We did a breakdown of some real-life wedding costs for 2023 that was so popular we thought we should do it again for 2024! We know spending and budgets are always the hardest parts of a wedding so we want to help set realistic expectations of what things could look like.
As we did for the 2023 weddings we reviewed, we wanted to show the wedding cost from some of the areas all weddings need: food, beverages, and a venue. We won’t be naming actual venues and vendors or pricing for them, but we will tell you the per-person amount for each of these weddings in these areas and give you a little background on them.
Some notes:
- “Private Venue” means that it is not owned by the city or another public entity. In general, this venue’s main purpose is to be a wedding venue.
- Caterers will be broken out into three categories: Budget, Mid-Range, or High-End.
Couple 1 – Married February 2024
Guest Count – 150
Venue – Private Venue in Minneapolis, ceremony on-site
Catering – Budget, plated meal, passed and stationed appetizers
Bar – Managed by the venue, fully hosted by the couple
Dessert – From an outside bakery
Late-Night Snack – Fast food brought in
Per Guest Cost: $191.11
This couple had a very specific budget that we didn’t blow past, maybe somewhat over. They wanted good food but didn’t want to spend a lot on it. Having an open bar was important so that was factored in. Overall this could have been a lot more per person had they gone with a more expensive caterer and done all the food through them, like the dessert and late-night snacks. Had they not had a fully hosted bar, it could have been less per person.
Couple 2 – Married May 2024
Guest Count – 144
Venue – Building in Minneapolis used for other purposes as well
Catering – Higher-end, plated, passed appetizers
Bar – Catering, fully hosted by the couple but no signature drinks
Dessert – From catering, dessert minis
Late-Night Snack – From catering, hot dogs
Per Guest Cost: $192.58
The wedding venue cost was less expensive than some other venues so that helped contribute to a less per-person cost than this wedding could have been. The couple was very focused on good food and a hosted bar so they chose to forego signature drinks which are nice but would have added quite a bit to their bar tab.
Couple 3 – Married May 2024
Guest Count – 170
Venue – City-owned venue in St. Paul
Catering – Budget-mid range, did an upgraded taco buffet, dry snacks from Costco
Bar – BYOB with bar service, hosted
Dessert – Donuts from a grocery store
Late-Night Snack – Pizza delivered
Per Guest Cost: $109.77
This couple did the rare thing these days and got under $150/guest while still giving their guests a hosted bar. Making strategic decisions on the venue, appetizers and desserts helped this couple spend less than average for weddings in 2024.
Couple 4 – Married May 2024
Guest Count – 75
Venue – Upscale hotel in the suburbs
Catering – Through hotel, plated, passed appetizers
Bar – Through hotel, hosted but only for 3 hours
Dessert – Cake from an outside bakery, tiered cake that was cut
Late-Night Snack – Through hotel, pizza
Per Guest Cost: $292.85
Smaller guest counts don’t always mean less per person. Sometimes it’s the exact opposite. If you are choosing to have a smaller guest count but treating those people as the VIPs they are, then it’s likely your per-person cost will be higher.
Right now, in mid-2024, when looking at your budget, I would say at a MINIMUM you should expect to spend $150/guest on the venue, food, and bar. But that is very dependent on a lot of factors as you can see above. To be more realistic, bump that number to $200.
Stressed out and don’t feel like you can do a wedding on the budget you have planned? Get in touch with us. We offer a $100 one-hour paid consultation where you can talk with us about your budget, and vision or get any advice or ideas from us you want.
Need help finding a venue that will help with the budget you are hoping for? Our Venue-Searching service is perfect for couples who are not finding what they are looking for and don’t want to be venue-poor.
Think you can’t afford a Planner? Several of our couples have booked our All-Inclusive services and have had weddings in the $25-35,000 range. They understand that by having us on their side, the money they pay us is going towards making sure they are getting the best advice, value, and services from the other vendors they hire. Plus, it’s a lot less work for them. Having a Planner is an investment…in your sanity!
We look forward to our therapy session with you soon 🙂
