The Average Cost Of A Wedding In San Diego $$$
Updated: Feb 9
Let's begin planning your wedding! Before we get to the exciting parts, finalizing your budget is very important. The wedding venue, hair and makeup, wedding planner or day of coordinator, photography, videography and florals make up a large portion of the wedding. The cost of your wedding in San Diego truly depends on the type of wedding that you would like to have. We will break down the average cost of a wedding in San Diego.
What is the average cost of a wedding in San Diego?
The average cost of a wedding in San Diego typically goes for roughly $35,000. The national average is around $28,000, just to give you an idea. You can have the wedding of your dreams, whether it be a small intimate gathering or a large wedding celebration. For a larger wedding, you can definitely expect to pay more than your average person. Small and intimate ceremonies tend to cost less.
Marriage License
Every wedding in San Diego is required to have a marriage license. There are two options, either a confidential marriage license, or traditional one. A confidential marriage license only requires the officiant to sign it, not any witnesses. The marriage license is then recorded, but only accessible by the couple. For a traditional marriage license, it's required that one or two witnesses sign it. This makes it a matter of public record. A confidential marriage license costs $89 while a traditional one is $70. In San Diego, you must pay for your marriage license with cash, check, money order, or debit card. Credit cards will not be allowed.
San Diego Wedding Photographer : Willmus Weddings
Wedding Venue Permits & Costs
The cost of a wedding venue in San Diego really depends on the venue and location. Taking permits into consideration is also a must. To give you an idea, some venues can begin with a minimum price of $5,000 and up for a 50 person guest list. For example, if you are looking to get married at The Wedding Bowl in La Jolla, a permit is required. The site also allows up to 40 people, but no receptions. You will slowly discover the ins and outs of the different venues in order to find the perfect one for you.
Our wedding planning services include helping you find the perfect venue that is within your budget.
Wedding Planner & Day Of Coordinator
We can't even stress enough how helpful it is to have a Wedding Planner. Wedding planners meet with the bride and groom, and go over all the details of your wedding, logistics, and ideas. They also help you find the perfect venue, and assist in booking and managing all of the vendors. Wedding Planners create a wedding timeline, provide checklists, and make sure all of the stressful parts of planning a wedding are taken care of. As Wedding Planners are very well versed in this industry, they will also help you cut costs and stay within your preferred budget. On average, a wedding planner costs $3,500 for a range of packages. Higher estimates can cost up to $10,000. Some wedding planners are able to customize according to your budget and desired amount of service.
A Day Of Coordinator is basically a Wedding Planner for the day of your wedding. While the couple gets ready and enjoys the day, your Day Of coordinator will be making sure that everything runs smoothly, and on schedule. They will manage the set up with all the vendors, organize the ceremony and reception items, and are basically your go-to person for anything that you may need. Day Of coordinators tasks are endless. Some also have hourly rates for any additional hours / time needed with them.
If you are looking for a Wedding Planner in the San Diego or La Jolla area, contact us at Willmus Weddings. We offer a variety of planning services in order to fit your needs perfectly.
Heather, our lead wedding coordinator
The Officiant
An officiant in San Diego can range from around $400 to $850. The cost of a wedding officiant depends on a couple of things. As expected, the more experienced and well known officiants will have higher fees in comparison to those who are new. The officiant doesn't just show up at your wedding to do his or her job. They take the time to get to know the bride and groom, and write out the ceremony. They will also travel to and from venues and meetings. Some couples ask a close friend or family member to be their officiant. This will add a special touch to your ceremony.
Your Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary depending on where you would like to stay. If you already live in San Diego, maybe you will just be staying somewhere nice for the night or the weekend and then returning home. Those traveling from out of town will most likely be booking a place for about a week, which means your accommodation budget should be a little bit higher. Are you looking for luxury, or simplicity? Maybe a bit of both? There are many different options to choose from in San Diego. If you are looking for a luxurious stay, expect to pay more. Simplistic hotels can cost around $250 per night while the high-end ones cost around $500 per night. We love the L'Auberge Del Mar luxury suites for an incredible experience!
L'Auberge Del Mar Wedding Venue
Photography & Videography
Many couples place a great importance on getting a photographer or videographer for their wedding. This is an opportunity to have one of the most special days of your life captured, so that you can reminisce on it. You will be very happy that you decided to do this once you see all the wonderful photos and video that you receive. The prices for a wedding photographer in San Diego vary depending if you would also like an engagement session, and how many hours you would like to book them for. On average, you can expect to pay between $2,000 to $4,000 for photography, and about the same for videography. Contact us at Willmus Weddings for a quote on photography and videography. We would be thrilled to work with you!
Willmus Weddings : She Plans, He Captures
Wedding Florals
Wedding florals definitely have a significant price difference on whether your celebration is big or small.
Here is a simple breakdown of the costs. This is just a rough estimate and the prices may give or take depending on each unique wedding :
Bridal Bouquet = $350
Bridesmaid bouquet= $80
Boutonniere=$20
Flower girl petal bags=$25
Flower crowns=$100 per crown
Table centerpieces=$120-600
Structures for the ceremony=$1,500-4,000
Makeup & Hair
Hair and makeup is very important for your special day! Of course, you want to look your absolute best for your guests, photos, and your significant other! Some brides want simple hair and makeup, while others do more lavish styles. The average wedding hair and makeup cost in San Diego is around $300-600. Are you having your entire bridal party get their makeup and hair done? Then this will be on the higher end toward $600.
Live Music or DJ
Some couples prefer live music, while others prefer a DJ. Both are wonderful ways to play your favorite music, keep your guests entertained, and dance the night away! DJ prices in San Diego range from $1200-$2500. If you are booking the DJ for 4 hours, usually it will cost around $1,500. Generally DJs cost less compared to live music. It really depends on what type of live music you are looking for. A full live band cost starts at $5,000 for 3-4 hours of music.
The Reception
This is where you will really start to see a dent in your wedding budget. The reception is one of the most expensive parts of a wedding here in San Diego. The cost of catering and a reception venue is roughly $13,000 for 60 guests. You may lower your costs by using local catering services, food trucks, or using a non traditional venue.
Scripps Seaside Forum , one of our favorite wedding venue in La Jolla
I know that this is a lot to take in, but it's better to know these things in advance, and organize everything according to your budget. When you are ready, we are here to help! Contact us today for Wedding Planning, Day Of coordination, or Photography & Videography! We hope that this information on the average cost of a wedding in San Diego was helpful!
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