How much does a wedding cost, what tasks are involved in organising one, and what are the first steps?
We have already discussed pre-wedding preparations and their importance in our previous articles, and we would like to emphasise this once again. One of the first – and perhaps most important – questions is to work out how much money we have to work with. Only then can we begin organising the various aspects of the wedding and assigning tasks.
When organising a wedding, there are always a huge number of tasks to deal with. You have to take everything into account, and if you’re organising the wedding yourselves, you’ll need to divide up the organisation and execution of each individual task. This is very important because new little details will constantly crop up anyway, so if the original tasks aren’t clearly defined, chaos can easily ensue!
How much does a wedding actually cost? Let’s take a look at the main categories of expenditure and their associated costs:
Ring
So let’s start with the rings! The price of engagement rings starts at around 20,000 Ft and can go up almost as far as you like! A truly beautiful ring set with several stones can be extremely pricey. Of course, it’s all down to personal taste – what appeals to whom, and of course, how much each person is willing to spend on this item!
The starting price for wedding rings is considerably higher than that for engagement rings, starting at around 50,000 Ft! Here too, as in the previous case, there is no upper limit – for example, if the rings are very ornate!
Venue
There are two things to focus on here: the venue for the ceremony and the venue for the wedding reception. Depending on the facilities available at certain venues, the venue for both „events” could, of course, be the same.
The venue for the ceremony may be simpler; it could even be the wedding hall itself. In other cases, the event takes place at an external venue; for example, a function room or a hotel garden is ideal for this purpose, and it is common practice to hold ceremonies there. In such cases, the reception is often held there as well after the ceremony.
Other important considerations regarding the venue include the date and the choice of location.
As far as dates are concerned, it’s important to plan ahead; it’s common for all available slots at a particular venue to be booked up a year in advance. It’s also worth mentioning that whether you’re planning for peak or off-peak season, or for a weekday or a weekend, this has a major impact on the price. We’ll discuss this in more detail later on!
By ‘location’, we mean that we would like to hold the wedding in Budapest, another major Hungarian city, or perhaps in the countryside. If, for example, as Budapest residents, we choose a venue near Lake Balaton, we will also need to arrange accommodation for our relatives and friends ! This entails additional costs, although there’s no doubt that we’ll certainly save money on the venue hire fee compared to prices in Budapest!
Venue hire fees vary considerably, ranging roughly from 50,000 to 1,500,000 Ft.
We’d like to mention ourselves here, too, since we’re a wedding venue – and not just any venue, mind you: anyone who chooses the Bagolyvár Inn can hold their wedding in the picturesque surroundings of Zirc, in the heart of the Bakony Hills. The ceremony, reception and wedding feast can all be held at our inn. Our prices vary depending on whether the couple chooses our catering service, uses an external caterer, or perhaps arranges the catering themselves.
How much does a wedding cost with us?
Our prices, in addition to our catering service:
-Provision of a venue for the ceremony, including seating and music:
25,000 Ft
-Venue hire fee: 100,000 Ft
- Service charge after closing time: 10,000 Ft per hour
Our prices, where we serve, either in part or in full, food not prepared by us and drinks not sold by us:
-Provision of a venue for the ceremony, including seating and music:
25,000 Ft
-Venue hire fee: 300,000 Ft
- Service charge after closing time: 20,000 Ft per hour
Regarding our catering services: you can currently choose from our set menus priced between 8,500 and 11,000 Ft per person!
Further information can be found under the ‘Wedding’ menu item!
Clothes
There is a huge variety of wedding dresses available, and their prices vary enormously. A wedding dress should generally be priced between 50,000 and 250,000 Ft, though of course the sky’s the limit – in practice, you can buy a dress for practically any price.
When it comes to wedding dresses, there are other options besides buying one. Dresses can also be hired, which costs on average 150,000–200,000 Ft, so it’s a little cheaper than buying one. The third option is to have a dress made to measure. In this case, you are guaranteed a truly unique creation, but the cost of having it made can end up being just as much as buying a new dress.
For men, it’s a little easier than that; you can buy suits for as little as 40,000–50,000 Ft, though of course it’s worth noting that special requirements can drive this figure up practically to any amount!
Decoration
Although the extent and style of the decorations vary from wedding to wedding, everyone can agree that some form of wedding decoration is necessary. Invitations can be mentioned in the same breath as decorations, planting cards, the wedding website, etc. – it is important that the visual style of these elements is consistent. Wedding decorations (for each of the items listed above) can, incidentally, be arranged without incurring excessive costs. It should be added that even if we make these ourselves – for example, the invitations – we cannot avoid the printing costs. This isn’t cheap if you’re using nicer, more durable paper. All things considered, you should set aside at least 50,000 Ft for making your own decorations.
Extravagant decorations, or those commissioned from specialist decorators and graphic designers, are beautiful – the professionals come up with marvellous ideas – but this does come at a price! Prices for wedding decorations can vary widely, but the cost of the service generally ranges from 50,000 to 500,000 forints. If you commission a decorator or a decoration company to create the decorations, then in addition to the basic decorations, such as table centrepieces, the package often includes the creation of the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets. You may also come across options where you put the package together yourself, selecting items from a range of products. Incidentally, if bridal bouquets are not included in the decoration package, they can be purchased for roughly 10,000–20,000 Ft each.
Catering
Catering – that is, organising the food and drink for a wedding – is a very costly affair; moreover, it is always vital that high-quality and delicious food and drink are served. The bride and groom therefore always choose the wedding menu with great care. A menu typically costs between 8,000 and 12,000 Ft, which is then multiplied by the number of guests. For a wedding with 100 guests, this means you’ll need to budget between 800,000 and 1,200,000 Ft for the menu alone. In most cases, the set menu does not include drinks, so these must be selected and budgeted for separately! For 100 guests, a substantial amount must also be set aside for drinks, roughly 200,000–300,000 Ft. So, for this number of guests, the cost of food and drink alone ranges from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 Ft.
When it comes to catering, the wedding cake is often a separate item – in other words, it is not included in the basic package and must be sourced separately from elsewhere! These days, the only limit to the design of wedding cakes is the client’s imagination. This is precisely why prices can vary enormously; there can even be differences in the cost of a single cake running into hundreds of thousands. It also makes a big difference where you order from; in the countryside, for example, you can get the cake of your dreams for much less! Cake prices generally range from 40,000 to 200,000 Ft.
Make-up, hair, nails
Everyone wants to look their best at their wedding, which is understandable, but these beauty treatments do come at a price. Having your make-up done, your hair styled and your nails done to match your wedding dress costs between 40,000 and 70,000 Ft. A make-up trial and a hair trial are also arranged before the big day, ensuring that everyone gets the service they want!
DJ/band
The DJ or the band member(s) could even be friends or acquaintances! It’s worth noting here that we’re better off asking a friend to take on this role if we’ve actually heard them play before!
If we decide to hire a professional DJ, we’ll need to set aside between 150,000 and 200,000 Ft for this purpose; whilst bands generally charge even more than this, up to as much as 300,000–400,000 Ft.
It’s also important to clarify how many hours they’ll be playing for the agreed fee! You also need to work out an arrangement so that if we go over the agreed time limit, the party goes on, everyone is still having a good time and would like to stay, then under what conditions the DJ or band will carry on playing!
Photographer
In a previous article, we wrote about the importance of finding the right photographer. Unfortunately, this is one area where it’s not worth skimping. However, the service comes at a steep price; individual photographers may charge as much as 200,000–300,000 forints.
Of course, when it comes to the work of photographers, it’s worth noting that it’s not just a matter of them going out to the location, snapping away a bit, taking photos and filming. Most of the work begins when they start processing the images they’ve taken! The price always includes image processing – that is, post-production – and in many cases also drone footage and creative photography.
Master of Ceremonies/Best Man
This is an optional expense; many people believe it is essential to have someone coordinate the wedding, whilst others do not feel the need for this, and there are also those who ask a close friend to help out on such occasions.
Those who feel they need a master of ceremonies or best man for their wedding should budget between 100,000 and 200,000 Ft for this item.
Wedding planner
Here’s another item that not everyone considers necessary. Well, it’s a matter of personal choice; in any case, there’s no doubt that organising and running a wedding from start to finish is a huge task, so it’s perfectly understandable if someone seeks professional help. A wedding planner’s fee can range from 150,000 to 300,000 forints; of course, it must be said that there is a great deal of work involved in the organisation, so this sum – which may seem quite high at first glance – is by no means unreasonable.
Cost reduction
We’ve just seen how much a wedding costs, broken down item by item! These days in Hungary, for a wedding with 100 guests, even if we cap our spending at 2,500,000 Ft, we’ll certainly have to reckon on that amount!
That’s certainly no small thing!
How can we reduce this amount?
We can carry out certain tasks ourselves or ask for help from friends whom we know to be reliable and good at what they do – for example, we could ask a photographer friend to take the photos, our creative friends to design the invitations and decorations, and so on. Family members can also be asked to help with the organisation; many will even be delighted to play a part in our wedding!
It’s much easier in the countryside; in a small village or town, everyone knows everyone else, so it’s not hard to find a hairdresser or a confectioner who’s more than happy to lend a hand at times like this – and, of course, a friend of a friend can also sort out, say, chairs, tables and even marquees for the wedding! In larger cities – and especially in Budapest – this is often very difficult! In any case, we need to map out our network of acquaintances to see who we can ask for a little favour here and there. Let’s not forget that every little helps, so a free make-up session, decorations bought at a discount, or even a friend acting as the DJ can all significantly reduce the costs in the end!
Let’s look for ambitious early-career professionals
As for keeping costs down, one tip is to look for professionals who are just starting out or keen to develop their skills. Plenty of nail technicians and hairdressers, for example, are keen to build up their wedding portfolio, so you’re sure to find someone who’ll do your nails or updo at a reduced rate. There are also novice pastry chefs for whom a wedding „cake commission” is more of a chance to build their portfolio, and they won’t want to charge a fortune for it!
Let’s clarify what we definitely need and what we don’t necessarily need
Hiring a wedding planner and a master of ceremonies also costs a fair bit, and it isn’t necessarily essential in every case. If you feel you have some organisational skills, feel free to give it a go on your own! In our experience, we’ve seen plenty of cheerful, beautifully decorated and successful weddings organised entirely by the couples themselves, either on their own or with the help of family and friends, without hiring a wedding planner! The question of who will act as master of ceremonies or best man is also an exciting one! If you have even one easy-going, outgoing relative or friend who’s willing to take on this role, then by all means, leave it to them! If you can tick these two items off the list, you’ll have saved a fortune straight away!
Let’s think about whether we definitely want to hold the wedding during the peak season
You can save money on the venue itself, and not just by settling for a less-than-ideal venue and ultimately choosing a cheaper alternative! It’s good to know that venue hire and many services are cheaper on weekdays! You should also bear in mind that late spring and summer are generally considered the peak season for weddings! So, for a wedding held in April or at the end of September, the same venue will be considerably cheaper!
You must also watch out for duplicate cost items! You should always go through the quotes you receive carefully, as nobody wants to pay for the same item twice. One example of this is sound equipment – this service may be provided by the venue itself, or even by the DJ chosen by the couple, but of course the venue won’t specifically ask, ‘Hey, do you already have someone for this? If so, don’t pay for it!’ Incidentally, it’s worth noting that in many cases, in terms of quality, we’re better off with a DJ in this respect! The key is to pay attention to every single item listed in a quote, and if there’s anything in the itemised list that you don’t fully understand, just ask!
It’s worth getting several quotes for each item; that way, on the one hand, you can shop around, and on the other, you might well find someone who offers more for the same price, or the same amount for less than a competitor.
Let’s draw up a budget
How much does a wedding cost, and how can I get a clear overview of all the costs? As we mentioned at the start of the article, drawing up a budget should be the number one item on your wedding to-do list! Everything else can follow from there!
When it comes to drawing up a budget, we can use highly complex software designed for this purpose, a self-made Excel spreadsheet, or even keep track of it on a sheet of paper or in a Word document, although, let’s face it, the latter two options are now considered rather outdated in today’s world.
A simple way to plan your budget effectively is to use Office’s ready-made templates. There are loads of different types available, including wedding timetables, seating plans, guest lists and even playlists. The templates can be downloaded from office.com. We recommend these templates to everyone; they’re super easy to use, look great and are absolutely perfect for the job. (The templates are actually pre-prepared Excel files; you can add further rows as you wish or delete anything that isn’t relevant to your situation.) There’s no need to bother with complicated, paid-for programmes, as the main thing is to end up with a clear budget that includes every item, which we can then use as a basis for our work!
To sum up, it really is very important when planning a wedding to think carefully about which items are absolutely essential and which ones we can do without.
If we’re thinking of organising a smaller wedding, we’ll obviously need to budget for a lower amount, but even this has its own pitfalls.
You can read some tips on organising small weddings here!
If your wedding is next year, it’s worth starting to organise it now, if you haven’t got round to it yet! We wish you all a pleasant and hassle-free planning process; we hope our article has helped you think through your budget and the various items involved, and that you’re now a little closer to understanding just how much a wedding actually costs! 😀
