Need help with the give-and-take of budgeting for some of your favorite wedding trends? While many factors affect the price of each line item, local vendors gave us an inside look at how the numbers of some elements might add up.
The Cost of a Wedding Cake
$7–$8
The average buttercream cake starts around $7 per slice. Opting for fondant? Slices usually start around $8 (or more).
The Cost of a Wedding Band or DJ
$3,500–$6,000
(Even $8,000-plus) is an approximate cost for a four-to-six-piece band.
$1,500–$2,500
Is a typical budget for a DJ—though some charge $3,500 to $5,000.
The Cost of Extra Beverage Services for a Wedding
Some couples are treating guests to beverage service above and beyond the standard bar menu. Here are a few examples and what you can expect to pay.
$8–$12
Per-person cost (additional staffing or rental costs may vary) for passed Champagne at the ceremony.
$5+
Ballpark per-person cost of a nonalcoholic drinks station at the ceremony.
$15
Per-person cost of RSVP Catering’s espresso-martini bar, which includes everything from the vodka and espresso to housemade torched vanilla marshmallow—a popular option right now.
The Cost of Wedding Floral Installations
$8,000–$28,000
Floral ceiling installations are a must-have for many couples. Typically priced by size, they can range from $20 to $70 per square foot, meaning the tab for a grand, 20-by-20 design can be $8,000 to $28,000, and (far!) beyond. Tip: The team at Sweet Root Village says couples can make a big impact with a smaller budget by incorporating chandeliers or other lighting (like their design above, which they say costs $3,000 to $6,000) or by choosing a hoop or wreath style that’s less dense. Garland-like installations such as the first image above (by Sweet Root Village) may cost $1,000 to $3,000.
This article appears in the June 2023 issue of Washingtonian.
Amy leads Washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining Washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor of What’s Up? Weddings in Annapolis.
