20+ Sample Wedding Budget Spreadsheets

In need of wedding budget spreadsheets that already contain most of the contents you need? Be sure to download and customize any of the following wedding budget spreadsheet templates and examples.

What Is a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet?

Your upcoming wedding might be the most significant and priciest event you will ever have?more than the costs of all your birthdays combined. If you think that setting a budget for such a big event seems impossible, it will be possible once you make use of a wedding budget spreadsheet. A wedding budget spreadsheet is an essential tool used in recording and managing wedding expenses. With such type of worksheet, you can consistently keep track of all the possible costs that might be incurred during your wedding day. Rather than manually writing down on paper, make use of a wedding budget spreadsheet that enables you and your future partner to calculate expenses with ease. The use of spreadsheets might be the most technical and tedious part of planning a wedding. Still, if you want to hold a successful wedding celebration and enter a married life without wedding-related debts, then a wedding budget spreadsheet is all you need.

Importance of a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Weddings are considered a milestone for most people. Couples go out of their way just to make their wedding celebration extra special. However, in the process of it all, couples often make the grave mistake of planning a wedding that severely affects their financial state and empties their savings accounts. That is why having a wedding budget spreadsheet is of utmost importance. With a wedding budget spreadsheet, you do not only keep your finances in check, but you also get to keep your reality check. Your spreadsheet guides you throughout the planning process for what could be the most special day of your lives. It also avoids you from going over and even under the budget. Even if you have enough money to throw just for your wedding day, it is still ideal that you set an accurate budget. You can allocate the remainder of your wedding funds to other vital expenses, such as the expenses you make when you start building your family.

Expenses to Include in a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Even the simplest wedding ceremony involves various expenses, what more if you are planning a grand one? Nowadays, wedding purchases are getting pricier, and you don’t want to bleed yourself or your bank account dry, right? That said, we have listed the common expenses that should be included in your wedding budget spreadsheet for you to stay on track of your finances. Do take note that some of the listed expenses are optional and are dependent on your preferences. Don’t feel compelled to include every single item in your wedding budget spreadsheet.

Wedding Planner Fees: Some people believe that hiring a wedding planner or consultant is unnecessary and there are also some who think that it’s a must-have. If your planning and organizing skills are innate and exceptional, then you have the option not to hire one. But if you can’t plan even a single event right, then you should consider hiring a planner or a consultant. Hiring one is also beneficial if you don’t have the time to plan for your wedding and if you want to get access to special wedding deals on other wedding expenses as planners and consultants are already familiar with such things.Wedding Ceremony Costs: During the wedding ceremony, various expenses need to be covered, such as the venue rental fees, official fees, and marriage license costs. There will be instances when the officiant won’t require you to give something but consider this as a gesture and an expression of your gratitude. The marriage license costs depend on the state where you live and hold the wedding.Wedding Reception Costs: For those who are planning to have a wedding reception, it is important to know that it will be the biggest wedding expense you will ever make. The overall costs are directly proportional to the number of guests you invite. Among the common expenses that you might spend include the venue rental, tables and chairs rental, food, drinks, and the service fees for the crew. Other than that, it may also include expenses on photography and videography services and fees for the master of ceremonies.Flower Arrangement: Flowers are one of the expenses that are not necessary, but it gives an added touch that makes your wedding extra special. In your wedding budget spreadsheet, what you need to budget for include the wedding venue flower arrangements, bouquets for the bride and the bridesmaids, corsages, boutonnieres, and even the reception venue. You might also need to consider the fees of the florists.Bridal and Formal Attire: The bridal attire can be quite costly because it is not just the dress. It also includes professional makeup expenses, hairstyling, jewelry, footwear, and other beauty or grooming preparations such as a manicure, pedicure, and spa treatments. The formal attire for the groom and the groomsmen may simply include either a full tuxedo or a suit and presentable footwear. Wedding Rings: Even if you choose a simple design, wedding rings will always be one of the priciest expenses you need to spend on for your wedding day. That is why you should not forget to allocate a budget for it in your wedding spreadsheet if each of you wants one on your wedding day. Wedding rings are simply a tradition and not a requirement, but it cannot be denied that wedding rings play a key symbol in the union of two individuals.Rehearsal Dinner: The family of the groom traditionally covers this expense, but nowadays, some couples prefer to pay for this expense themselves. The rehearsal dinner is an intimate setting that involves both sides of the family. During this dinner, the couple can run through the plans and other updates related to the wedding.Wedding Stationery: Stationery costs more than you think. Right from the reception and wedding invitation down to your personalized menu, there is stationery involved. Even if you can save up by choosing low-quality materials, nothing beats receiving a high-quality invitation or wedding program that comes in high-quality paper and printed in high-grade ink. You simply need to make the extra effort of looking for materials that are inexpensive and do not sacrifice quality.Entertainment: As a bride, can you imagine walking down the aisle even without the basic bride entrance song? As a groom, can you imagine your bride walking towards the altar without music? As a couple, can you imagine your guests sitting throughout the reception without some type of entertainment? You don’t even have to break the bank for this and hire an actual live band. You can kindly ask a family member to play music through a decent set of speakers or play videos or slideshow from a laptop. Entertainment may not be necessary for some people but it undeniably makes any celebration more memorable.Transportation: Even if you are only planning to hold your wedding in a local church or anywhere within your state, you still need to plan what transportation you will use to travel from the church to the wedding reception venue. If you planned on a destination wedding, it is more imperative to include this on your wedding budget spreadsheet, most especially that it contains collective transportation expenses such as plane tickets and transportation to the actual destination. Contingency Fund for Extra Expenses: No matter how well-planned your wedding budget is, there is always the possibility of extra expenses. Events like weddings will always have miscellaneous costs that get missed out during the wedding preparation. To help you cover these expenses and other unforeseeable expenses without worries and hassle, then be sure to include a contingency fund in your wedding budget spreadsheet.

How to Make a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Creating a budget for your wedding is undeniably stressful. With all the possible costs, it can eventually get burdensome on your part. Even if you are planning to have a simple wedding, there are still a lot of things you need to consider to make your dream wedding possible and successful. To help you out in making your special day less stressful, be sure to take note of these easy-to-follow steps.

Step 1: Use a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet Template

As you sit down and attempt to set your wedding budget spreadsheet template manually, you might realize that starting from scratch is a waste of time. That is why it is highly recommended that you make use of a ready-made wedding budget spreadsheet template. The internet is a vast source of budget spreadsheet template that you can surely find a template that suits your needs. However, do keep in mind that no template contains content that perfectly meets what you are looking for. See to it that you modify the template of your choice so it can serve its function.

Step 2: Determine Your Wedding Expenses

Traditionally, before you determine your expenses, you need to know who’s paying. But nowadays, most couples take a fair share of the costs, so for the second step of making your wedding budget spreadsheet, you can proceed and determine your possible wedding expenses. You can base from the list of expenses we included above or you can do the research yourself. If you are working on a shoestring budget, only consider and prioritize the expenditures you only need. However, even if you can afford even the most grandiose wedding event yet, you should still need to take into account your wedding expenses so you would not splash out your wedding funds. This is also the best step when you should determine your non-negotiables or the expenses that you think worth spending on.

Step 3: Plot Your Wedding Budget

Now that you have determined your possible wedding expenses, it will be far more comfortable for you to plot your wedding budget into the spreadsheet template. In doing so, make sure you already did your research as to what are the current wedding-related costs and fees so you can quickly come up with estimates that are close to what you will spend. It is also crucial that you already know how many guests you are inviting as there a lot of expenses that heavily rely on the number of guests.

Step 4: Review and Finalize

There are also possible wedding expenses that are unforeseeable so before you nail down your wedding budget, be sure that you have thoroughly reviewed every single item you included in your wedding budget spreadsheet. Make sure that your estimates and actual wedding costs match or else you’d go into unnecessary debt. Keep in mind that if you can’t afford some things such as a limousine for transportation, expensive flower arrangement, or even a professional makeup artist, chances are you simply don’t need all of those.

The Dos and Don’ts of a Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Even the most thrifty couples experience challenges when setting a wedding budget spreadsheet. Can you only imagine what happens to those who are not financially responsible in the first place? That is why it is only imperative that you make use of a wedding budget spreadsheet that can help you in control of your wedding and budget and stick to it no matter what.

Dos

1. Do take note of the payment deadlines.

For your wedding suppliers to fulfill their tasks effectively, you need to take note of all payment deadlines and write all of these down on your wedding budget spreadsheet. Any event, not only weddings, should prioritize the payment of all services to carry out a successful event. Some wedding suppliers would require you to pay half the price of their products and services as a deposit. Failure to pay before or on the deadline can cause so many delays and problems during the wedding event. You wouldn’t want any mishaps to happen just because you failed to pay on time.

2. Do stick to your wedding budget spreadsheet.

Before you exchange I dos with your future spouse, you need to say that to your wedding budget spreadsheet first. For your wedding budget to work, you need to commit and adhere to it no matter what. You don’t just create a wedding budget spreadsheet just for the sake of making one. Print a copy of your budget spreadsheet and bring it wherever you go so that you can be quickly and continuously reminded of sticking to the budget you have set for the wedding. You will thank yourself after you organize a successful wedding event.

Don’ts

1. Don’t forget to update your spreadsheet.

After you have plotted your wedding budget into the spreadsheet, things do not end there since you still need to update the contents of your wedding budget spreadsheet continuously. You need to take your budget spreadsheet or have it at least saved into your tablet or phone, so whenever you meet up with your wedding suppliers, you can easily update the contents of your budget spreadsheet. You should also consider placing an ample space where you can jot down any necessary changes, important dates, and other significant information related to the wedding.

2. Don’t allocate budget for unnecessary items

Keep in mind that the success of your wedding does not depend on how much money you spend. No matter how much you can afford to pay for a grand wedding celebration, it is best to allocate some of your wedding funds straight to your family savings. You cannot only save so much, but you can also allocate what’s left for the real-deal, which is the expenses you need to make in your married life.

Are you now ready to organize what could perhaps be the most special day of your entire life? As mentioned, organizing weddings can be pricy but if you budget every single wedding expenses accordingly, you will have no problems in the long run. And if you are already on the hunt for the best budget template that you can use, look no further because this article already contains a wide variety of budget spreadsheet templates. All you have to do is browse through it and select a budget template that meets your needs.