the florist salons, discussed the details of the wedding and waited for estimates from the contractors. They calculated us 50,000 rubles for decorating the hall. Whether it is expensive or cheap, judge for yourself. I think it's a good price for decorating the hall.

But since our wedding is on a budget, it was decided to abandon this expense item. As a result, we bought vases at a discount at IKEA, white roses at the flower base, on the eve of the wedding we took it all to the restaurant, and the workers themselves arranged the flowers in the vases. It turned out quite beautiful and very inexpensive!

Since our registration at the registry office is in the afternoon, it was decided to photograph the walk before the main ceremony. It took place in the park of Dolgoprudny and lasted no more than an hour.

One of the important people at a wedding is the photographer. And their diversity and the huge confusion in the cost of services kept me in a stupor for a very long time. I read a lot of wedding reports before bookmarking a few photographers. And it took several more painful days and discussions with the groom to make the final decision. Our main photographer was Anna Reppel. We also met with Anya once before the wedding, for prepayment. Almost all the photos in this report are hers. The finished photos were delivered a month later, as agreed, in a beautiful package and box with a flash drive inside. The work was done perfectly, both during the wedding and after. — Photographer services – 21,000 rubles We also had a second photographer, my friend Dmitry. He photographed the groom's preparations, walk and registry office. — Photographer services – 1000 rubles

It's time to talk about the images of the bride and groom. The groom's suit + shirt and tie were purchased at the Sudar store, belt and shoes at the Belarusian Shoe store. By the way, the suit included two pairs of trousers - a bonus! — Suit — 11,000 rubles — Boots — 3,300 rubles — Belt — 485 rubles — Trouser hems — 700 rubles

The bride's dress + stockings and underwear were purchased at Sadovod, shoes at the Calipso store. — Wedding dress – 17,000 rubles — Veil, petticoat, dress cover — 2,000 rubles — Stockings — 600 rubles — Briefs — 200 rubles — Shoes + insoles — 5,400 rubles — Garter — 100 rubles

The rings were bought at Sunlight, only in different places, since there were no sizes or models. The groom has a rose gold ring, the bride has a white gold ring with diamonds. — Groom’s ring – 3411 rubles — Bride’s ring – 8991 rubles — Ring case – 150 rubles

After the walk, we went to the registry office, where the most important event happened - we officially became one family. And yes, I took my husband's last name. From Kigel it turned into Ulyanova. I believe that all family members should have the same last name.

Additional services: - Music during the ceremony - 1200 rubles - Video filming by the registry office operator - 4000 rubles

After the registry office comes the most delicious part of the whole day. Of course, a restaurant! I want to warn everyone preparing that the first thing you need to do is look for a restaurant. FIRST!!!!! And here are a few reasons: 1) Searching for a restaurant among a huge variety of sites takes a lot of time 2) Traveling to each desired restaurant and inspecting it with your own eyes takes a lot of time 3) Comparatively calculating the cost of one serving of hot food in different restaurants also takes a lot of time 4) Some restaurants may simply be busy and have already been prepaid 5) Several restaurants you like may not let you sleep peacefully, leaving you with a painful choice 6) Some restaurants may be beautiful, but expensive, far from the metro, center, civilization 7) Some restaurants can be very cool and cheap, but in a completely unsuitable area. The organizer, mother and husband (separately) and I visited ten restaurants, no less. Something was wrong everywhere. The two we were thinking about were the Kitai-Gorod Wall and the Impromptu. Both are in the center, the cost per person is approximately the same. But something was wrong. I wanted more. I continued to sit on Bride.info, scrolling through page after page, looking at every restaurant, area, interior, menu... And finally I found it!

Our restaurant was “Zoloto fm”, located between Kursk and Baumanskaya. Everything about him was wonderful. Especially the interior. Very nice manager Vladimir and director Evgeniy. A piece of my review for them: “Everything is wonderful at Zoloto FM - location, cuisine, service and separate managers - Vladimir and Evgeniy! Optimal price-quality-service ratio. I want to express my deep gratitude to the entire team! Everyone was delighted, both the newlyweds and the guests. There were 28 of us, everyone was perfectly accommodated; in addition to the tables themselves, there was a dance area and a private buffet area. Vladimir helped us decide on the seating arrangement, which helped us a lot. And on the day of the celebration, the staff accepted the cake and loaf, which relieved the loved ones of unnecessary troubles. After the celebration, we packed all the food with us in boxes.”

My fiancé and I went there once – we looked at it and liked it. The second time with my parents, they looked at it, talked to the manager, liked it, and made an advance payment. The third time with mom is to discuss the location of the tables, seating of the guests, try several dishes and agree on the menu, and make another part of the payment. And the fourth time - on the wedding day.

There were 28 guests. Plus a host, a DJ, a photographer and two drivers who could be fed with a business lunch for 250 or 350 rubles, I don’t remember now. As a bonus, you can bring your own alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks! Sweets for the buffet, red caviar and cake too. No corkage fee, 10% service charge. Amount for the restaurant: 113,000 rubles for the restaurant and 25,000 rubles for drinks. The restaurant became the largest expense item and accounted for more than 1/3 of the entire estimate.

The host and DJ were already waiting for us at the restaurant. And again a small lyrical digression. Once I was at my classmate’s wedding and I really liked the host. His name was exile. I mentally decided that I would invite him to my wedding. But circumstances were such that Oleg could not attend our wedding. And he just recommended Anton.

This recommendation and two personal meetings with Anton (the first was an introduction, the second was an advance payment) were enough to make my choice. Judging by the reviews, everyone really liked the presenter. And, of course, so do we. Anton works together with the DJ and his equipment. — The cost of services of a host and DJ is 35,000 rubles

In between, I’ll tell you about the first dance of the newlyweds. Did we stage it ourselves 3 days before the wedding, rehearsing it in the apartment with a waltz training video on YouTube?

Now about the sweetest part. Before ordering the cake, we visited two pastry shops for tastings. The first is Altufyevo. The cakes are incredibly delicious, but the price tag was too high... The second one is Strawberry. The cakes are no less delicious, but the prices are already reasonable. Since the cake was very important to me, we went to the tasting twice. The first with the groom, the second with the parents, more thoroughly, with a very thorough tasting of those fillings that the groom and I liked the first time. The order was placed on the same day with 100% prepayment. And a week before the wedding we came to our senses that we still needed to order a loaf. There were no problems. I called and placed an additional order using the same account number, so as not to pay twice for delivery. I paid extra on the website using a bank card and it was done! We brought everything together to the restaurant, and the restaurant administrator accepted the order and put the cake in the refrigerator, without our participation. It's so convenient!

Both the cake and the loaf were very tasty. And especially the cake. We ate it on the second day and licked our lips. By the way, we did not sell the cake, and we did not arrange any monetary extortions. This was agreed upon in advance with the presenter.

— Wedding cake – 5600 rubles — Loaf + towel – 900 rubles

The report is already nearing its logical conclusion. I will write about a few more points. Transport Not counting the personal transport of the guests, we had three cars. Two smart cars, a gift from my father’s friend, a Cadillac Escalade and a Chrysler 300. The drivers were paid a symbolic 1000 rubles + a bottle and candy. We also rented a small Hyundai minibus. This was enough for us.

— All transport – 13,200 rubles

As part of budget savings, it was decided to abandon video filming, an organizer, a florist and a decorator for the hall. Some things were made by hand. For example, place cards. We used colored cardboard, a printer, tea-aged paper, ribbons, glue and scissors. I remember how I met my mother in Okhotny Ryad, sat in the food court and cut out and glued these cards.

For the hearth we bought candles, narrow ones from Auchan, a large one and candlesticks from Ikea. Mom made the decorations from ribbons herself.

Also, decorations for champagne bottles are made by my mother.

The glasses were purchased at a regular hardware store, rhinestones and pearls were purchased at the Loft hobby hypermarket on Semenovskaya. I did it with my own hands.

All accessories were bought at the Gardener market: - Badges “Honorary Witnesses” - 300 rubles - Invitations (20 pcs * 35 rubles) - 700 rubles - Invitations (20 pcs * 8 rubles) - 160 rubles - False bouquet - 450 rubles - Folder for marriage certificate - 350 rubles - Car decorations - 1000 rubles

Other additions: - Large candle for the hearth (Ikea) - 79 rubles - 4 narrow candles for the hearth (Auchan) - 39 rubles - Vases (4 pcs * 79 rubles) (Ikea) - 316 rubles - Frames for numbering tables (2 pcs *59 rubles) (Ikea) - 118 rubles. I had 2 more at home. As a result, we did not use table numbers. — Stickers for glasses (55 rubles + 110 rubles) (Loft) — 165 rubles — Hair comb (LadyCollection) — 540 rubles. Never used - Disposable wine glasses (Auchan) - 500 rubles - Gifts for competitions (FixPrice) - 1000 rubles - Lace - 60 rubles

Expenses that could not be counted: - envelopes and stamps (sent invitations to different cities and countries) - canapés - rice and millet (thrown at the restaurant) - place cards

Total spent: 302,364 rubles. I think that in Moscow realities, our wedding turned out to be budget-friendly, but at the same time very sincere!

That's all! Of course, there is a lot more that could be written about: about guests, competitions, menus, gifts, etc. But that's a completely different story... Thank you for reading to the end!

What can you save on?

You don't have to rent a luxury car at all. A beautifully decorated Nissan Murano or Toyota Corolla will give it worthy competition.

Wedding dresses can be rented. Not many people can afford to buy a chic wedding dress, but rental budget will allow it.

Restaurant expenses are an item that can be seriously cut. It’s better to do the decoration of the hall yourself, doing everything to your liking. A restaurant in the city center requires more expenses than the same establishment, but on the outskirts.

A weekday wedding day will reduce the wedding budget, since the payment increases on weekends. The season also affects wedding expenses: in warm weather, the banquet can be held outside.

Miser pays twice

The bride's hair and makeup should be done by a professional, not a friend. Bad makeup and flyaway hair will ruin any holiday.

The bride and groom's shoes are shoes that should be comfortable. A cheap, low-quality item will greatly darken your mood.

Important! Don’t skimp on food – low-quality dishes will spoil not only the mood of your guests, but also your health.

Video and photography specialists must be professionals who perform their work efficiently. The memory of your wedding will last a lifetime, and you shouldn’t skimp on it.

Artists, show ballet, jugglers, toastmasters and other people who entertain guests create the mood of celebration. Without them, the event cannot be interesting. The newlyweds' snacks and car will be forgotten, but the ingenious execution of the celebration will be remembered forever. To invite truly masters of their craft, good payment is required.

Where can I get money for a wedding?

Often, future spouses' dreams of a luxurious wedding are ruined due to financial problems. Currently, a wedding is a rather expensive pleasure that requires a lot of expenses . It is difficult to have a wedding if there is no money even for the main attributes of the ceremony: clothes for the newlyweds, a modest banquet, wedding rings.

Depending on who is paying for the wedding and whether the parents are helping with the wedding, the problem can be solved in the following ways:

Start saving for your wedding early . You can accumulate the desired amount at an average salary in a couple of years. If a guy and a girl have been dating for a long time, they have probably thought about getting married. In such cases, couples already have some savings for the ceremony.

Where to get money for a wedding

Borrow money from relatives and friends. It has already become a popular tradition that the families of the bride and groom pay for the wedding themselves. However, if a couple is organizing a celebration on their own, it makes sense to borrow the necessary amount from loved ones. In this case, the newlyweds will not have to pay interest for the wedding, as is the case at the bank. However, remember that debts repaid late can destroy relationships.
Bank loan or wedding in installments. Young people who have reached the age of majority can take out a loan for marriage from any bank. By issuing loans for marriage, banking firms offer their clients a reduced interest rate. The disadvantage of such a loan is the need to collect a large package of documents, however, if the couple has no money at all for the wedding, this option will be the most optimal.
If they have experience in finance, young people can try their luck in selling securities or making money on other foreign exchange transactions. In order to collect a decent amount by buying and selling papers, future spouses need to be patient - the method is not urgent. The success of the operation will depend on the skill of the investor.

Most marriages take place at the age of 20, so most often young people do not have money for a wedding. It is impossible to have a wedding without money, especially if the couple plans to hold the celebration according to all the canons. Sometimes the wedding is paid for by the relatives of the lovers.

Approximate estimate for 50 people

All expenses taken into account above are entered into the table. Here's approximately how much a celebration for 50 people will cost:

Expense item	Name	Price (rubles)
Bridal outfit	bride's dress	20000
	bride's shoes	1200
	groom's shoes	3000
	veil	900
	handbag	1200
	underwear	700
	makeup	1200
	manicure	1000
	bride's hairstyle	1200
	men's styling	900
	bridal accessories	7000
	groom suit	10000
	men's shirt	1200
	tie	900
	boutonniere	400
Total:		42800
Ceremony	wedding rings	6900
	music	800
	champagne	250
	towel	220
	state duty	350
Total:		8520
Banquet	menu 900*50	45000
	cake	2300
	loaf	900
	alcohol	3000
Total:		51200
Photo and video shooting	photo	3400
Photo and video shooting	video	4200
Total:		7600
Wedding cortege	bus for guests	3000
	car for newlyweds	2600
	car decoration	2100
Total:		7700
Entertainment and entertainment	toastmaster	10000
	actors, jugglers, dancers	15000
	animators	3000
Total:		28000
Total cost:		145820

Abroad

A wedding abroad is a great way to combine travel and a ceremony that will remain a pleasant event in your memory.

France, Thailand, Great Britain, India, Maldives and some other countries do not register marriages of foreigners. You will have to rely only on an unofficial ceremony.

In general, to register a marriage, you need to pay a tax, write an application for registration, provide a foreign passport and sign. Obtaining an apostille guarantees the legal validity of the marriage certificate.

Countries where you can hold a beautiful ceremony in the summer, and the approximate cost of a celebration abroad (in rubles):

Montenegro (Budva) – from 140,000;
Cyprus (Larnaca) – from 170,000;
Cuba – from 170,000;
Czech Republic (Prague) – from 170,000;
Sri Lanka (Bentota) – 190,000;
Portugal (Lisbon) – 195,000;
Seychelles (Grand Anse Praslin) – 220,000;
Greece (Rhodes) – 240,000;
Hungary (Budapest) – 245,000.

The prices include: hotel accommodation for the couple (10 days), flights, marriage registration and hall decoration, photographer services, etc. You can save money if you thoroughly study the registration rules in advance, book photographers and decorate the ceremony site yourself.

After receiving an apostille from a notary, it must be translated into Russian in Russia.

Interesting! The most expensive wedding in the world, worth $137,000,000, was celebrated in Dubai. The newlyweds, Princess Salama and Sheikh Rashid, invited 20,000 guests to their celebration.

Portfolio of photographers in St. Petersburg

Nikolaev Kirill

Alexander Rudakov

Videographer

The cost of working in one camera for a wedding day starts from 35,000 rubles.
Filming with several cameramen using additional equipment will cost from 50,000 to 150,000 rubles. More details about wedding videos

Cake

The cake is calculated at 150 grams per invited guest. The cost of production is from 2000 rubles per kilogram. Depends on the shape, filling and decoration.

The bride's bouquet

A good bouquet of fresh flowers - from 5,500 rubles to 20,000 rubles.

Adviсe

To correctly create a wedding budget, you need to consider the following recommendations:

Discuss the wedding budget not only with each other, but also with your parents. It’s great if they can financially support the young people.
Take the time to find a truly excellent photographer, makeup artist, and other wedding service professionals.
Make a list of the most essential items on which 70% of the amount will be spent: restaurant, wedding dresses and photography. Distribute the remaining 30% among less important activities. Creating a proper budget will relieve stress and guilt.
From mid-April to the end of the month, the time of interesting discounts in wedding stores on new collections begins before the wedding season in September and October. You can find your dream dress with a discount of more than 50%.
You should be careful when planning a wedding celebration during the rainy season: low prices are not worth a ruined wedding and a dangerous road.

Wedding cost: organization

If a couple decides to organize the celebration on their own, then this expense item will be zero. If young people do not have time for this, then it is best to ask for help from professionals.

Cost of wedding agency services

There is no general answer to the question of how much it costs to have a wedding. On average, fees start from 40,000 rubles. Therefore, it is very important for a couple to calculate a wedding budget in order to then afford professional contractors.

What's included in the price

By paying for agency services, couples receive:

Making a wedding plan.
Development and coordination of topics and general concept.
Collection and discussion of all proposals for the desired services for the celebration.
Calculating the costs of the wedding and how much money will still be needed in case of unforeseen events.
Work with other performers and contractors.
The very coordination of the holiday.

In addition, instead of an agent, you can hire a manager who will deal only with the last item on the list, i.e. the celebration itself. This will make the cost of the wedding less, but all organizational issues will fall on the shoulders of the couple and their trusted people.

Summary

For a wedding to be flawless, you need to prepare thoroughly, and a properly planned budget will be its basis. You shouldn’t skimp on a photographer, costumes or food, but you can decorate the hall yourself. Prices for a photographer, makeup artist, manicurist and stylist need to be carefully monitored in order to find a professional and not for an exorbitant fee.

Looking at the approximate estimate, you can clearly understand where you should spend more and where you should cut costs. This will allow you to avoid unnecessary expenses and feelings of guilt for foolishly spent money. Before planning a wedding abroad, it is important to find out all the nuances so that nothing spoils the celebration.

If a couple is limited in finances, it is best to find a middle ground between a luxurious wedding and an economical celebration, using some of the tips provided. The main thing is not to forget: happy newlyweds mean a perfectly executed wedding.