A Wedding Planner: It’s not uncommon for couples to hire someone to handle every aspect of their weddings, from booking the venue to making sure the flowers go along with the event’s theme and color scheme. The Bureau of Labor Statistics places wedding planners in the same category as meeting, convention and general event planners. In 2019, their median yearly salary was $49,370. For a single wedding, however, planners typically aren’t paid all that much for their services. Wedding planners, on average, cost couples $2,002 in 2018.
Wedding Invitations: Wedding announcements don’t have to be a huge expense – that is, unless you plan on inviting 1,000 people or you pick the fanciest stationery you can find. The average couple spent $386 on invitations, down from $408 in 2017.
Wedding Cake: That cake you and your spouse plan to smash into each other’s faces at your reception? It cost couples an average of $528 in 2018. If that’s a steep price to pay for dessert, you have other options. You could offer your guests tiers of cupcakes instead, or serve cheaper sheet cake after guests have gotten a glimpse of a custom-made (but fake) wedding cake.
Wedding Food: The food served at wedding receptions across the country cost an average of $70 per person in 2018. That’s fairly steep for one meal, but there are plenty of ways to ease the sticker shock. First things first, skip the filet mignon.
Wedding DJ: Not everyone likes dancing. If you can’t imagine getting married without busting out the electric slide or the Macarena, however, you’ll probably need to make room in your budget for a DJ. That’ll cost you around $1,292. If you want a full band at your reception, that will be much more expensive. The average cost for a wedding band in 2018 was $4,247, more than three times the cost of a DJ. Expect to pay around $797 if you want musicians to play during your ceremony.
Wedding Photography: Having great wedding photos to share with friends and future children is a must-have for many people. On average, couples spent $2,679 for their photographers. Those who wanted a professional to capture every moment on video paid an average of $2,021.