Ranch Wedding Budget - Creating a Realistic Wedding Budget starts with your Guest Count
Texas Wedding Budget - How to Start
Feeling overwhelmed by wedding planning? It's normal! Everyone loves asking about your big day, but figuring out where to start can feel like a chicken-and-egg situation. Budget? Guest list? It's a tricky question.
Forget "budget first" or "guest list first." Think "together!". Why? Your guest count directly affects your budget, especially for food and drinks (the biggest expense!). Knowing roughly how many people you'll invite helps build a realistic budget for things like venue, catering, bar, table top decor/florals and rentals.
Step 1: Before venue hunting, estimate your guest count.
Think in categories: Definitely, Yes, Maybe, and No.
Unsure about Maybes? Consider these groups:
Kids (attendance can be tricky; we see more and more adult-only weddings each year, so rest assured it’s an option)
Coworkers (appropriate to invite?)
Distant relatives (haven't seen them in years?)
Friends you haven't spoken to in a while (still close?)
Remember: Smaller guest lists = easier budget management.
Step 2: Set a comfortable budget range (ideal and maximum). This gives you a realistic spending limit to consider alongside your guest count when looking at venues and vendors.
Now, with the guest count range, you can do your homework on estimated budgets at different venues! YES, it takes work!
But consider the many wasted hours of travel and visiting venues for tours that, in the end, don’t match your budget. You will quickly get burnt out and start feeling exhausted by visiting venues outside your price range. You only have energy and time off to accommodate a few venue tours, in reality, to make sure it’s worth the trip!
Most venues will have recommended vendor lists, or you can always see on social media who their couples use for catering. Their FAQ should also explain the options.
SCR goes a step further and provides a rough estimate for catering for different guest count groups to help couples understand their overall budget for a wedding at SCR!
By starting with both budget and guest list, you'll enter wedding planning feeling confident and prepared.
No more chicken-and-egg chaos!
The Dotson Wedding - Budget-Friendly Ranch Wedding
This wedding had everything that was important - a couple in love, their best friends and family, the bride’s must-have detail (her bouquet), and a simple wedding full of intention, leaving out the “extras.”
The photos from this day are stunning largely because the bride decided she didn’t need florals inside the reception. Instead, she used a variety of narrowed decor from the SCR decor container and vintage pieces from home. This let her splurge on her stunning bridal bouquet. This is what really matters in photos!
How many detail shots and photos of the reception tablescape will you print and hang in your house?
Liley none.
How many portraits of you on your wedding day, solo or with your grom, will you print and hang in your house?
Likely many!
Even though the Dotson’s decided to keep reception decor simple, they went all out on their own attire with a stunning beaded gown perfect for a whimsical December wedding and the perfect blue suits with amazing groom details with the tie and shoes!
Because Joshua and Haley skipped the extras, like favors, professional hair and makeup, and other areas of the budget, they could hire SCR-recommended vendors for their core team! Having Kenzie Galyean Photography capture your day will get you stunning galleries and a fun day-of experience! Kenzie is at Sparrow Creek Ranch regularly and brings the perfect day to life through her creative perspective! Investing in a photographer well-acquainted with your wedding venue will pay dividends in so many ways! They usually have special perks and access, as they do at SCR, and can adapt to whatever the day brings knowing the venue, intimately!
Sparrow Creek Ranch is one of the most affordable wedding venues in North Texas, with its “nearly rural” location just 1.5 hours from Ft Worth and only 15 minutes from Starbucks and Walmart in Graham, TX! There are amazing lodging options and a wealth of local wedding vendors, so our couples don’t have to go far and incur travel fees or big-city vendor pricing. We’ve got you covered right here at Sparrow Creek Ranch!
