There are very few things in this life that you spend more time and effort planning than your wedding. If you’re not prepared, it can become overwhelming. If you’re too attentive you risk becoming the dreaded Bridezilla or getting carried away and completely blowing your budget. You definitely need essentials for planning a wedding, like the wedding budget spreadsheet.
Read our list of wedding budget spreadsheets to discover how easy it is to find a perfect wedding planning balance.
Top List Of Wedding Budget Spreadsheets
Wedding Budget Spreadsheet
The wedding budget sheet from Wedding Forward takes the best of all the other tools and wraps it up in a tidy, easy-to-use package. This tool is perfect for brides and grooms and professional wedding planners alike. The beauty lays in its simplicity. It comes pre-loaded with recommended budgets for different categories and makes you feel absolutely fantastic as you add positive numbers to the over/under budget section.
It’s also a wedding budget template Excel that we created so maybe you think we’re a little biased. The only way to find out is to try it for yourself!
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Free Wedding Budget Spreadsheet by Bridal Musings
The free wedding budget template from Bridal Musings skips the bells and whistles and plunges into functionality. This is a great choice for wedding planners who are collaborating with their spouse, parents, bridal party, and anyone else. Simply open it up in Google Drive, share it with your helpers. Real-time edits will be visible as you all chip away at that endless to-do list.
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Wedding Budget Tracker by WeddingWire
The perfect wedding budget checklist for wedding planners on the go, WeddingWire provides a free mobile-first app. Rather than waiting until your designated planning time, keep track of your to-do list when inspiration strikes and avoid omitting crucial info by keeping track of your purchases and vendor hires as it happens.
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Wedding Budget Worksheet by Real Simple
The wedding budget worksheet from Real Simple is exactly that, real simple. Everything is broken down into very simple categories and takes the extremely helpful step of suggesting the percentage of your budget should be assigned to different segments of your wedding.
Many brides and grooms have a great idea of what their overall budget is but are completely clueless about how to spend that money wisely. Real Simple solves that problem.
Wedding Budget Excel Spreadsheet by A Practical Wedding
A Practical Wedding provides a wedding budgeting spreadsheet that guides you through the planning process without you even knowing. Start with an overall budget, break that budget down by category, and start checking things off your list. Before you know it, you’ll have everything planned and accounted for without spending an extra dime.
This works perfectly as a Google sheet, but for those who prefer a more tactile approach, it works just as well as wedding printables.
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Wedding Budget Calculator by The Knot
For those of you who get sick to the stomach at the mere mention of spreadsheets, The Knot is here to rescue you. Forego the standard wedding budget excel spreadsheet and immerse yourself into a highly visualized organizational online tool.
Start with your maximum wedding budget and start plugging in your estimates and actual expenses, and keep track of handy color coding and convenient links to trusted vendors.
Wedding Budget Template by Vertex42
Vertex42 is the wedding budget excel for couples who know what they want but have no clue what it’s all going to cost. Enter your wedding items and use the estimator to determine how it all adds up. From there it’s a simple matter of distributing your funds according to your priorities and replacing the estimates with real values as you discover them.
Wedinspire Budget Spreadsheet
The budget spreadsheet includes all the essential expenses related to your wedding, ranging from ceremony and venue costs to food, drink, the wedding dress, cake, makeup artist, photographer, and even wedding insurance. It also included a dedicated section for the honeymoon so that you can easily manage all the costs associated with this important trip. By using our budget spreadsheet, you can keep track of your expenses, compare prices, and make informed decisions to stay within your budget and plan the perfect wedding.
Google Sheets
Create your own personalized wedding planning spreadsheet using Google Sheets for easy access from any device, allowing you to plan on the go. With just a Google account, you can make a copy of the wedding planning Google Sheet, customize it to your preferences, and collaborate with your partner, wedding planner, and loved ones to keep everyone in the loop.
Tip: Press Download Google Sheet and MAKE A COPY to use this template as your wedding budget template.
Microsoft Excel Worksheet
Prefer using Excel? You can download this comprehensive wedding checklist Excel template directly to your computer. The file contains essential tools such as a wedding budget planner, planning timeline and checklist, guest list manager, vendor contact list, wedding day schedule, and photography shot list. This Wedding Excel spreadsheet allows you to organize your wedding preparations efficiently with these convenient resources.
This works perfectly as a Google sheet, but for those who prefer a more tactile approach, it works just as well as wedding printables.
Structuring Your Wedding Budget Spreadsheet
Choose Your Platform:
Decide between Excel, Google Sheets, or a pre-made wedding planner template.
- Excel: Offers advanced features for detailed tracking.
- Google Sheets: Ideal for easy sharing and real-time collaboration.
- Wedding Planner Templates: Pre-structured, saving time on setup.
Create Categories:
Start with broad expense categories such as:
- Venue: Ceremony, reception.
- Attire: Wedding dress, suit, accessories.
- Catering: Food, drinks, cake.
- Entertainment: DJ, band, performances.
- Decorations: Flowers, lighting, table settings.
- Photography: Photographer, videographer.
Add Subcategories:
For each main category, break down expenses into subcategories.
For example:
Catering: Include line items for food, drinks, cake.
Organize Your Columns:
Set up columns to track key financial details:
- Expected Cost
- Actual Cost
- Amount Paid
- Outstanding Balance
Automate with Formulas:
Use basic formulas like SUM to total expenses and AVERAGE to calculate per-category costs. This will streamline your wedding budget management.
By following this structure, your wedding spreadsheet will be organized and easy to update, helping you stay on budget.
Additional Tips and Tricks
- Use Templates:
Start with a sample wedding budget template to save time and streamline the process. These pre-made templates are designed to cover all major expense categories, helping you avoid missing important details.
- Collaborate with Others:
Share your wedding spreadsheet with key people like your wedding planner or family. Google Sheets is perfect for this, allowing multiple users to view and edit the spreadsheet in real time. This collaboration ensures everyone is on the same page and helps update the budget.
- Customize Your Spreadsheet:
Personalize your wedding spreadsheet to fit your unique needs. Add notes, reminders, or special categories specific to your wedding. Customization makes the spreadsheet more useful, allowing you to track everything that matters most for your big day.
These tips will help you create a more efficient and tailored wedding budget.
Brides Often Ask
How do I save money on my wedding budget?
- Opt for a smaller guest list.
- Choose an off-peak wedding date or day of the week.
- DIY some aspects like decorations or favors.
- Consider alternative venues like parks or community centers.
- Shop around for affordable vendors and negotiate prices.
What are some common mistakes people make with their wedding budget?
- Underestimating costs, leading to overspending.
- Failing to prioritize expenses, resulting in overspending on less important aspects.
- Not setting a clear budget or tracking expenses.
- Splurging on unnecessary items due to pressure or expectations.
- Ignoring additional fees and taxes when booking vendors.
What are some unexpected wedding costs that I should be aware of?
- Alterations for wedding attire.
- Marriage license fees.
- Corkage fees for bringing in outside alcohol.
- Gratuities for vendors.
- Last-minute or emergency expenses like medical kits or transportation.
As you can see there’s a wedding planning tool out there for everyone. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation so make sure to read through the descriptions and take the ones that sound appealing for a test drive until you find the one that works perfectly with your style.
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