Congratulations! You’ve just gotten engaged to the love of your life! Now the reality hits, and all of your friends and family start asking you when and where the wedding will be, what hotels are nearby, and most importantly – will there be an open bar? After perusing some venues online, you begin to wonder… what is the actual cost of a Washington, D.C. wedding and are these venues just obnoxiously priced, or is this really what a wedding will cost me?
For a traditional wedding ceremony and reception (like the ones on our website), couples can expect to spend between $75,000-$125,000 for a 100-150 person wedding in the Washington, DC metro area. Your guest count drives the overall cost of your wedding! Your costs will dramatically increase the more guests that you have. Don’t expect to have a $75,000 wedding if you plan to invite 250 guests. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it frankly is just not possible. Obviously, you can spend much more than these figures if you have the budget. You can also spend a little bit less by being creative with your wedding vision or having a non-traditional wedding on off peak days (Monday-Thursday) or months (January, February, March).
Below is my analysis of the average cost of a wedding in Washington DC metro area:
Average Costs:
Venue Fee: Varies widely and can impact the entire cost of your wedding! If budget is a concern, we recommend talking to wedding planner before locking in your venue! We offer a $250 wedding budget consultation service to make help you understand how to allocate your wedding budget based on your guest count and overall vision!
Catering: $225 and up per person.
Photographer: $7,000-$10,000 for a reputable photographer with experience. Luxury photographers and very experienced professionals can be much more!
Flowers: $5,000 and up (most florists now have minimums of $5,000 + due to flower shortages and increased flower prices attributed to the pandemic). Our clients typically spend $7,500 to $20,000 on flowers dependent on their guest count and desired aesthetic.
Officiant: $750-$2,500 (Depends where you are getting married but some churches in the area have pretty expensive fees for using their spaces and celebrants)
DJ: $2,000-$4,000
Cake: $750 – $2,000
Wedding Planning: $9,000 – $25,000 for a full service wedding planner, $3,000-$5,000 for a day of wedding manager (just keep in mind a day of coordinator does not help with contracting, budgeting, or overall planning of the event they just help you execute the wedding you have planned.)
Most of my couples are spending at a minimum $75,000 to up to $125,000 in the DC region for a 100-150 person wedding. Factors like guest count and initial venue fees can greatly increase these estimates. Please note the above average fees do not include items like videographers, bands, transportation, hotel accomodations, stationary, and so on.
Below is a more in depth look at each vendor category mentioned above.
Venue
Your venue and catering are going to drive the overall cost of your wedding. Venue costs vary widely and can really drive the overall cost of your wedding. We highly recommend if budget is major concern for you to talk to and hire a full service wedding planner that can help you plan to your unique budget.
Catering
Average Cost: $225 to $300 per person
Catering is absolutely essential for any event. One of the major advantages of living in the Washington DC area is that there is no shortage of highly-qualified, experienced and amazing caterers who can make any menu delicious and inspired. However, there are many critical aspects you need to carefully vet in a caterer, as well as considering the type of catering, meal service, and how your food will contribute to the desired overall aesthetic of your event.
You can decrease your catering costs by looking to BBQ caterers or other food styles that are less labor intensive and lend themselves to being able to prep large amounts of food in bulk.
Alcohol
Average Cost: $25-65 per person plus tax and services charges
Alcohol is typically provided through your caterer and this is my recommended option for most couples. However, if you have the option a lot of venues in the DMV will allow you to bring your own alcohol which can help you save a significant amount of money!
Other Vendors
Depending on your wedding vision, you may need or desire additional vendors including guest and bridal party transportation, videographers, dress & alterations, tuxedo/suit rentals, hair and make-up, invitations, rentals & photo booths… the possibilities are endless! Vendors can make or break your wedding day. This is the area where couples tend to have the most difficulty. Couples tend to focus exclusively on price, but do not realize the need to evaluate the entire scope of services included to ensure they are getting the best value. Vendors can also range greatly in price. In most instances, I can save my couples $250-$1000 per vendor. I can do this because I have worked extensively with vendors of all types and understand what goes into the services they offer. This experience enables me to cut unnecessary expenses and still achieve the overall experience you desire.
I can also explain to you the vast differences in vendor pricing and why certain vendors may be charging significantly less, or may be worth their above-average price tag. In the end, vendors are all about what is most important to you, but your vendors should also form a cohesive team. As a Wedding Planner, I act as the captain of this team and keep everyone informed and on cue on your wedding day to facilitate teamwork and ensure flawless execution.
Florists
The covid-19 pandemic has driven flower prices up and major shortages have drastically increased costs for florists. Most florists have a minimum order they will accept for weddings.
Low Centerpieces: $125-$250 per centerpiece
High Centerpieces: $125-$350 per centerpiece
Bridal Bouquets: $175-$300 per bouquet, varies widely depending on style, cascading bouquets are the most expensive
Bridesmaid Bouquets: $75-$150, varies depending on style, but they typically are smaller than the bride’s bouquet
Boutonniere: $15-$30 per boutonniere
Delivery, Set-up, and Breakdown: varies depending on scope of work, distance from venue and many other parameters.
Obviously, the more flowers you want the more costly it will be. Pinterest can give unrealistic expectations of what sort of flowers you can have at your wedding. Please keep in mind, Pinterest is usually filled with styled shoots which wedding vendors create to have marketing material for their businesses. Usually, they are only styling one table or a small space. Most weddings will have much more than one table so it may not be realistic to think your wedding can look just like a photo on Pinterest.
Officiant
Average Cost: $750-$2,500
The officiant is sometimes an overlooked component of the wedding. Many couples focus heavily on the reception and and not as closely on the ceremony details. The ceremony is truly why everyone is there! Make an impact, do something different, and for goodness sake, please make sure you hire someone who is not going to arrive 5 minutes before the ceremony and leave the moment it ends! You would not believe how often this actually happens. I always recommend carefully vetting your officiant and ensuring they align with your values. Do you want traditional, religious, or personal? These are considerations a good officiant will review with you. They should also have a template to guide you through the process of creating a custom-tailored ceremony just for you. I always recommend going with your more expensive option here. You want a professional who will plan and deliver a beautiful, heartwarming ceremony that truly represents your relationship and the love you and your partner share. I recommend meeting this vendor in person before contracting and requesting videos of them performing ceremonies for other couples.
Band or DJ
Bands are $8,500-$15,000
Average Cost of DJ: $2,000-$4,000
The difference in cost between a band and a DJ is usually a couple thousand dollars. Why? Because a DJ is one person and a band is usually multiple people. Every member of the band will be receiving an “hourly wage” from your wedding, so keep this in mind. Personally, I prefer a band. I love the way they can really speak to the crowd and get people up and dancing. DJs are also great if you find someone who really knows how to read a crowd. This should be a very carefully vetted vendor.
Cake
Average Cost: $750-$2,000
The price of wedding cakes can be somewhat of a shock. However, you are paying for a highly labor-intensive process. The average wedding cake takes about 8 hours to bake, construct, ice, decorate, and then you have to include the price of delivery and set-up. The larger the cake or more intricate the design, the higher the price tag. Typically, prices are per slice. These prices can start anywhere from $6 per slice and up depending on how intricate of a design you may desire and the overall construction of the cake.
And last, be not least…
Wedding Planning
Average Cost of Day of Coordination: $3,000-$5,000
Average Cost of Full Wedding Planning: Starting at $9,000 and up
Wedding Planners are the captains of your wedding day and make sure that all of the other vendors are in sync and working as a cohesive team to execute your vision to the proposed timeline. Without a Wedding Planner, you will find it near impossible to get ready, entertain guests, and enjoy your day, while also serving as the point of contact for numerous vendors and dealing with small glitches throughout the event. Wedding Planners also know the best venues & vendors and can help streamline your planning process by bringing you the best options within your price point. This will eliminate countless hours of online research and venue visits taking over your precious weekends, as well as the stress of feeling like you will never find what you’re looking for. We can also make sure your contracts are executed properly and negotiated to the best value. The savings you will get from finding the ideal venue, best vendors, and the reduction of stress will more than pay for your wedding planner!
Still need help figuring out your wedding budget?
We offer budget consultation calls for $250 for 60 minutes. During this call, I will find out all of your desired wedding details and wedding logistics. After the call, I will put together a comprehensive budget for you and your partner so you can go into wedding planning with a clear understanding of the overall cost BEFORE you book any vendors! Hit the “contact me” button below to get in touch about scheduling your budget consultation call.
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Kolena Thomas
Owner & Lead Wedding Planner
