The 70/20/10 Wedding Budget Rule

The 70/20/10 split is a calm way to build a wedding budget that actually works. Put 70% into the backbone (space, food, movement, core tech), 20% into memory-makers (visuals, styling, entertainment), and 10% into buffers (contingency, tips, overruns). Adjust by region—but always start here.

The 70% backbone (non-negotiables)

• Space & menu: room that really fits your headcount, food that serves on time.
• Core tech: speech-first audio, flattering front wash; right-sized screens only if they help sightlines.
• Movement: shuttles, parking validation, convoy math that protects elders and timelines.
• Permits & engineering: power drops, ingress windows, venue rules.

Before numbers drift, compare rooms by capacity, curfew, and ingress to prevent hidden costs: audit rooms you’re considering, side by side. For hotel add-ons and banquet math, this explainer keeps quotes honest: decode how banquet math and corkage crawl into totals.

The 20% story layer (what guests remember)

• Visuals: photographers and videographers who deliver even when light and schedules slip.
• Styling: modular florals that lift from vows to dinner; candles and pinspots extend mood.
• Entertainment: DJ or band plan sized to the room; keep speeches in one block for clean gain.

If documenting the day is a priority, start shortlisting teams who thrive in mixed church/ballroom light: shortlist documentary-first teams with crisp timing. For a tier-by-tier view, sanity-check expectations against real packages: sanity-check what each tier actually buys.

The 10% safety net (your stress saver)

• Contingency for overtime, last-minute guests, weather pivots, or supply hiccups.
• Gratuities & service that often aren’t in base quotes.
• Reprints & rushes (signage, menus, small rentals).

Keep this fund intact until one month out; move leftovers to a quality-of-life upgrade (espresso cart, extra pinspots) only after timelines are confirmed.

Example shapes (adapt to your total)

How to apply it this week

1. Pick the guest count (everything follows plates, chairs, sound coverage).
2. Allocate 70/20/10 on paper for your total; freeze the backbone first.
3. Normalize AV quotes by power, crew, and hours; then style to the room, not the wish list.
4. Assign an ops owner for shuttles, cutoffs, and radios: bring in a timeline captain who lives in run-downs.

When to rebalance

• Destination builds (islands/ridge): shift a few points from styling to movement/engineering.
• Micro-weddings: allow a couple of points to slide from backbone to story for materials and finishes.
• Hotel-heavy programs: reserve part of the safety net for service charge creep and late teardown.

Red flags that break the rule

• Vague “unlimited” lines (prints, drinks, hours) with no per-hour math.
• Décor sketches without a flip plan or ingress notes.
• “Basic AV” with no mic list or power matrix.

Keep the big picture in view

As quotes come in, put each line under the 70/20/10 buckets. If a story item pushes you over, reduce SKUs rather than starving sound or movement. For a national lens on how regions and settings change price drivers, ground your plan here: anchor your splits to a PH-wide baseline with regional drivers.

Next steps
Lock the room and menu that truly fit your headcount, pencil visuals that deliver under real light, and hand timelines to an ops-minded partner. Then fine-tune styling to the space and timeline you actually have—not the one in your head.