When you start planning your wedding, one of the first questions you ask yourself is: how much will the various services cost? Caterer, DJ, photographer, decoration, flowers… there are many expenses depending on what each couple wants, and it is not always easy to understand the prices. Especially since they often vary from one provider to another. These price differences do not necessarily mean that one is too expensive or that the other is not as good. Quite simply, the service being offered is not always the same.

In this article, we will therefore detail the main wedding services and explain the different factors that can influence the price, as well as the mistakes to avoid.

 

1. The wedding caterer

For a wedding of 100 people, the caterer generally represents one of the main items in the budget. Along with the reception venue, it is the most important expense of the wedding. Late service or an overcooked dish can create a bad memory for your guests, and that is certainly not what you want!

For a classic service including cocktail + dinner + evening reception, you should generally budget around €80 to €120 per person excluding drinks. Four sub-categories should be distinguished: the cocktail, dinner, the evening reception, and service / travel. 

• The price of a cocktail depends on the number of cocktail bites, the number of culinary stations (prepared in front of your guests) and, of course, the number of guests.
• The price of dinner depends on the number of courses you want, the dessert, the number of service providers (you must provide a meal for all your service providers), the length of service and, of course, the number of guests at the table.
• The price of the evening reception will depend on the number of servers you need, the complexity of the cocktails you want (if you want a complicated cocktail, a mixologist will need to be present) and the length of the service.

 

How can you lower the bill?

The best way to reduce the budget is not necessarily to look for the cheapest caterer, but to change the composition of the meal and services:

• Reduce the number of culinary stations, which certainly create a wow effect, but are not the heart of the wedding. The most important thing is you, not the cocktail bites or culinary stations. Another option is to go from 12 different pieces to a shorter but carefully chosen selection, which can make a real difference.
• If you have a lot of cocktail bites, it may not be necessary to have a starter, and it may be possible to start dinner directly with the main course. Otherwise, your guests may not finish their plates.
• For the main course, limit very expensive products: foie gras, lobster, langoustines, caviar, certain cuts of beef or premium fish can quickly drive up the price.
• Consider offering a buffet instead of a plated meal. A meal requiring a lot of table service will cost more than a simpler option.
• Choose cheese pyramids placed on the tables or served as a buffet instead of pre-cut cheeses served on individual plates, in order to reduce service and guarantee the quality and freshness of the cheeses.
• Choose a wedding cake made by a pastry chef rather than a dessert served on individual plates. It is often better quality, at a lower price, and requires less service.

 

The mistake to avoid: Prioritizing quality over experience

We have seen couples choose a renowned chef so that the quality of the dishes would be as good as possible. The problem is that a chef is not a wedding caterer. The quality of the dishes may be excellent, but their ability to serve a large number of guests in record time with a kitchen they do not know will be more limited. Not to mention the service, which has to be almost a military operation!

 

2. Alcohol

Drinks can sometimes be difficult to budget because they can be calculated in several ways and will depend on their quality, your budget, the number of glasses desired per person, and the number of different types of drinks (we also invite you to read our article dedicated to choosing between crémant and champagne HERE.) The most important thing is first and foremost to try to estimate your guests’ drinking habits, as you are in the best position to know whether they are light or heavy drinkers.

 

Estimating the amount of alcohol for a wedding of 100 people

Let us take the example of a wedding of 100 people, with a reception taking place from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. To determine your quantities, we recommend calculating the number of glasses per person over the entire day. We recommend starting with a basis of around 8 to 10 glasses per person (< 7 glasses/person = a little low, 7 to 8 glasses = reasonable, 8 to 10 glasses = comfortable, 10 to 12 glasses = generous)

This is of course an average and a basis for calculation: some guests will not drink or will drink very little, some will go to bed early, while others will drink more and enjoy the evening until late at night. For 100 people, here is one possible breakdown:

The cocktail

• 35 bottles of crémant → approximately 2 glasses per person
• 4 bottles of red wine and 12 bottles of white wine → approximately 0.8 glass per person
• Subtotal: approximately 2.8 glasses per person

 

Dinner

• 25 bottles of red wine and 18 bottles of white wine
• Subtotal: approximately 2.1 glasses of wine per person.

 

The wedding cake and toast

• 18 bottles of crémant
• Subtotal: approximately 1.05 glass per person.

 

The evening reception

• • 18 bottles of crémant → approximately 0.9 glass per person
  • 4 bottles of red wine and 9 bottles of white wine → approximately 0.65 glass per person
  • 4 bottles of rum and 4 bottles of gin → approximately 1.4 cocktails per person

• Subtotal: approximately 2.9 glasses per person.

 

That is 8.8 glasses per guest over the entire wedding day from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., which is comfortable without being overly generous.

Once again, this figure is an average used to size the quantities for the event, not a prescribed amount of alcohol per guest.

 

Estimating the alcohol budget for a wedding of 100 people

The budget required for alcohol depends on your tastes and the amount of alcohol desired. Using the same figures as in the previous estimate, here is the recommended budget per bottle and for each part of the day:

 

The cocktail:

• 35 bottles of crémant → between €14 and €18
• 4 bottles of red wine → between €15 and €20
• 12 bottles of white wine → between €15 and €20
• Budget between €750 and €1,000

 

Dinner

• 25 bottles of red wine → between €25 and €35
• 18 bottles of white wine → between €25 and €33
• Budget between €1,000 and €1,500

 

The wedding cake and toast

• 18 bottles of crémant → between €14 and €18
• Budget between €250 and €350

 

The evening reception

• 18 bottles of crémant → between €14 and €18
• 4 bottles of red wine → between €15 and €20
• 9 bottles of white wine → between €15 and €20
• 4 bottles of rum → approximately €40
• 4 bottles of gin → approximately €40
• Budget between €750 and €1,000

 

That means an alcohol budget of between €2,700 and €4,000 for the entire day from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.

 

How can you lower the bill?

• Save the best bottles for dinner and offer more affordable bottles for the cocktail and evening reception
• Only serve crémant during the cocktail
• Do not add wine for the evening reception. Sparkling wine and spirits only.
• Offer only a limited selection of spirits;
• Do not plan elaborate cocktails;
• Choose crémant rather than champagne;

 

Beware of the corkage fee

If you bring your own bottles, check that the venue allows outside drinks. A corkage fee of around €8 to €10 per bottle may then be charged depending on the standard of the venue. Also remember that you will have to manage the delivery, storage, and then removal of the empty bottles and waste yourselves: additional logistics that you would gladly do without on your wedding day!

 

The mistake to avoid: Forgetting the food and wine pairing.

The wine you choose should above all please you, but it should also remain accessible and enjoyable for all your guests. It should be chosen according to the menu, the food and wine pairing, but also the weather and the season. A powerful red wine from Cahors at 16°C on a hot summer day, served with white meat, may lack freshness and completely throw the meal off balance: a guaranteed misstep!

 

 

3. The wedding DJ

The price of a wedding DJ can vary considerably depending on the length of the service, the equipment used, the number of areas requiring sound, the lighting, and the services offered. In particular, you will need to determine whether you want a service only for the dancing portion of the evening or also sound for the cocktail, dinner or ceremony. The choice of DJ will therefore depend on your expectations, the atmosphere you want and your budget.
For a wedding of 100 people, the DJ will need equipment capable of properly providing sound for the room and dance floor, but the equipment required for 100 people is not fundamentally different from that needed for 50 or 80 people.

 

A DJ offers different services:

• Equipment setup;
• Sound for the evening reception;
• Sound for dinner
• Sound for the ceremony
• Smoke and low-lying fog
• Equipment: speakers, microphones;
• Lighting: dance floor and outdoor areas;
• DJ set during the evening reception;
• Equipment breakdown
• Travel expenses

 

Estimated DJ budget

A DJ who covers the ceremony, cocktail, dinner and evening reception does not offer the same service as a DJ who arrives at 9 p.m. to handle only the dancing. For a classic service, budget around €900 to €2,500 depending on the options selected.

 

How can you lower the bill?

• Limit the service to the evening reception;
• Limit sound to a single reception area
• Short travel distance;
• Minimal lighting or dance-floor lighting only
• Do not request smoke effects

 

The mistake to avoid: Asking a friend who knows how to mix

We all have a friend who enjoys mixing and owns their own decks. On paper, this may seem like a good way to reduce the budget. But there is a real difference between enjoying mixing your own tracks and knowing how to get a group of people dancing, adapt to their tastes and keep the atmosphere going all evening.

Jean-Claude may be an excellent DJ… but your aunt may not be thrilled by three hours of minimal!
From a budget perspective, a professional DJ generally includes sound, lighting, setup and breakdown in their service. With a friend, you will often have to rent, collect and return the equipment (including the deposit), arrange accommodation, cover travel expenses and add another chair at the table. An apparent saving that can quickly increase the overall cost of the service.

 

4. The wedding photographer

The venue and the caterer are probably the two most important elements for your guests’ experience on the wedding day, and the ones that can leave a bad memory if poorly chosen, the photographer is undoubtedly the most important expense after the wedding. Once the celebration is over, the photographs are what will remain, allowing you to relive these moments and share them with your loved ones for many years.

The choice of photographer therefore deserves particular attention: it will depend on your expectations, the style of photographs you are looking for, the length of time you want them to be present and, of course, the budget you wish to allocate to it.

 

Estimating the cost of a wedding photographer

The budget for a wedding photographer can vary considerably depending on the length of the service, their experience, the number of photographers present, the services included in their package and their travel. In particular, you will need to determine whether you simply want to capture the ceremony and cocktail, or benefit from a more comprehensive report covering everything from the preparations through to the beginning or end of the evening.

The price of a photographer also varies according to the time spent preparing, sorting, selecting, editing and delivering the photographs. For a classic service, you should generally budget €1,200 to €2,000.

 

Example of packages offered by a photographer

Short package:

• Ceremony + couple photos + group photos + beginning of the cocktail.
• Approximately 6 hours of coverage.
• → Around €1,400

Day package:

• Preparations + ceremony + couple photos + cocktail + beginning of dinner.
• Approximately 8 hours of coverage.
• → Around €1,800

 

Full-day package:

• Preparations + ceremony + cocktail + dinner + first hours of the evening reception.
• Approximately 10 hours or more.
• → Around €2,000

 

How can you lower the bill?

• • Coverage limited to a few hours;
  • No preparation coverage;
  • Finish before dinner;
  • Digital gallery only;
  • No printed album;
  • One photographer.
  • No video (a photograph can be printed, framed, sent, etc.)
  • No drone photography (which requires a permit and authorization)
  • Find a local photographer and avoid travel expenses

 

The mistake to avoid: Choosing your photographer based solely on price

The photographer is one of the few service providers whose work will continue to accompany you long after your wedding. It may therefore be tempting to reduce this budget or ask a friend to take the photos, but be careful: photographing a wedding is not something you can improvise. You need to know how to anticipate important moments, manage light, groups and unexpected events, and above all remain discreet throughout the day.

Before comparing prices, look at the photographer’s style, their complete wedding reports, the length of their coverage and what is included in their service. A few hundred euros saved today can make a big difference to the memories you will keep tomorrow.

 

5. Decoration: decor, flowers and furniture

Decoration is one of the areas where budget differences can be the greatest. It can range from a few carefully chosen elements on the tables to a complete design of the venue, incorporating decoration, flowers and furniture, both functional and decorative.

Your choice of decoration will depend on the atmosphere and style you want to create, the different areas to be arranged, the desired level of personalization and, of course, the budget you wish to allocate to it.

 

What does a decoration service include?

Furniture needed for the reception:

• Tables
• Chairs
• High tables
• Bars
• Outdoor lounge furniture
• Coffee tables
• Outdoor furniture.

 

Furniture and decorative elements:

• Ceremony arch
• Ceremony benches or chairs
• Armchairs and decorative furniture
• Structures
• Signs and signage
• Decorative elements for the different areas.

Decoration and flowers:

• Table decoration
• Candles and candle holders
• Menus and table numbers
• Welcome sign
• Ceremony decoration
• Cocktail decoration
• Floral arrangements
• Bridal bouquet
• Boutonnieres
• Ceremony flowers
• Table floral arrangements.

 

What budget should you plan for wedding decoration?

The price of this service does not only cover the cost of the objects, flowers or furniture. You also need to take into account the time spent on design, preparation, transport, setup and breakdown.

For a wedding of 100 people, a classic service including decoration, flowers and furniture rental can cost around €2,000 to €7,000. The possibilities are nevertheless very broad, and a particularly elaborate design can greatly exceed this budget.

 

How can you lower the bill?

• Look for relatively simple decoration
• Opt for standard tables and chairs
• Little additional furniture
• Check whether you can rent rather than buy decorative elements
• Focus the decoration on the tables
• Reduce the number of reception areas to be decorated
• Choose seasonal and local flowers
• Use foliage
• Ask for simple floral arrangements

The mistake to avoid: Wanting to decorate every corner

When you imagine your wedding, it is tempting to want to decorate every space and every table. Yet successful decoration is not necessarily the decoration that does the most. It is often better to focus your budget on a few strong elements that will create a genuine atmosphere, rather than multiplying small decorative elements without coherence. When the venue is beautiful enough, there is not necessarily a need for decoration in every corner.

A beautiful table, a carefully designed ceremony arch, a few floral arrangements and a thoughtfully arranged cocktail area will often have much more impact than a multitude of scattered decorations.

 

6. In conclusion

A wedding budget depends on many factors: the number of guests, the length of the services, the level of quality, the season, the distance, the equipment required and the desired level of personalization. For this reason, it is impossible to give a single price for each service. The most useful approach is to start with a price range for a classic service, then understand what can cause this estimate to vary.

The goal is not necessarily to look for the lowest price, but to understand what you are buying and allocate your budget to the services that genuinely matter to you.