Build the wedding in your head, one calm step at a time.
This is not a dashboard you have to figure out. It is a guided planner: tell us the vibe, protect the budget, choose the moments, compare costs, review photo inspiration, then leave with a printable Dream Wedding Starter Pack.
Live estimate
$135,360–$253,800
Lake Como · 125 guests · No Budget / Dream Mode
Protected priorities: Venue, Photography, Guest Experience
Trend moments: 1
Photo status: Optional
Find the vision.
Start with language a planner, florist, venue, and photographer can understand.
What should the wedding feel like?
Choose budget behavior.
Budget mode should guide decisions, not shame or trap the bride.
How strict should the money guardrails be?
Protect what matters.
The app keeps the top three priorities safe when suggesting savings.
Pick your top 3 non-negotiables.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Marked as a planning lens for vendor questions and cost levers.
Choose signature moments.
Trends live inside the workbook first. The trend library remains available as a deep-dive page.
Wedding Trend Concierge
Pick the moments that make the wedding feel specific. We flag complexity, cost, and hidden planning risks.
Vintage Phone Audio Guest Book
Guests leave voicemail-style messages instead of signing a traditional book.
Cost: $100–$500+
Complexity: Low
Polaroid / Instax Guest Book Station
Guests take instant photos and add them to a book or wall with notes.
Cost: $150–$600+
Complexity: Low
Hidden-Server Champagne Wall
A styled wall where servers pass champagne or cocktails through openings so only their hands are visible.
Cost: $1,500–$10,000+
Complexity: High
Lake Como Color Smoke Kiss Moment
A burst of colorful smoke, daytime firework, or smoke-cannon effect timed to the ceremony kiss or recessional.
Cost: $1,500–$25,000+
Complexity: High
Boat Arrival or Exit
Couple arrives or exits by boat for a dramatic destination photo/video moment.
Cost: $800–$10,000+
Complexity: Medium
Gelato Cart
A styled gelato station or cart for cocktail hour, dessert, or late-night service.
Cost: $600–$4,000+
Complexity: Low
Price inspiration safely.
Retail price is not wedding execution cost. The UI says that plainly.
Upload a photo only when you are comfortable.
Use this for dresses, florals, chandeliers, table settings, shoes, cakes, or venue inspiration. No permanent uploads are claimed in v1.
Compare cost paths.
Cheapest possible is not always best. The product should show the tradeoff.
Vendor + Pricing Explorer
Each major category should eventually show Cheapest Possible, Best Value, Best Fit, and Luxury. V1 is seeded and contract-ready, not fake live vendor search.
Shown with risks, quality tradeoffs, and verification notes.
Shown with risks, quality tradeoffs, and verification notes.
Shown with risks, quality tradeoffs, and verification notes.
Shown with risks, quality tradeoffs, and verification notes.
Reduce Guest Count
Current: 150 guests
Alternative: 120 guests
Savings: $12,000–$30,000
Smaller guest list, easier food/bar/rental control.
Change Bar Package
Current: Full open bar
Alternative: Beer, wine, and two signature cocktails
Savings: $6,000–$16,000
Preserves hospitality while reducing premium liquor exposure.
Lower Floral Density
Current: Full floral installation
Alternative: Candle-heavy tables + one ceremony statement
Savings: $12,000–$55,000
Less full-room transformation; ceremony photos can still feel elevated.
Move Off Saturday
Current: Saturday evening
Alternative: Friday or Sunday
Savings: $5,000–$25,000
May affect travel and guest convenience but can lower venue minimums.
Simplify Low-Photo Decor
Current: Lounge, excess signage, extras
Alternative: Keep one statement area and remove clutter
Savings: $3,000–$18,000
Less decorative coverage; more money stays in high-impact areas.
Leave with a packet.
The output should be something a bride can send, print, or bring to a planner call.
Dream Wedding Starter Pack Preview
Snapshot, style language, budget breakdown, selected trends, photo notes, vendor inquiry draft, and disclaimers.
Style:
Old Money Garden Elegance
Location:
Lake Como
Estimated total:
$135,360–$253,800
Selected Trends & Experience Ideas
- Lake Como Color Smoke Kiss Moment — $1,500–$25,000+
Required Disclaimers
Estimated costs are planning estimates only. Actual wedding costs vary by city, season, vendor, availability, taxes, shipping, service fees, alterations, minimums, contracts, and timing. This tool does not guarantee pricing or availability. This tool is not a substitute for a professional wedding planner, vendor, attorney, financial advisor, or venue representative.
Planner notes.
Supportive, but below the guided flow so the user is not forced into analysis first.
Do Not Skimp
Day-of coordination. Even a simple wedding needs someone who is not the bride, mother, aunt, or maid of honor managing timing, vendors, setup, payments, and emergencies.
Worth the Spend
Lighting changes the room, the photos, the mood, and the perceived quality of the entire event.
Looks Tacky When Cheap
Cheap chair covers, wrinkled linens, harsh uplighting colors, and plastic-looking faux flowers close to guests can make an expensive wedding look unfinished.
Guest Comfort Warning
Outdoor ceremonies need shade, water, seating comfort, bathroom access, and a backup plan. Pretty photos do not compensate for miserable guests.
Photo Impact
Spend where the camera sees it most: ceremony backdrop, bouquet, head table, lighting, gown fit, and guest-facing tables.
Category details.
Kept in-page for brides who want to scroll and learn without changing context.
Venue
Location, rental fee, minimums, included infrastructure, and destination logistics.
Likely
$45,000
Range
$15,000–$150,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: A naturally beautiful venue can save more than almost any decor hack.
Hidden costs + levers
- service charge
- tax/VAT
- security
- parking
- extra hours
- approved vendor rules
- Change venue type
- Choose Friday/Sunday
- Reduce guest count
- Use included rentals
Food + Bar
Catering, bar, staffing, rentals, vendor meals, and service costs.
Likely
$38,000
Range
$18,000–$90,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Food timing and bar flow matter more to guests than many decorative extras.
Hidden costs + levers
- service charge
- tax
- gratuity
- bartenders
- vendor meals
- cake cutting
- corkage
- Beer/wine/signature cocktails
- Stations instead of plated
- Reduce guest count
Dress + Attire
Dress, alterations, veil, shoes, accessories, groom and wedding party attire.
Likely
$9,000
Range
$2,500–$35,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Do not skimp on tailoring. A less expensive gown that fits perfectly often looks better than a costly gown altered poorly.
Hidden costs + levers
- alterations
- veil
- shoes
- undergarments
- steaming
- preservation
- rush shipping
- Sample gown
- Pre-owned luxury gown
- One look instead of two
Flowers
Bouquets, ceremony pieces, centerpieces, installations, vessels, delivery, and teardown.
Likely
$18,500
Range
$5,000–$75,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Concentrate flowers where photos happen: bouquet, ceremony backdrop, head table, and guest-facing tables.
Hidden costs + levers
- premium stems
- labor
- mechanics
- vessels
- teardown
- refrigeration
- venue access
- Candle-heavy tables
- One statement moment
- Seasonal stems
- Lower floral density
Decor + Rentals
Tables, chairs, linens, chargers, glassware, lounge, draping, signage, and delivery.
Likely
$22,000
Range
$8,000–$90,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Looks expensive for less: candles, clean linens, cohesive palette, and one statement focal point.
Hidden costs + levers
- delivery
- pickup
- damage waiver
- setup labor
- venue access
- replacement fees
- Simplify lounge
- Use venue chairs
- Upgrade napkins only
- Remove excess signage
Lighting + Production
Uplighting, pin spots, chandeliers, dance floor, AV, rigging, power, install, and teardown.
Likely
$14,000
Range
$3,500–$70,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Lighting is one of the quietest ways to make a wedding feel expensive.
Hidden costs + levers
- rigging
- power
- insured labor
- venue approvals
- teardown
- extra hours
- One statement zone
- Pin spots only
- Skip ceiling installs
Photography + Video
Photographer, videographer, coverage hours, second shooter, albums, drone, film, and travel.
Likely
$15,000
Range
$5,000–$50,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Do not hire someone whose portfolio does not show weddings similar to yours in lighting, venue type, and timeline complexity.
Hidden costs + levers
- second shooter
- albums
- raw footage
- travel
- overtime
- film processing
- Shorter coverage
- Skip album now
- Local team
Guest Experience
Welcome bags, favors, transportation, afterparty, late-night snacks, guest book, and comfort.
Likely
$11,000
Range
$2,500–$60,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: Guest comfort beats decorative clutter. Prioritize bathrooms, shade, water, food timing, and transportation.
Hidden costs + levers
- transportation
- staffing
- delivery
- assembly labor
- venue rules
- Skip favors
- Simpler welcome bags
- Late-night snack only
Planner / Coordination
Day-of, month-of, partial, full-service, destination planning, and production management.
Likely
$12,000
Range
$2,500–$60,000
Source
Planning Estimate
Planner note: A coordinator is usually cheaper than the mistakes they prevent.
Hidden costs + levers
- travel
- design fee
- production management
- assistants
- Month-of instead of full
- Package venue with coordinator
Estimated total
$135,360–$253,800