How to use this. Print it, or fill it in on your screen. The middle column is what these things actually cost in Kitsap County and the South Sound in 2026, taken from real weddings and real vendor quotes, not national averages. Write your number in the right column and total it at the bottom.
Two rules before you start. Decide your guest count first, because catering multiplies against it and nothing else in this list moves the total as hard. And fill in the three things that matter most to you before you fill in anything else, so the money goes where you actually care.
| Line item | Real Washington range | Your number |
|---|---|---|
| Venue Gold Mountain and Vickery Gardens both quote around $6,000. Barn and farm venues outside Kitsap run lower. |
$3,000 to $8,000 | |
| Photography Full day coverage. This is the line that outlives the day, so it is worth protecting early. |
$3,800 to $8,800 | |
| Catering and bar The single biggest lever in your whole budget. Every guest you add multiplies here. |
$45 to $120 per guest | |
| Flowers Honest note from Ben: flowers die. If something has to give, this is usually the safest place to trim. |
$1,500 to $5,000 | |
| Attire Dress, suit, alterations, shoes, accessories. Alterations surprise almost everyone. |
$1,500 to $4,000 | |
| Hair and makeup Per person pricing adds up fast with a large party. |
$400 to $1,200 | |
| DJ or band A DJ reads the room and keeps the timeline moving. Worth more than couples expect. |
$800 to $2,500 | |
| Officiant Often a friend or family member, which is free and more personal. |
$200 to $800 | |
| Cake and desserts | $300 to $900 | |
| Rentals and decor Tyler and Carrie did nearly all of theirs themselves and it looked incredible. |
$500 to $4,000 | |
| Stationery Invitations, signage, place cards. |
$200 to $800 | |
| Transportation | $300 to $1,200 | |
| Coordinator Month of coordination is the version most couples actually need. |
$1,200 to $3,500 | |
| Rings | $1,000 to $5,000 | |
| Licenses and insurance Washington marriage license plus any venue required liability policy. |
$100 to $300 | |
| Buffer Something always comes up. Plan for it and it stops being a crisis. |
5 to 10 percent of total | |
| TOTAL |
The three questions that decide your budget
How many people are coming? Cut the guest list by twenty and you often save more than every other decision on this sheet combined. It is the only lever that touches catering, bar, rentals, stationery and cake all at once.
What will you still care about in ten years? I have photographed enough weddings to see the pattern, and the honest answer is almost always the same two things. The people who were there, and the pictures of them.
What can you genuinely do yourselves? Decor is the usual answer. One real couple did nearly all of their own and it looked like a magazine. Catering and photography are the two nobody should try to shortcut.
A note from Ben
I have had two weddings, both to the same woman. The first one was on a Navy budget with my uncle officiating, dollar store decor and a boombox for a DJ. The second was a big one in California with a mariachi band and two hundred and fifty guests. Both were good days.
The one thing I regret is from the cheap one, and it has nothing to do with money. We never took real photographs with my grandparents. A few cell phone pictures, that was it. They are both gone now. That is the only line on this sheet I would tell you not to trim.
If you want the full breakdown behind these numbers, including named venues and vendors, it is all in the Washington wedding cost guide. And whenever you want to talk about your date, I would love to hear about it.
Nautical Moments Photography | Bremerton, WA | (360) 845-5430 | nauticalmoments.com
Fully guided sessions, a professional editing team behind every image, and a private reveal where you choose finished artwork for your walls. That is the difference between hiring a photographer and booking an experience.
Let’s bring your vision to life! Fill out the form below to ask any questions, share your story, or start planning your session. I’m here, ready when you are.
