The Knot Budget Advisor, Your Realistic Wedding Budget Planner

Feeling stressed about making a budget and not sure where to start? No need to breathe into a paper bag, there's a free, easy-to-use wedding budget planner tool that will quickly become your budget bestie: The Knot Budget Advisor. This smart wedding budget estimator makes it easy to discover average wedding costs in your area and learn about factors that influence prices. This localized real cost data from real couples will help you be as informed as possible before you craft a spending plan that works for you.

What are you waiting for? Let's get started on exploring local wedding prices with one of the best wedding planning resources on the market—our free, easy-to-use wedding budget tool.

In this story:

• Why Use The Knot Budget Advisor
• The Knot Budget Advisor Overview
• How to Use The Knot Budget Advisor

Why Use The Knot Budget Advisor

Let's face it, it can be hard to stick to your wedding finances. Did you know that 7 in 10 couples experience difficulty when it comes to how to stay on budget? Yep, according to The Knot 2024 Economic Pulse Survey, planning with a budget continues to be a top challenge for to-be-weds. So, how can you work toward preventing that strain? It starts with setting realistic wedding plans that take into account what vendors really charge and how those figures vary regionally. That's where The Knot Budget Advisor comes in.

Learn About Factors That Influence Prices

Have you found yourself wondering "Why are weddings so expensive?" The truth is that a lot of different factors contribute to the quotes you receive from potential vendors. From the scope of your event to vendor-specific nuances and even often-overlooked details like delivery fees, there are a lot of hidden wedding costs you probably aren't aware of.

Get Educated to Set a Reasonable Wedding Budget

Just like you wouldn't visit a car mechanic or lawyer without researching first, it's important to do your due diligence before you break out a wedding budget calculator to craft your spending plans. The Knot Budget Advisor showcases average wedding costs in your area so you can rely on hard data, rather than guesstimating, when deciding how much you want to spend on your wedding.

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See How Chosen Vendors Impact Your Total Estimate

According to The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study, couples hire an average of 14 vendors for their wedding. But how do each of those vendors impact your budget? If you're booking a DJ rather than a band, how might that affect your budget? Or what if you're hosting the wedding at home and won't need to pay for a venue? The Knot Budget Advisor customizes estimates for you based on the vendors you plan to hire.

Get Pricing Estimates for Vendors

For every vendor, from catering to wedding planners, The Knot Budget Advisor provides a range of average prices that couples in your marrying location typically pay on any given vendor. This information is pulled from thousands of recently married couples in the US who shared their reporting spending in research studies conducted by The Knot. In short, we did the hard work of asking all your friends what they paid so you don't have to wonder.

On-the-Go Planning You Can Rely On

Gone are the days of relying on rogue sticky notes to capture all your wedding finance plans. The Knot Budget Advisor is just one of many useful tools you can access from the palm of your hand via The Knot App. Are you bored in the waiting room at the doctor's office? Now's the perfect time to explore pricing in your area.

The Knot Budget Advisor Overview

Now the part you've been eagering waiting for, an up-close look at how to use The Knot Budget Advisor as your very own wedding budget planner.

Design: Natalie Romine

How to Use The Knot Budget Advisor

Here's a step-by-step look at how to easily utilize our free wedding budget estimator.

Create an Account on The Knot

Did you know that The Knot has a whole suite of useful wedding planning tools, from The Knot Budget Advisor to The Knot Vendor Marketplace and even free wedding websites? So whether you utilize our tools via The Knot App while you're on the go, or from the comfort of your laptop as you wedding plan and chill, your account on The Knot will help you centralize all your planning needs.

Enter Wedding Location

Are you trying to decide between two different potential wedding locations? Or maybe you've already decided on a location and are ready to get down to brass tacks. Either way, you can enter a city into The Knot Budget Advisor and the tool will populate an average total spend for that location based on real couples.

Select Relevant Vendors

In addition to the average for your location, The Knot Budget Advisor will show a second total spend estimate that will vary based on which vendors you select. For example, if you're planning to elope with only a photographer and officiant in tow, you're likely going to spend under the main average. That's where this second, more customized, number comes in. It gives you a personalized suggestion that you can compare and contrast to what others typically shell out.

Discover Price Estimates and Details

Are you wondering "What are the prices of local wedding venues near me? And what about local wedding photographer prices?" Fear not—For every vendor, you will see both the average price that couples usually pay for a pro in your marrying location as well as a broader range that showcases the high-end and low-end costs that to-be-weds typically encounter. In addition to price estimates, there are helpful details that outline factors that influence cost as well as tips to help you save on any given vendor.