How to spend your budget. A guide to your budget breakdown.

Welcome back to The Aisle Diaries Podcast - the wedding podcast that tells you what really happens behind the chaos and confetti. Hosted by Sophie Brown and Joella from Serafina Weddings, this week’s episode dives into one of the biggest and most stressful parts of wedding planning: your wedding budget.

If you’re newly engaged and wondering how much a UK wedding actually costs in 2026, this episode breaks down a realistic £30,000 wedding budget step-by-step. From venue costs, catering, photographers and videographers, to wedding dresses, flowers, entertainment, stationery, registrars, content creators, styling and all the hidden extras couples forget about - Sophie and Joella share honest advice, real supplier pricing, budgeting tips and personal experiences from working in the wedding industry.

In this episode:

• How to realistically budget for a £30k wedding in the UK
• Average wedding supplier costs in 2026
• How much to spend on your venue, catering, photography and flowers
• Wedding budgeting mistakes couples make
• DIY wedding tips: what’s worth doing yourself and what causes stress
• Wedding spreadsheets, planning tools and budgeting hacks
• Why negotiating with wedding suppliers isn’t always the best idea
• How to prioritise what matters most on your wedding day
• Advice for couples feeling embarrassed about their wedding budget
• Real talk about hidden wedding expenses nobody tells you about

The girls also answer listener questions, share a heartfelt bridal spiral update, and react to a jaw-dropping £12,000 wedding band quote that completely shocked them.

Whether you’re planning a luxury wedding, a budget-friendly wedding, a DIY celebration, or simply trying to figure out where your money should go, this episode is packed with practical wedding planning advice, honest conversations and plenty of laughs along the way.

Follow The Aisle Diaries Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for weekly wedding planning tips, bridal dilemmas, behind-the-scenes stories and unfiltered conversations from inside the wedding industry.

Produced by TAEPodcast - www.taepodcast.co.uk

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:02

Welcome to the IO Diaries Podcast, the place where you find out what really happens behind the chaos and confetti. Because someone's got to tell you the truth. And it's never boring. With tips for your big day, I'm Sophie and I'm Joella.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Hello. Hello, we're starting.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

We're starting. Sophie's looking at notes and I'm just like, should we start? Yeah, we should start. Hi guys. We're back. It's back. We're back.

unknown 0:33

Eminem.

SPEAKER_04 0:35

How are you? I'm all good. How are you, honey bun? Yeah, I'm good. Like I said, I feel like I've got brain fog again. My brain isn't like collaborating with my body.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

Neither's mine. So we're really sorry if we're going to talk about a really important topic again. I know, I know. Sorry guys. We're gonna try our best. Um, yeah. If if we decide to re-record this at any point, we may do. I don't know what's up with me. I know I find I'm a little bit I'm finding that gibberish is just coming out of my mouth, and there you go. Oh my word. Oh, honestly, I feel like I should have got a coffee instead of the diet coat.

SPEAKER_04 1:08

Do you want to get a coffee? No?

SPEAKER_03 1:10

No, it's fine.

SPEAKER_04 1:11

Right, okay. So this week's episode, I feel is dun dun dun! Yeah. A bit taboo, a bit out there because it's on the subject of money, yeah, and everybody's budget is different.

SPEAKER_03 1:26

And everybody hates money.

SPEAKER_04 1:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:29

Unless you're made of it. You still you just have a different relationship with it. I still think you always spend it the same way. Yeah. You just have a completely different relationship with it.

SPEAKER_04 1:38

Um appreciate it maybe as much. Do you know? So, yeah, this one is a budget of a 30k wedding in the UK.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Yeah, we're gonna take a so obviously the average for wedding budget is between 25 to 30. To 30. Is that something like 22 to 27 bucks? But we're gonna just for nice numbers and for nice sority inside of our heads, we're gonna just take a 30k budget and we're gonna break it down.

SPEAKER_04 2:07

Talk about what we can do with that amount of money and where it can be spent efficiently.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

And also, these are just average pricings, or they're just some pricings that you can get. Like you might want to spend more on photo, you might want to spend less on flowers, you might want to spend more on flowers, you might want to spend less on having a content creator, you might want to spend more than having a content creator.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

Get offended by this.

SPEAKER_03 2:29

This is just here to help. Yeah, it's just a generic thing, and you can fluctuate it and move it around the way that you want to.

SPEAKER_04 2:37

Yeah, because I don't want people to listen and think like, oh my god, that's so unrealistic, or yeah, I I don't know. It's just no big time. So let's just encourage that this is just a generic uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

So you've now gone to inside your head, you've gone to the wedding fairs, you're like, okay, well, this, this, this, and this, and this, and this, and you've gone back to our old episode and you're reeling things off, and you're you're in your ideas and you're trying to figure out your budget are and you're coming to here and you're like, crap, what do I do? Yeah, this is where you come to. So you now kind of just need like we're gonna, like I said, we'll break it down for you and and we will go through, I think, a different day, suppliers and when to book them. Yeah. As well. I think that's always something to take into consideration with your budget as well. Um, and it's always a question we always get asked. So I think we should do maybe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:25

Yeah, but for now, stick to the money sides of things.

SPEAKER_03 3:28

Stick to the money sides.

SPEAKER_04 3:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

So we're gonna go through what you need to know and how everything kind of looks. So, first of all, so when it came to your budget, how did you how did you do yours? Can you remember? I know you had your whiteboard.

SPEAKER_04 3:43

Yeah, but it didn't start off with a whiteboard. Started off with a spreadsheet. It actually no, it started off with a debate on the sofa. What about money? Yeah, and where we were finding it from and where we were pulling it out of.

SPEAKER_03 3:56

Yeah, because it's important. You need to, like we've said on our very first episode, we need you need to go back and work out how much you can save on a monthly basis, basically. And live and and live and comfortably.

SPEAKER_04 4:10

And other other occasions, you know, friends were getting married, which meant other celebrations involved with that.

SPEAKER_03 4:16

And don't leave yourself short on anything in terms of life because you you want to do this or just prioritise what's important to you. And as much as you probably are like, oh, stick it on the credit card, like just try and not like try and do something that is because you don't want to be having to pay off debt afterwards, you want to be having to actually just be like, okay, I can live comfortably still. So if, say, for example, your wedding is in let's take the 11th of May 2027, because this is when we're recording this.

SPEAKER_04 4:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:46

So you've got 12 months, work back from the how much you can save, but don't work back from the 11th of May 2027, work back from about 12 weeks prior because you're gonna have your venue and then also everything on the lead up. At least you've got that money set in your savings account and you don't need to worry about it. Yeah, because you're not gonna be paying things on your wedding day. No, so work out 12 weeks prior to that. So, how did what did you create as well as a spreadsheet then? Um obviously you had your whiteboard, you had your spreadsheet.

SPEAKER_04 5:14

The whiteboard came after we'd booked everything, and it was like to visualise our mental note.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:21

And everything was colour coordinated. So when we bought the prize meat pajamas, that was the pink section, rip it off, done. And in our head, we were like, Yeah. And it was visual and it was always there. And so, like every weekend it was also a reminder, oh, sugar, we need to go and purchase that or we need to arrange that. Yeah. So it that helps with loads of things, and people did laugh, but I tell you what, it was a game changer. It was actually one of Ethan's um ideas. Um, it was it was really good. Um, so I would recommend anyway. I'm such a visual person, I know I am. And it just, I don't know, it just makes you excited when you rip it off because you like proud. It's such a big achievement, by the way. Like doing your own wedding, like you know, it's fine if if you have contributions, it's lovely, but we didn't. Like we we it all came from us and we worked so hard. Yeah, um, I had three jobs, which a lot of people don't know about. I cleaned on a Monday.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

I know you literally bashed it out.

SPEAKER_04 6:20

I obviously had my business doing bridal makeup and running the salon, and then I worked in an office on a Tuesday and a Thursday, and then obviously Ethan he works at AstraZeneca and had did so much overtime. So we sit back now and we're like, how did we do that? But I'll tell you exactly how, and it was work fucking hard.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

Yeah, you literally worked your absolute boom off because you're busy now, never mind when you had two edges.

SPEAKER_04 6:46

We did it, but you do, yeah, and that's that's part of it. But and I tell you what, don't regret it.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

It was amazing. And you had the best time ever. Yeah. So you can do things like that. You can create spreadsheets, you can even buy ones, you can buy them off Etsy, you can do chat GPT, yeah. Spreadsheets, whiteboards. Yeah. Um you can even, I will say now what I said to you earlier. So if you do want a free spreadsheet, we actually do have one that we give out.

SPEAKER_04 7:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

Um, we have on, I'll give you on non-couples one, which basically is just a blank spreadsheet and you can do what you want with it. Um, our couples get one that's like coming from Serafina Weddings. Coming from Seraphina Wedding. So if you pop me a message or pop the Ile Diaries podcast a message on our Instagram and literally just say to me the I'll Diaries Podcast spreadsheet, I will send that across to you.

SPEAKER_04 7:34

Oh, that's so helpful.

SPEAKER_03 7:35

Um, just because it just means then you're not having to figure out formulas and you're not having to do all that. Georgia is always Georgia did ours, and she's a spreadsheet. Really? She loves it. Oh, you'll have to send it to a spreadsheet.

SPEAKER_04 7:46

I do like a spreadsheet. My diary's a spreadsheet.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

Is it? Yeah. Love that. Yes, it's all right. Ours is for Google Forms, so because Google Forms obviously translates into a spreadsheet. Yeah. Um, so ours is as well. But I'm a visual person in terms of colour coordination. So all of ours in our diary are colour coordinated and they're on my office wall as well. You know, where they put the big planet calendar so I can see like 25, 26, 27, 28.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

Yeah, but you can do that on Excel.

SPEAKER_03 8:12

Yeah, but I just prefer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:14

It's funny, isn't it, how people are.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

It's weird how mine's but when it comes to money, spreadsheet, spreadsheet, spreadsheet. Yeah. Yeah, the exact same. So we're gonna go through everything. This is just based on so, like, from my point of view in terms of couples, I do a lot at like marquees, do a lot at um obviously venues, abroad weddings, different types of weddings, but similar to when we did the timeline um one um and that episode, we're gonna just do this based on it being at a venue for the sake of it. So you do have to remember when it comes to budgeting and you are having your wedding at a venue or anything like that, you do need to take into consideration like things like okay, when I'm I'm buying into that venue and I'm booking that venue, is it a dry high on a dry hire basis or is it on everything's included? So for this, we're gonna go off everything is included. But if you don't know what the difference is between dry hire and everything being included, dry hire is literally just the venue, it's just the bones of the venue. You then have to hire in the tables, the chairs, caterers, the cut cutlery, the glassware, caterers, everything. So it is just some venues are dry hire, and I love a dry hire venue. Yeah, love it because but also I love a normal venue because you can just change things up a little bit. But I do love a dry hire venue because you can put your own touch onto it for you. Me too. I do like that. But then for ease, you might prefer but no matter what you're doing when it comes to that, your budget for your food, um, so for your catering and your venue, and that is including your glassware, your cutlery, linen, everything, should be around about between 40 to 60 percent, anyway. So um read your contracts, know if it is dry hire, ask those questions on your venue visit. What am I getting? Like, what is included?

SPEAKER_04 10:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

Um, are there generators that are involved, catering, table in, coordinator, anything like that, just obviously just ask.

SPEAKER_04 10:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:21

Um, everything after that is your obviously your photographer, your videographer, content creator, registrar, celebrant, whoever it may be, cake, decor, styling, and all of that. So I'm going to I have literally broken down a £30,000 wedding, and this is again just based on the actual brim bones and backbones of everything. So how much was the percentage? Do you know the percentage of your venue compared to your budget? If you don't, off the top of your head it's fine. And was your catering cutlery and everything included?

SPEAKER_04 11:04

Catering no, nothing was included. No.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

Okay. Um no. So you had to do that all separately?

SPEAKER_04 11:11

Yeah. Our budget I've spoken about this. Yeah, yeah. That's fine.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

So for the sake of it, um, we're gonna say the venue and catering is £13,000. So it's around about 40%. Um I think 40, yeah, 40% is 12, so it's just over. Um of your budget goes to your venue, your core um catering. So that includes, like you've just said before, your linen, your cutlery, glassware, everything like that as well. We're then gonna go on to um your photographer and videographer. How much would you say photographer and videographer is? Um off the top of your head. Depends if they're traveling. No, it just in the UK, just a venue that you're going to. Photographer.

SPEAKER_04 12:03

Oh god. I mean, you're two years from down the line now.

SPEAKER_03 12:07

So um dramas tell you the average. Go on. So the average sits at 1.5k and 2k. I would have to do that. Depending on experience. Yeah. So that's the average based on obviously your top versus your obviously your lowest, and obviously people that the reason why the average is like that is because it's based on like newcomers and them charging such amount and then obviously high incomers as well. But I would say on average, two thousand pounds for each. Yeah, two for each. Yeah. So around about nine percent of your your budget would go on to your photographers and videographers. You then can have obviously your content creator as well, on top of that.

SPEAKER_04 12:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

Um, which is around about £800. Um, so obviously that just aligns with like a middle tier package, basically. Um oh my god, did you hit my throat then?

SPEAKER_04 12:57

Yeah, sorry. It can't stop. It just came off. I was like, Are we gonna say it? I'm gonna just leave it in it.

SPEAKER_03 13:09

I did it before, that's why I stopped talking because I couldn't fit it. Johnny shouts at me all the time for that because literally I'll be talking and my throat will just go. So, yeah, so you've got your photographer, videographer. So £2,000 for each.

unknown 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Do you want to add the subaction as we're going along?

SPEAKER_04 13:29

Yeah, candy. So where are we up to?

SPEAKER_03 13:32

So we've got £13,000 for your venue and catering. Yeah. You've got £2,000 for your photographer, yeah. £2,000 for your videographer, yeah, and £800 for your content creator.

SPEAKER_04 13:47

Okay, so we're already on £17,800.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Inside your head, you're like, oh my god, that's a lot for three. You'll be thinking of like four things. Yeah. So you'll be like venue. But they're huge things, massive.

SPEAKER_04 13:59

To be honest, the main things.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Your other main thing is me. And me.

unknown 14:06

And Tuffy.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

So I'm gonna add on to there a wedding coordinator, which is £1,300. Let's just say on the I'm putting it on now.

SPEAKER_04 14:15

£1,300.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 14:17

Okay, yeah. £19,100.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

I'm really hoping that I've actually put that onto my budget, but I don't think I've even included me on mine when I've worked it out. So let's just take me off for now.

SPEAKER_04 14:27

We want to take you off.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:30

Okay, minus £1,700.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

I I love how I've just missed me off this completely. Sorry, £17,000. Did I just say £1,000? So guys, math's not mathing. So we'll then go on to your um hair and makeup. So hair and makeup we're just gonna do together for the sake of it. Um, and we're just gonna budget for £800, so £400 for each. Because I know when I've asked you for a bridal party. A bridal party.

SPEAKER_04 15:01

Including the bride.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

Yeah, and you've given me the pricing for excluding travel and trials. Exactly. So just based on that as an average, yeah. Say £800. So you've got your hair included and your makeup from that as well. Is that including trials or pricing that you gave me?

SPEAKER_04 15:16

Not for me, no.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Okay, so I've included in that trials, everything, blah de blah de blah, but it depends on your budget in terms of not your budget, sorry, it depends on your amount of bridesmaids you've got as well. So for this, we're just saying for the sake of four of you, that is what it would be. Yeah. On the day. On the day. Um, in terms of what's next would be your dress or your suits. So dresses is always a funny one because they do average at like £1,500, but you can go higher, you can go lower.

SPEAKER_04 15:53

It's very, very rare. And it's personal. People stick to that as well. I've found with a dress. Once you find that baby, it's like you won't want to let go of it.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

Yeah. And also, as well, this is where sometimes family can come in because like we've had couples in the past where their mums have been like, I want to buy your dress. Yeah. And that's my contribution to you. Um, so these things might fluctuate, but this is your budget based on what you can afford. Yeah. Um, so wedding dress the average is £1,500. Suits as well, if for the sake of this, we're gonna say that you are hiring them £500. Because you can easily do that. Yeah. Um, again, based on those amounts. Um, say for example, it's just you and two groomsmen, fine.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

Yeah, I feel like even if you bought suits off a mainstream site as well, that that would probably fit that budget as well. You know, if you didn't want to hire when you were worried about the clumsy groomsmen or whatever, I feel like five, I feel like that's what we budgeted, 500.

SPEAKER_03 16:55

You gotta remember though, when you do hire as well, they take that into consideration because they know that nine times out of ten people are gonna be absolutely smashed.

SPEAKER_04 17:02

So I know what I'm like. I'm Mrs. Klutz. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 17:07

Some people do it where they will do it as they'll include the shoes or they won't include the shoes, or they'll do it where they'll include um you've got to you'll have everything. You'll have the shoes, trousers, waistcoat, blazer, but you provide and tie or bow tie, but you provide the shirt.

SPEAKER_04 17:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:21

So some people do it like that. It's just different places do different things. So we'll say 500 for now. Yeah. What's that so?

SPEAKER_04 17:27

Oh god. So we're on 17,800. What for not added on? Suits 500.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

Yep, and then the wedding dress.

SPEAKER_04 17:36

1,500.

SPEAKER_03 17:37

And then with your wedding dress as well, you've got to take into your account alterations and accessories and everything like that. So, for example, your veil, your shoes, shoes, shoes, also alterations in terms of if you need anything tweaking. So we've just put on for this now £400.

SPEAKER_04 17:54

Okay, so we're adding £400 to that.

SPEAKER_03 17:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:57

It's coming to £20,200. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_03 18:03

So when uh did I say £400? Sorry for alterations. Uh just minus £100 off that I meant £300.

SPEAKER_04 18:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Um, so when it comes to the next part, which is your you'll be thinking now about how you want your venue to look, you'll be thinking about your bouquet, you'll be thinking about buttonholes, you'll be thinking about styling. All I'm gonna say with these two things is separate them. Separate the flowers from the venue styling. Because yes, there are places that do them together, but they're two separate entities. Because it depends if you want fresh, it depends if you want fake, it depends if you want both. Both, it depends if you want certain types of flowers at different times of year. This is the thing that can fluctuate the most, and also not every supplier is the same. So if you are going around getting quotes for flat for flowers, not every pricing is gonna be the same either because they're conditioned differently, they're treat like they're they're bought from different people from different wholesales, they're just completely different prices from di from different more in the service than the next person. They're not the same, they completely fluctuate. Um, but for this, we're gonna say that your budget for this is £2,500 for your flowers. So that's including things like your buttonholes and bouquets, your ceremony flowers, your styling in terms of uh sorry, your flowers, sorry, in terms of on your table, all of those, any like backdrops, anything like that that you want are flower-based. Then into it comes your styling. So this is where your table decor comes to. If you want to change the linen, that can come into your styling. If you want a post box, if you want an easel for a welcome style.

SPEAKER_04 19:43

Yeah, we can definitely learn all that.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

If you want any draping, if you want all of those kind of stuff, that is where that comes into your candles, all of that that comes into your styling. So that's why you need to separate them because what most people do is see them as one price and they see them as the same thing, and they're like, oh, I'm not spending that amount on such and such, but you actually have to do separate them because they are two different completely. And when you can when you strip it back, you can do a bit of DIY and reduce the cost in that area if you're wanting to do things, but also like venue dresses as well, um, can do certain things, it can take different things off table. So, say, for example, if you want fruit on the table that goes with the flowers and things like that, because that's quite popular at the minute. If you want different linen, but you might also as well when you do have this vision inside your head and you're you're using Pinterest and you're seeing linen that goes to the floor, just check if your venues actually goes to the floor.

SPEAKER_04 20:39

Yeah. Because nine times out of ten.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

It doesn't. And also check if they're using those blinking extra sheets on the phone.

SPEAKER_04 20:45

And also check if they steam it as well. Which is Yeah, I know. It's pet peeve. That's why I have a steam. As a guest, I always clock things like that.

SPEAKER_03 20:55

Oh, and it's also when you have a table, you put a tablecloth over it, and then you put a square tablecloth over the round tablecloth because you want it to have a layer, and it's like, no, don't do that.

SPEAKER_04 21:05

Honestly, I'm like, hmm, that hasn't been steamed.

SPEAKER_03 21:08

Anything's like but like honestly, I can't tell you the mat the effect having a long tablecloth that goes to the floor.

SPEAKER_04 21:16

Yeah, what a difference makes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

It looks like you're not on a holiday that that's in a tent. Anyway, that's off tangent. Yeah, we are that comes onto your table decor and all of your styling as well. So again, like your post box, you might not think about it now, or um things like that, that like your card box, whatever you're using, that also falls into your styling as well, because it also comes from your venue dresser nine times out of ten. Or you might pay your venue £25 for your white post box, whatever it may be. Um, they might add that on and they can do that sometimes as well. Yeah. What did you say? Pay bales. Hay bales, is that for heating house outside? That's a fee. Yeah, I know it is. Um, to dress the Them as well. Um madness. Sorry. I love heating house. But yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:07

Yeah, I love heating house, but that is madness.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

It's fungus. But I kind of get it at the same time though, because it is those sort of things you don't think about because also you've got to pay somebody to do it. Yeah. On that topic we'll leave off for another day. Yeah. Um after that comes your stationery. Again, this is just an average, but stationery obviously includes all of your save the dates, it includes your invitations, name cards, name cards, um, welcome sign if you want to do any menu printouts, menu printout, table numbers, newsletters, anything like that. Anything paper. Not even just paper, anything that's printable. Yeah. Ribbon with names on. Anything. Yeah. Like absolutely anything. Um, that falls into that category. Um, I'm gonna give it at the budget of £500. Rella's probably gonna kill me for that, but I'm gonna give £500. Okay. Michelle will be listening and be like, what are you doing? Um, just purely because this is gonna be based off maybe you having a wedding website and your invitation for a few family members, and you've then got your welcome sign, you've then got your order of the day, and all your name cards and table numbers too.

SPEAKER_04 23:28

So like more of a basic package.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

More of a bacon, basic. I know they said bacon. Basic package. Um then we fall on to the most delicious thing, which is your cake. So, cake I've budgeted for £500.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

What are we on now?

SPEAKER_04 23:46

We are on £21,100.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Oh, we're getting close. Um, on that topic as well, in terms of cake, again, it depends on how many layers you want. It depends if you want cupcakes, it depends if you want a fake cake with a slice in it, or if you want just one tear to be real, it all depends on what you want. It depends on how you want it decorated, it depends on multiple factors. Again, you need to decipher your budget based on what's important to you. So before you've done this, we've said this before, have that list going and just keep going back to it as well. Um, the next one, and there's two things that we have actually missed off on here. The first important one is obviously you cannot get married without them legally, and that is registrars.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

The 900.

SPEAKER_03 24:33

800, let's say. So it fluctuates depend on the county that you're in. Okay. So we'll just go with the average of 800.

SPEAKER_04 24:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:40

Um, I know that prices within Cheshire East are going up. Are they? I think they've already gone up actually. Um don't count me on it. Okay. Um I'm pretty sure when I check their website they'd they'd already you can see the difference anyway. Um, but this is based on them coming to because it's something that massively gets missed from couples, is that you don't realise you actually have to pay your registrars to come out to your venue and marry you.

SPEAKER_04 25:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

So £800 on that.

SPEAKER_04 25:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

The other massive thing is which you need them, rings.

SPEAKER_04 25:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:09

So let's put a thousand pounds on there, please.

SPEAKER_04 25:13

A thousand for both.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Yeah. What would you say?

SPEAKER_04 25:18

I'm not saying.

SPEAKER_03 25:19

I know it can be more. I'm just saying.

SPEAKER_04 25:21

And I got mine in the sale.

SPEAKER_03 25:22

Yeah, I I am just saying, but you depend it depends on if you want mine growing ups, if you want I know it can be.

SPEAKER_04 25:29

If you want sparkle, if you want to. If you want play.

SPEAKER_03 25:32

Like one of my best friends has literally just bought hers for 25 quid.

SPEAKER_04 25:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:35

Like it gen and she was like, it's just not an important factor for me. It's we're having a baby in a couple of months. Like they did registry office, had a the this is the one that got married a couple of weekends ago. Um, went to have a tap ass with all families, just did it immediate families, and that was that. She was like, My ring is is gonna get replaced anyway when we do the later on, anything like that. So it just it fluctuates depending on again what's important to you. If your ring is something that is important to you, and you're thinking, when when when when we're saying this, of like, no, actually, I actually really want to have my ring and have it as a top price, whatever, fine, perfect budget then. Also, as well, your fiancee might have bought it as a duo package, yeah. When he's bought the actual engagement ring, yeah. Outside of your budget.

SPEAKER_04 26:22

So oh, I'd be gutted if he did that. I would be too. I know that sounds really like ungrateful.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

I I if it was Johnny, Johnny obviously knows to go to Gemma anyway for my engagement ring for whenever that time may come.

SPEAKER_04 26:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:37

But I want to go to Gemma and pick out and experience what she does with couples because I just find it so fascinating.

SPEAKER_04 26:44

And also, like there was a couple You don't realise what suits you and what doesn't until you're there though.

SPEAKER_03 26:49

I've seen a couple have their son make their wedding ring. They've gone to make rings for the day, and their son's made it and done it that way. So it fluctuates on what is important to you massively. Were we on the south?

SPEAKER_04 27:01

We're on 22,900. 22? Yeah. Where have you gone? It was 21,900 plus a thousand.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

So let's go back and just re-add this back up. Wow, what happened? I feel like something's been missed. Go on. Um, so let's go back to the very start. Yeah. 13,000? Yeah. 2,000 for photo. Yeah. 2,000 for video.

SPEAKER_04 27:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:31

Hair and makeup £800. Yeah. Content creator, £800. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Oh, sorry. Sorry.

unknown 27:37

What?

SPEAKER_03 27:38

£800 for your content creator. Yeah. Your dress is £1,500. Yeah. Your alteration is £300. Was that on the? I think this is what's been missed. Okay, go on. Your suit's £500. I think it's flowers and styling. Yeah. Your flowers are £2,500.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Nobody's watching this on YouTube, so his eyes have just gone really big. We added on like £500. Come on. £2,500.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

Your styling is £2,000.

SPEAKER_04 28:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

Um, your N we've not talked about entertainment, have we? No. Um your stationery is £500. Yeah. Your cake is £500. Yeah. Um your registrars are £800.

SPEAKER_04 28:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:29

How much is left?

SPEAKER_04 28:31

£27,200.

SPEAKER_03 28:34

Okay, fab. And your rings, sorry, are £1,000.

SPEAKER_04 28:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:40

Yeah. What we are? £28. Okay, fab. £28,200. Fab, perfect. So um I am going to say now.

SPEAKER_04 28:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:51

Entertainment.

SPEAKER_04 28:53

Oh, don't.

SPEAKER_03 28:55

Entertainment is a big one. So entertainment falls into numbers of categories in terms of what should fit within this budget. But I am just going to say DJ and our band for the sake of it. Or somebody who is there right from the very start of your ceremony, right until the very end of the day. And I am not going to include magicians. I'm not going to include photo booths. I am not going to include anything like that. I'm just going to go for your straight music. Somebody who is doing an acoustic for your ceremony, maybe a little bit just before your wedding breakfast and your drink reception. And then a band.

SPEAKER_04 29:32

Yeah, go on.

SPEAKER_03 29:34

It is more than this.

SPEAKER_04 29:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

In terms of what my couples would pay.

SPEAKER_04 29:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:40

But the UK average £1,500.

SPEAKER_04 29:45

No way. Yeah. No way.

SPEAKER_03 29:49

I know.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

That's not going to happen. And Sophie's budget. Like it's not going to happen. So if you don't want a saxophone.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

Yeah, this is what I'm saying. It depends on what you are. I'm just saying your bog standards. Okay, okay. You can have a duo this day. For example, your ceremony. I'm just gonna say no one wants a shit DJ either. No, they don't. But what I'm saying is you can this is just like literally you having an acoustic duo like for your ceremony.

SPEAKER_04 30:20

I'm gonna go, I get it, but I'm just like for your ceremony and wedding break.

SPEAKER_03 30:23

You're a bit shocked. Your ceremony and wedding breakfast, they go home and somebody just comes for a DJ in the evening. Something quite simple like that, or somebody that might stay for the day and just does a full day day weight charge. It might be a young couple, yeah, don't do stuff.

SPEAKER_04 30:38

So we've got £300 left before we hit 30k here. And do you want to know where that £300 goes on to?

SPEAKER_03 30:43

Your extras.

SPEAKER_04 30:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:45

So your miscellaneous.

SPEAKER_04 30:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:47

All the lovely stuff. All the lovely stuff that you forget about, which is things that are such like your bridesmaids' presents, your groomsman's presents, all of those kind of stuff, the little things that you maybe want to do. Your slippers. Your slippers.

SPEAKER_04 31:02

Machine shit, basically. Well, it's true. I'm sorry, it is. You're exy shit. Yeah, it is. No, it's not exy shit because they're all little companies and they're great. But it's sheen shit. Yeah. Primark shit. All the stuff that's that we all do.

SPEAKER_03 31:19

And it's like, all the stuff that you just pick up off the shaft and you go, oh, that'd be when you're going for a wedding. That's kind of stuff. Yeah. I know you're laughing, but no, I totally agree with you. But sheen shit just made me laugh.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

Love sheen shit anyway. I'm not mocking it.

SPEAKER_03 31:31

I know I do too. I could live on it.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

But with you just going back to entertainment, right? So it's my 30th coming up, guys. It's not really, I'm 22. Um, so I have inquired with some kind of entertainment, and I wanted this band for my wedding.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

I want you to tell me who.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

But this was two years ago, and they weren't as big as they are now, okay? So I was like, right, I'm I'm gonna have them for my 30th. I was like, I am.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

I'm really good at that. I'm not doing I've not done something, so I'm really jealous right now listening to you talking about because I'm gonna I'm gonna still do something, probably. You should. This is why I'm forcing myself to do something. I know we'll I'm gonna do something as a joint with me and Johnny, I think.

SPEAKER_04 32:13

Yeah, you need to. Right, so I've inquired with this band, obviously. I didn't have them for my wedding. Blah blah blah. So the quote came back. No, no, no, no, no. I told Ethan and he like literally choked on his own breath.

SPEAKER_02 32:26

It's gonna be about eight grand, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 32:30

The quote came back. This was excluding the three grand travel that they put on. Three grand? Yeah, because they come in a bus. The quote just made that noise again, it was in that much shock. Oh, and I'm laughing because I was just like, I was on the. Three grand, where are they coming from? Bloody Jupiter. It doesn't. They come in a tall bus. I didn't realise how big they'd got.

unknown 32:49

Right.

SPEAKER_04 32:50

It came back £12,975 for this wedding van.

SPEAKER_03 32:56

London is £145 miles away from.

SPEAKER_04 32:59

No, no, they sold it as the kit goes in the van, they park up outside, they stay over in the van, they set up, tidy up, blah blah blah. I was on the phone and I was like minimum.

SPEAKER_03 33:10

It's like 200 quid travel.

SPEAKER_04 33:12

I was like, all right, then just leave it with me. I'll think about it. And then I was like, Grand is paying for that. Like, who like you've got like what? They're absolutely incredible, by the way. Um is it? The function band.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

Oh yeah, the freaking insane. Okay, no, no. Okay, I actually understand where that 12 grand's coming from. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

Would you still pay 12 grand for them?

SPEAKER_03 33:38

Um, like they are insane. They're so good.

SPEAKER_04 33:41

Talented, they're so good, unbelievable. So insane. They are insane, but obviously they're famous now. Clearly, they come in a tour bus for fuck's sake. All my friends would absolutely piss their pants if they saw that part to part's hair. They'd be like, who the hell has she hired?

SPEAKER_03 34:02

Because this is your 30th, I'm just like, 12 grand.

SPEAKER_04 34:05

No. Get stuffed, I'm never paying that. I was like, literally on the phone, Ethan was crying with laughter because I was like, oh, that sounds amazing.

SPEAKER_03 34:14

Well, I'm just gonna go away and think about it. They are insane, but 12 grand's too much money.

SPEAKER_04 34:21

What? Even from a wedding, I wouldn't have paid that. No, I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_03 34:26

No.

SPEAKER_04 34:27

I flew my singer out for my wedding as well. She wasn't paying. I didn't pay 12 grand. And I had a sax, I still didn't pay 12 grand. Yeah. And I had a DJ, and I still didn't pay 12 grand. What the fuck is going on? I like they're insane. I don't want to mock. So good. So intalented, but when that quote came from, oh my gosh. Ethan was like, you could listen to the colour. I would probably get like Marikari or something. I couldn't get Maria Gary. Alright. When are you finding a preview? Men's mindsets are way off it, aren't they?

SPEAKER_03 35:01

He was like, how much?

SPEAKER_04 35:03

I would like to know how that I'm just trying to think about how that is broken down in on well, so basically, you can't get any smaller than a six band piece. That would that's where we want to do it. I know it is. Because I was like, can I have three? You know, it's a level scale. No. So that is why.

SPEAKER_03 35:20

I mean you're not just paying like for the travel and stuff, you you are paying for them. They were for them, and also you are also paying for their time to be there because they're not local to us either. They're they're down south.

SPEAKER_04 35:34

I know they're they're absolutely amazing, guys. If you, you know, do have endless money and then I don't even just go for it. They're absolutely insane.

SPEAKER_03 35:41

I'm trying to have a look at like they stand on these platforms. Oh, they're so good. So good. What a vibe. I'm trying to think about how if they've got anything on there. I don't think they have on their um Oh, they're big on TikTok. Yeah, I know they are. Because I follow them. Um I've not done a wedding with them yet, I would love to do that.

SPEAKER_04 35:59

I know, imagine insane. Imagine being a supplier and being at a wedding with them. I'd have to get involved. I'd be like doing the worm on the floor and then be like, but I'm trying to professional. I don't know, I don't think they've got their price in.

SPEAKER_03 36:12

They've not, no. Well, I've got the email if you want to see it. They've not got the price on the website.

SPEAKER_04 36:16

No, I was just trying to see if it gives it gave a breakdown of like No, because they ask when they called me, they asked like where the location is. So they um obviously they base it off that. Um and they also ask what occasion it's for. It was really good, like the way the good. Yeah, it was really good the way they handled it. It was just the price. I was literally howling. I was like, there is no way.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

It'll be as well because you you've got to think about it. So when you're looking at that as well, you're thinking about six people plus then everybody else. So, because they all have sound tech as well or whoever.

SPEAKER_04 36:49

So say, for example, you're doing it Yeah, but nearly 13k, Joella.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

I know, I know. Well that's what I mean. So say, for example, if you're doing it for 12,000 people and you've riding that by eight, that's £1,500 each. Yeah. And that's travel and the the evening then being paid.

SPEAKER_04 37:06

Plus three.

SPEAKER_03 37:08

Oh, it's plus three plus three K.

SPEAKER_04 37:10

Plus three K. For them to stay in the the amazing tour bus. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:17

They do bring the vibe, but I'm they are amazing. Yeah, but that price is.

SPEAKER_04 37:20

Can you just like I'm just gonna leave it there? Okay. Uh oh. Right, so just quickly, again, we went off on a tangent.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

I'm sorry. Um but that's your budget broken down for your standard 30k in terms of what we've done. So, do you want us to go through it once more times just so that everyone who has got a pen and paper knows that they are actually writing down the correct things? Fab. So we've got your venue at 13,000, photo and video 2,000 each, hair and makeup at 800, content creator at 800, your dress at 1,500, alterations at 300, suits at 500, flowers 2,500, styling 2,000, entertainment 1,500, stationery 500, cake 500, um, registrars 800, and rings 1000.

SPEAKER_04 38:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

And that should leave us with a miscellaneous of 300 round.

SPEAKER_04 38:22

Yeah. That came to 29,700 plus 300k on the dot. Fabulous. Well, thanks for sharing all that. We do have some questions that listeners have popped in. Um so are there any apps, spreadsheets, or budgeting tools to track everything on?

SPEAKER_03 38:41

Uh yeah, so contact us and we'll give you the free one. Yeah. Etsy, chat GPT.

SPEAKER_04 38:47

Chat GPT. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Um, Google. Yeah. Literally, you can buy them off Etsy nowadays as well, in terms of like what you want. Yeah. Even just putting into Chat GPT exactly what you have in mind to say, for example, you can put in, break down my 30k budget for my wedding for me, um, based on this price for venue, photographer, X, Y, and D as well. I know I haven't included like a planet or anything in in terms of that budget, but you need to uh you definitely need to have it in in there somewhere. Yeah. That would be my point on that one as well.

SPEAKER_04 39:24

So bit of a tricky one, especially for suppliers listening. So do you think it's worth as a couple negotiating with suppliers?

SPEAKER_03 39:35

No.

SPEAKER_04 39:36

What they set is what they set. Yeah. I agree.

SPEAKER_03 39:40

I think I think obviously a lot of people that do things like photo booths or LED letters or anything like that, obviously do have do have their set pricing and will do offers at different times of the year. I mean I'm not sure. Because they're a product, not a service. But if you are if you are trying to negotiate that, it's gonna give A a bad vibe for that supplier. But also as well, you're negotiating their time, you're negotiating with their work that they do, and you're actually bringing it down.

SPEAKER_04 40:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

And it's that price for a reason because their skills and our experience, and they'll leave it.

SPEAKER_04 40:18

Yeah, I agree. So with the 30k budget, yeah. This is a question on my behalf. Okay. Um how many guests do you think fits that?

SPEAKER_03 40:29

Around about 80. Your average of 70 to 80.

SPEAKER_04 40:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:34

So a questi uh yeah, a question's come in. Um, what advice would you give me if I'm feeling a bit embarrassed about like what I can spend?

SPEAKER_03 40:45

You don't need to discuss that with anybody else other than your partner. So do not feel embarrassed at all.

SPEAKER_04 40:49

Yeah, when your budget is your budget, your budget is your budget.

SPEAKER_03 40:52

Your budget might be different from Barbara's next door. Like it's it's entirely up to you, and it's whatever is important to you. Like getting married with 70 people might be important, getting married with three people might be important. Like, it's just doing it on your own might be important, or and everybody does have a different budget in terms of flowers, styling, photographer, videographer, content creator. It's it's putting that into an order of what is important to you. Absolutely, yeah. And also you've got to remember like this is all gonna take time.

SPEAKER_04 41:25

So room wasn't built in a day.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

No, it wasn't at all.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

Um and then final question. So this couple are doing DIY elements. Ooh, I love a DIY wedding. So I guess just a bit of advice, really. Which ones do you think will end up causing more stress than there were?

SPEAKER_02 41:46

In terms of like DIY in?

SPEAKER_04 41:49

Like what do you think is worth spending on and DIY in?

SPEAKER_03 41:53

Uh in terms of like, oh, it's in terms of like suppliers. Yeah, so like I'm I'm assuming they mean flowers for one, like in terms of like investing in flowers. I I'd invest in them, but also if you what you can do is so Dee actually did this. Um Dee got flowers from a supplier. We all set them up in the morning, but they were bud vases.

SPEAKER_04 42:17

Right.

SPEAKER_03 42:18

So they were fresh flowers. Yeah. We literally just chopped them and put them into how she wanted them, um, and everything like that. But the florist supplied them on the day, brought them in, bought them in the buckets. We just literally all set them up.

SPEAKER_04 42:30

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

Um, and then she had her main centrepiece. Yeah. I've actually got a picture of it, I'll I'll share it. But she had a main centrepiece as her flowers of bridesmaids.

SPEAKER_04 42:39

I think mine from like my kind of piece that I would add into that just from my own wedding is the stationary. Like, I did it all myself, but it was really stressful. It's so stressful. Like the texture of the paper, it's not just a case of going on canva. That's easy. Yeah. It's the printing side that's really difficult.

SPEAKER_03 42:59

And this is why I said it all takes time. The supply of sourcing. Yeah. Also, on the day you don't realise how little time you actually have.

SPEAKER_04 43:06

And it did get to the point where I was huffing and puffing, and I literally said, I wish I'd just got somebody to do this. Yeah. Like I did it in the end, but it was that caused unnecessary stress.

SPEAKER_03 43:17

Exactly. It's something that I think people just think as well, like you can go and get your welcome sign printed on Canva or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 43:25

You can make it on Canva easy and it looks great, and you think, Wow, I've smashed that. But in terms of printing it, I was back in two.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

Even with the vinyl and everything, like it's really hard. No.

SPEAKER_04 43:35

So that's what I would add to that. Um, so that's all the questions from the listeners. Fab. I know that we've got a little bit of lovely feedback from a bridal spiral we had come in, and I think it's nice to share a little bit of positive feedback.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Yeah, so it wasn't necessarily but we've had an update, I should say. Yeah. Um, so we had a bridal spiral a couple of episodes ago, which was about a lovely bride's hendoo. Yeah. Um if you haven't already, please go back, listen.

SPEAKER_04 44:03

I can't remember which episode we did that on. It was a couple of a couple of eps, I guess.

SPEAKER_03 44:08

It was cat catch-up episode, wasn't it? I think so. Yeah, so it's about three yeah, so it's about three or four ago. So just go back and have a listen to that. It was about lovely bride whose um Hindu people were just basically not in a nutshell, not coming and then coming and then not bringing the vibes.

SPEAKER_04 44:26

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:27

She ended up actually just been messaging and just saying update as I cancelled it. However, she's messaged with I have a nice update for mine. So I have a nice update for mine. After cancelling my Hendo, because all except three of my bridesmaids cancelled, despite eight months' notice. A couple of people have have banded together and are planning a new Hendu for me, including the people who wanted to be there and a couple of extras who weren't initially included. People really will show up for you when you want them to, and it's restored my faith in people. I'm still hurt by the majority of who wouldn't make the effort for the first plan, so they've not been invited to the second, but I'm choosing to be the bigger person, and I've chosen not to comment on it. No point making people feel bad. If they wanted to, they would. But yes, positive update, and I'm really happy about this.

SPEAKER_04 45:16

Oh, that's so good. I feel like extremely happy about it. Yeah, and I'm proud of her for just being like, you know what?

SPEAKER_03 45:23

And do you know what? I'm really proud of whoever is banded together for her.

SPEAKER_04 45:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 45:26

Because it just shows it's times like this in when you have a baby, when you get married, and things like that, and the important stage in your life, who is actually there for you.

SPEAKER_04 45:35

Maybe she sent them our the episode where we were like, you are dickheads. You are it now. On that note, let's finish it up, Jarella. So where can everyone find a self? TikTok, Instagram. Sorry, that would have been really loud. Um gorgeous. And sorry, give go go. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. And it is the Ile Diaries Podcast.

SPEAKER_03 46:04

Fantastic. And our email address is at the Isle Diaries Podcast at gmail.com. And your handle is? Um on TikTok and Facebook, it is at Serafina Weddings. And on Instagram, it's at seraphina weddings underscore. Really annoys me that somebody else has the same handle.

SPEAKER_04 46:22

And they don't use the page. Oh no. Mine is Sophie.brown.makeup on Instagram and the sister page on Instagram is sp.bridalmakeup. Whoop woop. Thanks, guys. We will see you next week.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

Before you go, please don't forget to submit your bridal spirals and all of your questions.

SPEAKER_04 46:40

Yeah, we love them. We really love them. Do we do it not?

SPEAKER_01 46:43

Stop.

SPEAKER_04 46:44

Bye.