What it costs to have a wedding in Central Oregon
If making a wedding budget feels daunting, we’re here to demystify the process + help you invest wisely in your big day
After celebrating your engagement, the first three steps in wedding planning are:
1. Pick a date and location
2. Make a draft guestlist
3. Make a budget.
When first making your budget, sit down with anyone contributing to the day (you two, parents, etc.) and discuss how much everyone is contributing and what expectations come with that. If your parents will pay for most of it but they expect to dictate the guestlist, that is important to know up front.
One of the most important factors in a wedding budget is the guest count. Some prices are static, meaning they don’t change much based on the number of people. Here are a few examples of static costs:
Planning services
Photography & videography
Attire & accessories
Floral installations like arbors
DJ/band
Officiant
All of the other costs will fluctuate based on the number of guests, including:
Venue
Rentals (furniture)
Rentals (tabletop items and decor)
Catering
Bar
Dessert
Paper goods & favors
Hair/makeup
Transportation
Most florals, like personal flowers, centerpieces, etc.
Most* weddings in Central Oregon start at $300 per person and increase from there.
*Most weddings is of course a generalization. All weddings are unique, as they should be since each couple is unique! In this post, we talk generally about the majority of couples we serve (and that our fellow vendors serve) in the Central Oregon area from April to November. We are also assuming that the budget includes most of the vendor categories listed above.
Danielle Gillette Photography
HOW MUCH WILL I SPEND ON ______?
How much you spend in each vendor category depends entirely on what your priorities are for the wedding and what’s included with your venue. Don’t let inexpensive venues fool you into thinking you’re saving a lot of money! If you only spend $1,000 on your venue, that means your budget needs to increase in the categories for catering, staff, and rentals, because you’ll be building the event from scratch. If your venue is more all inclusive with food and beverage (F&B) required in house, you will save on rentals and staffing, but likely have a higher per person F&B cost. All of these factors are important to consider when building your budget.
Start by discussing your priorities and list your top 3-5 categories for vendors that are the most important to you as a couple. Having a DJ instead of a band is typically more affordable, or skipping a videographer can be a cost-savings. Also consider whether you want to have your wedding at a more traditional venue like a resort, ballroom, or lodge (that will have in-house F&B) or if you want an alternative venue like a museum, industrial space, backyard, park, or barn.
Kayla Cindy Photo
average costs by vendor category:
Planning / Wedding Management: ranges from $3,000-$8,000+ depending on amount of support
Venue: varies widely from basic site fees (just for the use of the space) to $40,000+ all inclusive food and beverage minimums. AKA the amount you need to spend on food and drink total, before service charges and gratuity.
Catering: $50-$150+ per person, depending on style of catering, menus, etc.
Bar & Beverage: Estimate 1 drink per person per hour of partying. Each drink would cost between $8-$15 each (including bartending) depending on if you source your own alcohol or pay for full price drinks through a resort.
Dessert: $12-$25 per person
Photography: $3,000-$6,000+ depending on experience and number of hours of coverage
Florist: most florists have a minimum order of $3,500-$4,000+ in order for them to commit to the wedding and be on site. That cost would include arbor flowers, reception flowers, and personal flowers like bouquets. Larger installations, flower types, and increased quantities can quickly increase that total number. Some florists do a la carte flowers for elopements or smaller events, like just a few centerpieces or a bridal bouquet that you could pick up from them in advance.
DJ: starts at $2,200 for a basic package which includes ceremony sound, MC services, and reception music
Rentals and decor: varies widely depending on type of furniture, table settings, lighting, etc. If you need a tent, you can estimate needing at least $3,000 for that element alone. At a venue that does not supply any rentals (like silverware, linen, glassware, etc.) you can count on spending at least 15% of your budget on rentals.
Attire and accessories: a wedding dress can cost between $1,000-$4,000+ if you purchase it new
Hair and makeup services: for the bride only, both services will cost around $500-$700. Each additional maid or mom is typically $200-300 per person. It’s up to you whether the cost for everyone’s hair and makeup is in the wedding budget, or if people pay for it individually.
Paper goods: set at least 2% of your budget aside for save-the-dates, invites, signage, menus, place cards, etc.
Favors and gifts: even if you don’t provide wedding favors, you’ll likely still spend money on gifts or tokens of gratitude for your wedding VIPs and families. Consider 1-2% of the total budget for gifts.
Andie Avery Photography
SAMPLE BUDGET at long hollow ranch
Let’s make a sample breakdown based on 150 guests and a $50,000 budget. The venue we’ll use as an example is Long Hollow Ranch in Sisters.
Planning / Wedding Management - 10% ($5,000)
Venue - 12.5% ($6,300) — this venue does not offer catering, staff, or any related rental items
Catering - 27% ($13,500)
Bar & Beverage - 8% ($4,050) — 150 guests x 3 drinks x $9 per drink
Dessert - 3.5% ($1,800)
Photography - 8% ($4,000)
Florist - 8% ($4,000)
DJ - 5% ($2,500)
Rentals & decor - 8% ($4,000)
Attire & accessories - 5% ($2,500)
Hair & makeup for 1 bride - 1.5% ($750)
Paper goods (save the dates, invitations, signage, menus, place cards, etc.) - 2% ($1,000)
Gifts - 1.5% ($750)
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TOTAL $50,150
Victoria Carlson Photo