Wedding budget?

[Cicero]

To add to this. My wedding was around R80k, and we were cutting costs all over the place.

We had a pro photographer friend who really helped us out with awesome photo's for about R6k. Photographers will rip-you-another-ring if you're not careful. They will charge you firstly for their time. Then how many prints you want. Then a crapload extra if you want a DVD of the photo's. Then extra if you want extra prints. Etc etc

We also had a fashion designer friend who did the dress. We did the menu's ourselves. A friend who did our cake. A super cheap part time DJ who had just started out too and needed to make a name for himself.

I honestly dont know how the costs all added up. But it gets there fast.

 

[Roo!]

Ours was R130K 3.5 years ago. We took out revolving loans to pay for it.

Anyone who tells you that you can't get away with a photographer that charges less than R10K is too ashamed to admit they were ripped off. Ours cost R5K, we got 2 photographers (husband and wife team), unlimited hours and unlimited shots, a 50 page storybook (from studio22), a handful of prints, the thank-you cards and the original RAWs!!! Who needs umpteen prints when you can use the original files and print them whenever you want? Very few photographers will give you the raws (recurring income for reprints).

 

[ozziej]

Now i'm really gonna sound like a cheapskate

We got married a few years ago, and got away with R25K for the whole thing, excluding honeymoon.
It was for 125 People.
Had a friend who does flower arranging do it, cost R2500
Venue plus food was R10K (we paid cash so got a small discount)
Video and Photo was R2500 and he did a pretty fantastic job.
Dress was made from scratch by someone who does it for a living, that was R3000
We put a small tab on the bar of R2000 (that was only for wine, soft drinks - hard stuff you had to pay for)
Limo Hire, plus extras such as mens suit hire and DJ was the remaining R5000

Then the honeymoon was a week in Cape Town that cost us R10000 for 4 and 5 Star accommodation, as well as flights and car hire.

At the time we just couldn't afford to have a big splashy wedding, but man I remember everything about it, the wife loved it and every person said they had an awesome time.

You don't need to go insane spending money on it, rather put that money to good use like deposit for a house.
R100K on a wedding is IMHO a waste.

 

[warchylde]

I'm not gonna marry any time soon, just asking out of interest, might start saving up or something.

White wedding btw, all costs/expenses involved.

You will need an estimate guest list

for argument lets use 50 people

Venue
There are quite a few venues with this as maximum capacity. Depending on the luxury of the venue (how fancy it is) you can pay from R15 000 for the day of hire to R350 000. You will have to figure out how fancy you have to go. most of the venues charge between R25k and R35k (western cape). This excludes pretty much everything (some of them will give you crockery and cutlery with this price)

Food
depending on the food you pick the prices can vary significantly. If you go for the traditional "boerekos" three course meal the averages are between R250 and R350 per person. You have to be careful regarding the venue here. I have found some really awesome venues for cheap but the catch is they force you to use them for catering and it ends up being really expensive.

Cake
between R2500 and R4500

Decorations and Flowers
table decorations you can make yourself (white table cloth should be easily accessible and you can make it look better with some decorating). Work on about R200 per table depending on what you choose. Flowers will always be at least R5000 and more (unless you have family that can supply and do the arrangements

Music
Some venues provide this for free others you have to arrange for DJ. Average price I have found so far is about R2500.00

Wedding clothes
Men can get away nice and cheap by renting from Bride and company. Look at about R750 per person (you, best man etc)

The dress can cost anywhere from R2500 to infinity (depending on what they put on it) Try and stay away from your run of the mill wedding shops - they will smoke you. If you are in the Western Cape PM me and I will send you the details of a person that imports dresses, twice the quality of the local stuff at half the price (you can thank my fiancee for finding her )

Photographer
Looking at about R7000 depending on options and how good he/she is

Booze
Make it a cash bar with one bottle red and one bottle white wine on the table. One bottle bubbly per table. Work on about R450 per table for this.


Remember to include the dominee/apostel whatever it is that you are going to use, the dj, the photographer and his assistant and any other people that assists on the day with preparation in your costing (they will also be eating and the venue will charge you for them)

Play your cards close to your chest when looking for things that aren't necessarily wedding related don't tell them that it's for that. The moment you attach the word wedding people slap on 300% markup.

 

[GreyBush]

Play your cards close to your chest when looking for things that aren't necessarily wedding related don't tell them that it's for that. The moment you attach the word wedding people slap on 300% markup.

Good advice.

 

[RyanRED]

Weddings are expensive man. I'm gonna start saving up!

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

How long is a piece of string?

Too many factors but nothing less than R50K for even a small wedding. Rather sad that one needs to put a lot of financial stress on your marriage just for one single day.

You can cut a lot of corners but don't cut on the photographer as thats the only good memories you will have - heck, even pay extra for a 2nd one (my sister in law is upset that for her duaghters wedding she got 100 k@k photos for R6K, we got over 1000 awesome photos for R2K)

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Ours was R130K 3.5 years ago. We took out revolving loans to pay for it....

Ours ended up costing R25K 4,5yrs ago. If we got married a year latter it would have cost R100K for the same wedding - prices sky rocketed about then.

 

[fish_man]

Do you need to buy 2 rings?? engagement and an wedding ring ??
Please add how much the rings cost as well

 

[ponder]

I'm curious how do most people pay this much for a wedding ?

Cash I would say.

 

[warchylde]

Cash I would say.

Most people I know take loans for the wedding.

 

[Pavan]

Do you need to buy 2 rings?? engagement and an wedding ring ??
Please add how much the rings cost as well

engagement ring + wedding band. cost is up to you.

 

[Pavan]

I think most people pay cash for a wedding.

 

[AniV]

My wedding 4 years ago was 125 people, at a pretty fancy venue, with a huge 3-course buffet (there was a LOT of food left over), a gorgeous chapel, some beautiful decorations, a 10k dress, a great photographer (who only cost 4k, there are great photogs out there that don't price themselves so ridiculously) and we spent a total of around R65k.

My sister is getting married in Feb next year at a super gorgeous 5-star exclusive venue, around 80 guests (by choice, she can go up to 100 for the same price), has a gorgeous imported dress, 4 course buffet, stunning flowers and decorations are arranged, a photographer is arranged, suit hire is arranged, etc. Our total costs are also going to be around 65k.

If you just do proper shopping around you can find quality vendors that don't charge an arm and a leg. You can have a gorgeous wedding for around 100 people for 60-80k, all the bells and whistles, easy. You just have to know how to shop properly. Don't get lazy, don't get bullied. It's your money. Always be prepared to walk away and take extra time and effort to find a better vendor at a better price.

I would start saving now already. Try to pay as much cash as possible. Don't put yourself into debt for a wedding. However, all these stories about "save on the wedding, splash on the honeymoon" is rubbish. My wedding day was the most amazing experience to date. I remembered so much about it. It was amazing and perfect. My honeymoon was fun, but it wasn't my focus. There will be plenty of holidays for just you two in the years to come. There is only one chance to celebrate getting married with your friends and family. I say spend on the wedding, save on they honeymoon.

Same as with the word "wedding", a lot of people charge a premium for "honeymoon" related stuff. Don't tell anybody you're on honeymoon. Book it like a normal holiday. Pay normal prices.

 

[Nerfherder]

I'm curious how do most people pay this much for a wedding ?

Do they actually save up this amount in cash or take a loan from the bank or other sources ?

According to "The wedding magazine" or whatever the average wedding costs about 100k.

I suppose it all depends on who pays for what. We did ours much cheaper and a lot of people contributed to different things.

Think it was about R35k for everything bar the rings, honeymoon and drinks.

People don't consider those last 3 things.... and they can be quite variable.

 

[AvOk]

180k for 80 people

please do let me know what you had at the wedding and food and stuff

why, what do you mean. again nothing extravagant.

 

[Superjakes]

One thing to keep in mind - the psychology of women. Women as a species love bragging and gossiping. In those circles, it makes more of an impact to have paid R10k for R5k worth of photographer/hairdresser/wedding dress than having paid R5k for R10k worth of the above mentioned. Teach your fiancee to be humble or teach her to lie and you will save fortunes...

 

[sly]

For a black couple "white wedding"... 150 guests with lobola.. i figured I need R120K.. :wtf:, R5K saving for the next 24 months.. eish

 

[NeonNinja]

Now i'm really gonna sound like a cheapskate

We got married a few years ago, and got away with R25K for the whole thing, excluding honeymoon.
It was for 125 People.
Had a friend who does flower arranging do it, cost R2500
Venue plus food was R10K (we paid cash so got a small discount)
Video and Photo was R2500 and he did a pretty fantastic job.
Dress was made from scratch by someone who does it for a living, that was R3000.

Amazing. R25k vs R180k this other guy paid.

 

[AvOk]

For a black couple "white wedding"... 150 guests with lobola.. i figured I need R120K.. :wtf:, R5K saving for the next 24 months.. eish

How much for the lobola out of the 120k?