When starting to plan your wedding one of the first tasks you should undertake is to decide on a budget. Working with my couples, right at the beginning of the planning process I break down their budget into the different elements of the day and assign part of it to each category. While budgeting for a Jewish wedding is similar in many ways to budgeting for any other wedding, there are a few specific items it is important you don’t forget about. I am going to cover 5 things you should remember in your Jewish wedding budget, so that if you are working on this part of the planning without a wedding planner you can be sure you don’t forget the essentials.
Ceremony Costs in your Jewish Wedding Budget
The ceremony is often overlooked when thinking about overall wedding costs, as it is easy to get swept up in considering the reception and all that comes with it. However, the ceremony is one of the most important parts of the day, particularly at a Jewish wedding. After all, it’s really what you gathered all your loved ones together to witness. Here are a few things for your ceremony that you should include in your Jewish wedding budget:
- Synagogue membership fees, which are often a requirement if the Rabbi at your family Synagogue is marrying you)
- The Rabbi’s fees
- Chazan, musicians and/or a choir
- A sound system for the ceremony, even if you are marrying at a Synagogue, a sound system is not always available at the Synagogue and may need to be hired in; if at your venue a sound system for your ceremony will almost certainly be required
- Chuppah hire, as well as the chuppah flowers and decor
- Kippot and order of service booklets, if applicable
- The cost of your civil wedding, which you will require alongside your Jewish wedding
Catering Costs To Remember
When initially enquiring with caterers they will usually send over sample menus with per-head pricing guides, but it is important to remember that there can be some additional costs. You may need to ask your caterer if some of the following items are included, or if you are working with a wedding planner they will find out on your behalf:
- Furniture is not always available via your venue and can sometimes be hired via the caterer or separately from a hire company; either way it is important to ask whether there is an extra fee for them to set these up for you
- Linen is often provided as standard, but usually the per head cost is for their most standard table linen. You may wish to upgrade from plain white to another colour to fit your scheme, or a different fabric for a more luxurious finish
- The same applies to tableware and glassware; creating a more luxurious tablescape by upgrading your crockery is always an option but comes with extra cost
- Kitchen set up costs if your venue is dry hire. See this blog all about the pros and cons of opting for dry hire for your Jewish wedding
- Meals for suppliers including your band, photographer and videographer, wedding planning team etc. You can arrange this with your caterer and they will often charge a slightly smaller fee for these meals; it won’t add much to your overall costs, but your suppliers will be very grateful you included it in your Jewish wedding budget
Your Venue
Your venue will be one of the biggest elements of your Jewish wedding budget, and you will need to check your contract carefully for exclusions and specifications. Here are some things to look for:
- What time can your suppliers access your venue? If you need it to be earlier, is this available and is there a fee? Giving your suppliers ample time to set up is key
- The same applies to the breakdown or de-rig at the end of the day. Find out how long is allowed for this and whether it can be extended, and how much for
- Are there stipulations about when your wedding must end? Some venues offer a ‘late licence’ for an extra fee to allow you to continue the party
- Which areas, rooms or spaces are included in the venue hire and does this meet all your requirements? Remember to provide a room for your band and other suppliers to take breaks and get ready, a room for your Tisch and one for your Bedeken if all of these apply.
Entertainment and Production
Entertainment usually refers to your band, while when we talk about production we are referring to staging, lighting, dance floors and so on. Once you have booked these suppliers and agreed a fee that fits within your Jewish wedding budget, remember you may also need to budget for:
- The stage and its set up
- A dancefloor if your venue does not already have one
- Lighting, which covers mood lighting of the room, stage lighting and party lighting
Wedding Day Stationery
The final thing to consider within your wedding budget for your Jewish celebration is your event day stationery. Aside from invitations, you will need some of these items at your venue:
- A seating plan or escort cards to let everybody know where they will be sitting
- Place name cards to guide people to the correct seats
- Menus
- Reserved seating signs for your ceremony, to ensure your chosen guests occupy the front rows
- Wedding day signage
Once you have broken down your Jewish wedding budget and assigned a portion to each element, my biggest tip for you is to make sure you stick to it. It is fine to flex your budget here and there or borrow from one element to spend more on another, but try to keep track of your overall spend throughout the planning process. If you are considering working with a wedding planner to assist with these matters, contact me for expert Jewish wedding support.