Wedding Budget

Here is my draft wedding budget.

$500 donation to church for ceremony
$100 marriage license
$1500 site fee
$1500 DJ
$50 bouquet of tulips to hand out to wedding party
$0 photographer
$0 invitations (gift from sister)
$0 dress (gift from mom)
$0 cake (gift from uncle)
$200 red shawls and red ties for wedding party
$0 no favors
$200 / person for food, open bar, wait staff, bartenders, gratuity, and tax
$0 makeup and hair
$0 limo/transportation

What am I missing?

I guess there are all these extraneous things, too, and I wonder if people include those in their budgets. Travel, flights, gas to look at venues. Engagement pictures. Dance classes.

My co-worker says I’ve been going about this all wrong and I should be calling places and saying, “I want to throw a big party!” Instead of saying ‘wedding.’ She’s right. I wish I’d done that from the start.

I’m very happy to report that Marc gave a big thumbs-up to my Palm Springs wedding venue. He has vacationed there with his hot gay friends and says it will be a fun weekend destination wedding. Picture above of his friends who made it into the photographer’s web site. As Marc said, “I swear I’m right behind them!”

Plus…pets are welcome!