Where your wedding budget actually goes

As a rough starting split: venue and catering together typically eat 45 to 50 percent of the total budget, photography and video another 10 to 12 percent, attire and beauty 8 to 10 percent, flowers and décor 8 to 10 percent, entertainment 8 to 10 percent, and the remaining 10 to 15 percent covers stationery, favors, transport, and a contingency fund. Treat these as a starting point to argue with, not a rule, since a couple who cares more about photography than flowers should simply shift the percentages toward what they value.

The three costs almost everyone underestimates: service charges and gratuities (often 20 to 22 percent on top of the catering bill, not included in the quoted per-head price), alterations (a second, sometimes larger bill after the dress or suit itself), and day-of transport for the wedding party, which is easy to forget entirely until a week before.

Build in a contingency of 5 to 10 percent of the total budget from the start rather than treating it as optional. Something will cost more than quoted, and having the buffer already accounted for means it doesn't come out of a category you actually care about.

Get every vendor quote in writing with what's included spelled out line by line, not just a headline number. 'Catering at £85 a head' can mean wildly different things depending on whether service, hire of tables and chairs, and cutting fees are already in that figure or added afterward.