“Money with Katie” Went $18,000 Over Her Wedding Budget. She Doesn’t Regret One Cent.

Creating a wedding budget can be one of the most important — and stressful — parts of planning your big day. Which is why we sat down with millennial money expert Katie Gatti, host of the podcast “Money with Katie,” to get the deets on her wedding budget breakdown.

How much should I budget for my wedding?

Your wedding will probably be one of the most expensive celebrations of your life. Read: Weddings come with an average price tag of over $20,000. And Gatti says that even $25,000 can be a tight squeeze. Which she knows that from experience. Despite her initial planning, Gatti’s Colorado wedding went from having a $25,000 price tag to costing over $40,000. 

Psst…check out these free Google templates as a starting point for your wedding budget spreadsheet.

That’s a big jump. What was the biggest wedding expense?

Like many couples, her biggest wedding expense was the venue. Gatti says she went with an all-inclusive venue. Which means the location, food, alcohol, and wedding decor were all included in the $18,000 price tag. But with service fees (think: wages for waiters and staff),  Gatti estimates that it ended up being $23,000.

How much was everything else? What was her wedding budget breakdown?

Gatti told us exactly what she spent on each part of her big day. Here are the numbers:

You might have noticed that flowers were the biggest expense after the venue. And Gatti says that was for a basic, simple arrangement (aka not up to Pinterest board standards). Luckily, we have a few tips and tricks to help you shave down your wedding costs. 

Any advice when it comes to budgeting for my wedding?

Gatti had a few pointers for Skimm’rs planning their wedding. For starters, you might need to be a bit flexible with your budget. Hint: Payments in the planning phase may sneak up on you. “Because I did this over the course of a year,” Gatti shared, “it wasn’t until the invoices were due that I realized how quickly it was all adding up.” Also, be prepared for last minute expenses. Like a last-minute ATM run to grab more cash for tips. Or a quick stain-remover purchase. 

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Sticking to your wedding budget spreadsheet is a tough, but necessary task. That’s why we got advice from a millennial money expert to help you start planning. Gatti’s biggest wedding day tip: Don’t forget to enjoy the moment.