"We were shocked by how expensive it is." How much Belarusians are currently spending on weddings

"I knew that a wedding is expensive, but I didn't think it was that much"

Elizaveta and Alexander's wedding for 50 people is planned for tomorrow, and preparations began a year ago.

— I have a regular job, and my fiancé was unemployed at the time. We wanted a two-day wedding at an estate. We started looking at prices — and were shocked by how expensive it was. We even thought about postponing it for two years, but then we found jobs and part-time work. We realized that we would be able to save money by the desired date.

The girl says that the main part of the budget was spent on renting the estate, and food became the next largest expense.

— I knew that a wedding is expensive, but I didn't think it was that much. The banquet turned out to be very expensive for me. Per person, the price is normal, but when there are 50 of them, it's crazy money. "All-inclusive" wedding offers also unpleasantly surprised me. They lure you with posts like "We have $3000 for everything: host, lights, estate, and banquet." And then you look: there's almost nothing from the banquet, the host is strange, everything is strange overall — but everything costs money.

The upcoming celebration forced the couple to get together and earn sums that seemed unrealistic to them a year ago. And yes, their initial budget was not enough.

— I heard couples say that their wedding turned out to be one and a half to two times more expensive. I didn't understand how that was possible. You budgeted $10,000 equivalent — how did you end up spending $15,000? Where did you get it? But it turned out that way for us too!

There were two main reasons for going over budget:

1. Large expenses here and there. For example, the standard cost of a banquet, equivalent to $50 per person, turns into $60 because, in addition to food, you have to pay for service, product delivery, and cleaning. And then the cost transforms into $70 because the food initially offered is basic, and you want something more interesting.

2. Appetites grow in the process: plus two hours of a photographer, a mobile bar, guest sketches — large sums accumulate from small ones.

— So our expenses grew from $10,000 to $15,000.

At the same time, there were also moments where they saved something. First, they didn't pay for the organizer: it came as a bonus when booking the venue. Second, the wedding date of July 3rd saved $500 in their wallet. Elizaveta says that some venues charged it at a weekday rate — that's how extra money and a mini-vacation were formed.

Third, they consciously refused show programs in favor of a host and DJ. Fourth, they decided not to order bonbonnières and to decorate the venue themselves.

Павялічыць

— We were offered decor for $1100, which had nothing supernatural: small arrangements of fresh flowers, small vases, and candles on the tables. Through an acquaintance, a sole proprietor (IP), we signed a contract with a wholesale flower base, and ordered the rest online. Everything cost about 500 rubles; we will arrange it with girlfriends on the wedding day.

Павялічыць

— Did you manage without loans?

— At the start, my future husband and I decided: if we run short, we'll take a loan for the missing part of the sum and immediately pay it off with gifted money. But we didn't have to.

"We even ended up with a thousand in profit"

For Minsk residents Yaroslav and Victoria, the wedding is already in the category of memories: they got married on May 16, five months after the proposal.

— At the start, they budgeted $7-8 thousand; the organizer said it would be around $10 thousand — in the end, it came out to almost $15 thousand.

Павялічыць

The couple invited 44 guests on Saturday to an estate 40 kilometers from Minsk — this expense item amounted to $2 thousand.

— Food was from the estate — calculated at $3 thousand for our number of guests. Service is included in this amount, but drinks had to be bought separately. Another $1 thousand went to equipment: lighting and sound. We chose the same host who led our friends' wedding last year; he works as a duo with a DJ. The number of guests and the scale of the wedding were the same for us, but the cost a year later was not $850, but $1100.

Decor cost another $990. We paid the photographer $700 and 70 rubles for transport costs, and two rolls of film cost another 200 rubles. The photographer convinced us to also hire a videographer — that's an additional $700. The organizer cost $500, and we also reimbursed her 50 rubles for transport costs.

Now let's calculate the cost of the outfits.

• Wedding dress with a shawl — $850 and $25.
• Bride's shoes — 75 rubles.
• Groom's suit — 1200 rubles.
• Groom's shoes — 150 rubles.
• Bride's hairstyle and makeup — 300 rubles.
• Bride's bouquet and groom's boutonnière — 370 rubles.

The interviewees recount that one way to save money was found by chance: the couple ordered heavy fog, but at the decisive moment, they forgot to bring it to the venue. Yaroslav says that it turned out even better without it. Guests were invited using trendy website invitations: they found a service through which they made them themselves for free.

Павялічыць

Help from friends proved useful for the wallet: one friend works at a confectionery, ordered a wedding cake for the children with a discount, and another — at a jewelry store, she also managed to arrange a discount on the rings.

— Did the wedding pay off?

— Overall, yes. We thought it wouldn't, but we even ended up with a thousand in profit — mainly thanks to our parents.

— What advice do you have for future brides and grooms?

— Don't make the program too flashy. It's important to set aside time to chat with guests in a relaxed atmosphere. People are getting acquainted, taking photos, talking — there's already little time for that.

"We managed within 3000 rubles"

Maria and Alexander shared the story of their budget wedding — they celebrated it this year on April 22.

— We didn't tell anyone we were going to sign the papers; we just decided to spend that day together. Registration at the civil registry office cost 45 rubles — we booked a regular one, but the registrar, seeing us, performed a ceremonial one without extra charge. I bought the dress online for 295 rubles, and shoes cost another 100 rubles. In addition, 150 rubles went to makeup and hair. Bouquet — 50 rubles, groom's shirt — 100.

Павялічыць

Maria says that she and her fiancé wanted classic rings, which they bought in one of the jewelry chains for 2000 rubles.

— We found a photographer for 150 rubles: I came across her advertisement on Instagram, and she agreed to spend a couple of hours with us on our date. I didn't need a thousand photos, five or six were enough — and we received the photos the very next day.

It was a happy day without stress and unnecessary worries, and friends and relatives congratulated us later when we told them. Our birthdays are at the end of April — on May 1st, we invited everyone over to celebrate and there we confessed that we had signed the papers. It was a lot of fun!

"Since February, we've heard that 2027 is already being booked"

Daria and Gordon are preparing to celebrate their wedding in mid-August — they invited 90 guests, but the bride says that probably not all will come, especially from abroad.

They used the "turnkey wedding" format, signing a contract with an estate 30 kilometers from Minsk. The service package includes banquet service, venue decoration, an organizer and coordinator, a reelsmaker, transfer, and also the option to choose a host and photographer.

The girl names the sum from the contract with the venue — 19,500 rubles.

— They say that people are getting married less now, but I was surprised by the demand. We wanted a summer wedding; I wrote to 30 estates on Instagram, and some venues replied that all their weekends were booked until November. We started preparing in February and even heard about bookings for 2027. When we contacted our estate, they only had one free weekend in summer — and that became our date. If we wanted a beautiful date, for example, 26.06.2026, it wouldn't have worked: everything was booked long ago.

Павялічыць

According to Daria, they set an approximate budget of $10 thousand, but the final amount will probably be around $13-14 thousand.

The couple ultimately chose a host not from those offered by the venue — that's another $300 in the estimate. They also hired their own operator — they will pay him $400. Invitations are also in the form of a website — a trendy and convenient thing now: it includes dress code references, a location map, and coordinator's phone numbers. Plus, the website itself works for collecting guest responses: who will attend, what drinks they prefer. Such a service costs 200 rubles, and the performer was found on Threads. A choreographer who sets the couple's wedding dance for the same amount was also found there.

— My acquaintances looked for a choreographer on Instagram; prices were from 500-600 rubles. So I advise everyone to first post their request on Threads.

The girl says that the organizer saved them from two mistakes and unnecessary expenses.

1. Stuffing the wedding with entertainment and ending up with tired guests.

2. Buying too many drinks based on the idea that "you can never have too much" (there are couples for whom it definitely can be too much).

— By the way, how did you resolve the "plus one" issue?

— We don't have many "plus ones" whom we don't know, but there are some. We thought: it's still our money, and unfamiliar people might spoil the celebration. We decided that on our day of love, we didn't want to sow discord in other couples — so we invited everyone. My best friend said: "Wait, maybe I'll find someone else before the wedding." But I replied that it wasn't necessary.

"On Sunday, the venue can be 30% cheaper than on Friday"

Wedding budgets are growing every year. This depends on many factors, one of the most noticeable being the rise in prices for decor and fresh flowers imported from Europe, notes wedding organizer Alena Hamanovich. And she immediately warns next year's brides and grooms: decor prices can change even if there's only a month left until an already calculated and planned wedding.

Павялічыць

Alena says that in the wedding puzzle, there are specific contractors considered primary: location, food and service, host, photographer, videographer, confectioner.

This list also includes outfits, rings, and decor; often, a technical contractor is hired to manage lighting and sound. Additional elements include all people and entertainments that help make the celebration brighter: a cover band, artists, a mobile bar, a stylist, fireworks, or other pyrotechnic shows.

Wedding organization usually begins with choosing a venue.

First, the couple needs to decide: do they want a wedding in the city or outside the city? This domino-effect decision pulls several other important ones: whether guest transfer is needed, whether there will be catering or banquet service. The difference between them, in essence, is that the former is an outsourced team, and the latter is the venue's own team. For example, estates now offer such a service. For this expense item, one can budget around 220 rubles per person.

— Most often, couples now choose a weekday for their wedding because venues then offer a discount of approximately 30% compared to a weekend. I can give a life hack: if you have a small wedding budget, consider days from Sunday to Thursday.

— Why Sunday? That's also a weekend.

— Friday is considered a weekend, but Sunday usually has weekday prices because people have to work the next day. Friday and Saturday are the most expensive days.

Alena emphasizes that the final cost of a wedding strongly depends on the number of invited guests and whether it is held in Minsk or outside the city (in which case part of the costs will also go towards logistics).

— If you plan to invite up to 40 people to your wedding and organize it outside the city, it's approximately 20 thousand rubles.

According to her, contractors such as photographers, hosts, and videographers fall into a similar price range — prices start from 1500 rubles. Lately, by the way, instead of a videographer, a reelsmaker is increasingly hired: they shoot on a phone or a small camera, deliver the material faster, and it costs less than a full-fledged film. Also, for pyrotechnic elements, you can budget at least 1500 rubles. Fireworks are becoming less common now because they are prohibited in many country venues; most often, cold fountains, heavy fog, or a firefall are used instead.

Павялічыць

The most expensive decor is that with the most fresh flowers. Prices for decoration using artificial compositions start from 1000 rubles. To decorate a wedding with live plants, you'll need at least 2000 rubles.

— What kind of wedding can you have if you have very little money — up to 5000 rubles?

— I would suggest celebrating in a narrow family circle in a restaurant with delicious food and good presentation. This budget would also include a rented wedding dress for 500 rubles and a photographer for a couple of hours to capture the brightest and most important moments.

— And for $5000 equivalent?

— I would suggest having a wedding in the city, but already increasing the number of guests, inviting the technical part, as well as a photographer, host, and reelsmaker. Regarding a venue in the city, there's an important point: if you don't rent it exclusively, be prepared for other people to be nearby.

— And if you have $8000?

— You can book an estate, moreover, one with its own kitchen, increase the number of guests, invite the technical part, a host, a photographer. There will be enough for a videographer, decor, and you can have an on-site registration with a ceremony master.

Journalists conducted a blitz interview with Alena on the most sensitive questions that often become topics for debate on social networks. For example, should contractors be fed at a wedding? On the one hand, for them it's work, but on the other — people, not soulless machines, create the celebration.

— Yes, contractors should be fed because these people work at the wedding from 6 to 12 hours. I believe that by doing so, the client shows respect for those people who are trying hard at their event. It can be simpler food, for example, from a lunch menu, but it's very pleasant when this is considered. Especially since, as a rule, there is no opportunity to order food nearby, and working 12 hours without food is very difficult. Our couples always listen to this advice and order not only meals for the team but also unlimited tea and coffee.

— Is "plus one" always necessary in invitations?

— If your guest has a partner and they are already in a serious relationship, perhaps also preparing to become a family, then inviting in a "plus one" format is normal. It's also normal to say "Sorry, we're only expecting you" to a friend who recently got a new girlfriend. Much depends on your relationship with the friend and how often he changes girlfriends: if he has a new girlfriend every month, I would not advise inviting a "plus one" to an intimate event.

— Is it normal or rude to write in an invitation "We welcome gifts not below a certain amount"?

— I've never seen anyone write that here. At most, they might ask not to bring bouquets, as the couple is flying off on their honeymoon the next day.

— How much should you put in an envelope now if you're a guest?

— 300 rubles per person is a normal gift. Food for one guest costs approximately 220 rubles — with such a gift, they "pay for" their presence.

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 8
• 2
• 1
• 1
• 0