Wedding Budget Calculator

About the Wedding Budget Calculator

A wedding is one of the largest single expenses many couples ever plan, and it is made of dozens of separate decisions: venue, food, drink, dress, suit, photographer, flowers, music, cake, invitations, rings, transport and more. Each supplier quotes separately, and without a plan it is easy to spend a large share of the budget on the first few bookings and run short later.

This wedding budget calculator gives you that plan. Enter your total budget — or build one from the number of guests and a cost per guest — and it splits the money across the usual categories, from venue and catering to contingency, using typical shares. It also shows the cost per guest, the venue and catering cost per guest, and how much to save each month until the wedding.

How to Use the Wedding Budget Calculator

Choose whether to start from a total budget or from guests × cost per guest.

Enter the total budget, or the cost per guest.

Enter the number of guests.

Optionally, enter the months until the wedding to see a monthly saving plan.

How the Budget Is Split

  each category  =  total budget × its share
  per guest      =  total budget ÷ guests
  a month        =  total budget ÷ months until the wedding

Step-by-Step Example

A 30,000 budget for 120 guests, twelve months away.

  Per guest:              30,000 ÷ 120       =  250.00
  Venue and catering:     30,000 × 45%       =  13,500.00  (112.50 per guest)
  Photography and video:  30,000 × 12%       =  3,600.00
  Attire and beauty:      30,000 × 8%        =  2,400.00
  Contingency:            30,000 × 5%        =  1,500.00
  A month:                30,000 ÷ 12        =  2,500.00

Starting from guests: 100 guests at 200 each.

  Budget:                 100 × 200          =  20,000.00

The Guest List Drives the Budget

Venue and catering usually take the largest share, and most of that cost is per head: the meal, drinks, chairs, tableware and service. Every extra guest also adds an invitation, a favour, a place at a table and space at the venue. Reducing the guest list is therefore the single most effective way to lower the cost of a wedding — or to spend more per guest on the things that matter to you. Many couples set the budget first, then decide the guest list it can support.

Make the Shares Your Own

The percentages are a starting point, not a rule. A couple who care most about photographs might move money from flowers into photography; a couple planning a party might shift more into music and the bar. Decide together on the two or three things that matter most, spend generously there, and look for savings elsewhere. Whatever you change, keep the contingency: nearly every wedding meets unexpected costs, from service charges and overtime to alterations and weather plans.

Costs That Are Easy to Miss

Service charges and tips for venue staff, caterers and drivers.

Taxes on supplier quotes that are shown before tax.

Alterations to dresses and suits.

Hair and make-up trials.

Postage for invitations and thank-you cards.

Accommodation for the couple and sometimes the wedding party.

Marriage licence and ceremony fees.

Delivery, set-up and collection charges for hired items.

Saving and Paying for the Wedding

Dividing the budget by the months until the wedding gives a monthly saving target. Suppliers usually take deposits months in advance and the balance shortly before the day, so plan the timing as well as the total. If family members are contributing, agree amounts and timing early and record them. Borrowing to pay for a wedding means paying interest for years after the day itself, so many couples prefer a smaller wedding to starting married life in debt.

Typical Costs Vary Widely

Average wedding costs differ enormously between countries, regions and cities, and between a small registry office ceremony with lunch and a large weekend celebration. Rather than aiming at a national average, start with what you can comfortably afford and what matters to you. Ask recently married friends what they spent on the things you care about, and collect two or three quotes for each major supplier. Venues in cities and at peak times — Saturdays in summer — command the highest prices; a Friday, a Sunday or a winter date can cut the venue cost considerably.

Keeping Track of Spending

Record every quote, deposit and payment in a simple spreadsheet next to the budget for its category. Updating it as you book suppliers shows at a glance whether you are on track, and makes it easy to move money from one category to another when one comes in under budget, or to spot early when a category is heading over and needs a cheaper choice elsewhere.

Understanding Your Result

Wedding budget confirms the total and the number of guests.

Per guest gives the total cost per guest.

Categories give the amount for each part of the wedding and its share.

Catering per guest shows the venue and catering cost per guest.

Saving plan gives the monthly saving until the wedding.

Worth knowing explains why the guest list matters so much.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Starting to plan a wedding.

Checking supplier quotes against a budget.

Deciding on a guest list.

Talking with family about contributions.

Setting up a monthly saving plan.

Common Mistakes

Booking the venue before setting a total budget.

Inviting more guests than the budget supports.

Leaving out a contingency.

Forgetting service charges and taxes.

Spending most of the budget on the first bookings.