How to set a wedding budget you won't regret

Money is the number one wedding stressor — not because weddings are expensive (they are), but because most couples never agree on the three numbers that matter before the spending starts.

The three numbers

1. The total. Not "around 20k" — a number. Write it down together.
2. The committed. What you've actually signed for. This is the number that can't un-happen.
3. The paid. What has left your account.

Stress lives in the gaps between these. If you always know all three, you always know where you stand.

Where the money actually goes

Across most weddings, spending clusters roughly like this:

Your split will differ — that's the point. If live music is your must-have, take the points from decor, not from the buffer.

The buffer is not optional

Ten percent, untouched, until the final month. Weather plans, extra chairs, a second makeup trial, shipping — small surprises are certain even when their shape isn't.

Decide with shares, spend with quotes

Allocate by percentage first, then replace each estimate with the real quote as vendors reply. When a quote beats the estimate, the difference goes to the buffer — not to an upgrade. (You can spend it in the last month if it's still there. It usually isn't.)

Sukumi does this arithmetic for you — it allocates your budget across vendor types, swaps in real quotes as vendors reply, and shows planned vs committed vs paid at a glance.