How couples usually split a wedding budget

There is no right way to spend on a wedding, but a common split gives you somewhere to start. Put these shares into Budget as categories and adjust them to what matters most to you.

• Venue, food and drink: about half.
• Photography and film: about a tenth.
• Clothes, hair and make-up: about a tenth.
• Flowers and decoration: about a tenth.
• Music and entertainment: a little less.
• Rings, invitations, cake and transport: the rest, a few parts each.

Keep a margin of five to ten parts in a hundred for what nobody plans for. Most couples spend it.

Deposits are usually due on booking and the rest close to the day, so add each payment with its date: Home will tell you what is coming up, and nothing arrives as a surprise.