Wedding Budget Calculator
Enter a total budget, or a guest count and a cost band, and get every category in dollars with the cost per guest and a contingency held back. Edit the percentages to match your priorities.
held back for overages
Total
$30,000
$300 per guest
To allocate
$28,571
after $1,429 contingency
Venue & rentals
$8,571
30%
Catering & bar
$7,143
$71 per guest
The split (edit the percentages)
| Category | % | Amount | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue & rentals | $8,571 | site fee, tables, chairs, linens, tent if outdoors | |
| Catering & bar | $7,143 | food, drinks, staff, service charge | |
| Photography & video | $3,429 | ||
| Flowers & decor | $2,286 | bouquets, centerpieces, lighting | |
| Music & entertainment | $2,000 | DJ or band, ceremony musicians | |
| Attire & beauty | $2,000 | dress, suit, alterations, hair, makeup | |
| Planner / coordinator | $1,143 | day-of coordination at minimum | |
| Cake & desserts | $571 | ||
| Stationery | $571 | invitations, signage, programs | |
| Transport, favors, officiant, misc | $857 | ||
| Total | 100% | $28,571 |
Percentages are normalised if they don't sum to 100. The default split is the one most planners publish; move money between lines to match what you care about, since a backyard wedding spends far less on the venue and more on rentals.
A $30,000 wedding for 100 guests
Hold back 5% ($1,429), leaving $28,571 to allocate. That is $300 per guest in total, of which catering and bar is about $71 a head. The split:
| Category | % | $30K | $50K | $80K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue & rentals | 30% | $8,571 | $14,286 | $22,857 |
| Catering & bar | 25% | $7,143 | $11,905 | $19,048 |
| Photography & video | 12% | $3,429 | $5,714 | $9,143 |
| Flowers & decor | 8% | $2,286 | $3,810 | $6,095 |
| Music & entertainment | 7% | $2,000 | $3,333 | $5,333 |
| Attire & beauty | 7% | $2,000 | $3,333 | $5,333 |
| Planner / coordinator | 4% | $1,143 | $1,905 | $3,048 |
| Cake & desserts | 2% | $571 | $952 | $1,524 |
| Stationery | 2% | $571 | $952 | $1,524 |
| Transport, favors, officiant, misc | 3% | $857 | $1,429 | $2,286 |
Total by guest count and cost band
| Guests | Budget ($100) | Moderate ($250) | Upscale ($450) | Luxury ($800) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $5,000 | $12,500 | $22,500 | $40,000 |
| 75 | $7,500 | $18,750 | $33,750 | $60,000 |
| 100 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $45,000 | $80,000 |
| 125 | $12,500 | $31,250 | $56,250 | $100,000 |
| 150 | $15,000 | $37,500 | $67,500 | $120,000 |
| 200 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $90,000 | $160,000 |
The bands are rough US averages and vary a lot by city; a Saturday in June in a major metro sits a band higher than the same wedding in a small town in March. Use them to size the conversation, then replace the venue and catering lines with real quotes as soon as you have them, since those two decide everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should a wedding budget be split?
The split most planners use: venue and rentals 30%, catering and bar 25%, photography and video 12%, flowers and decor 8%, music 7%, attire and beauty 7%, planner 4%, cake 2%, stationery 2%, and 3% for transport, favors and the officiant. Venue and food together are more than half of every wedding budget, which is why the guest count is the biggest lever.
How much does a wedding cost per guest?
Roughly $100 a head for a community-hall wedding with a buffet and a DJ, $250 for a typical venue with plated or buffet service, $450 for a city venue with a full bar and a band, and $800 and up for luxury. Multiply by the guest count for a starting total, then split it with the percentages. Cutting 20 guests from a $250-a-head wedding saves about $5,000.
What does the contingency cover?
Overages: the extra hour of bar, the second photographer, alterations, tips, tax and service charges that were not in the quote. Five percent is the minimum; ten is comfortable. The calculator takes it off the top before splitting, so every category is sized against what you can actually spend.
Which categories are easiest to cut?
Flowers, stationery, favors and transport can drop to near zero without guests noticing. Photography and food are the two things guests and you will remember; cut the guest list before cutting either. A weekday or off-season date cuts the venue line by 20-40% at the same quality.
Are tips and taxes included?
Not in the percentages. Sales tax and a service charge of 18-22% on catering, plus tips for the coordinator, band, hair and makeup, typically add 10-15% to the vendor totals. Put them in the contingency or add a line.
These tools use the caterer's and bartender's planning rules (drinks per guest per hour, ounces per plate, pounds of ice per guest, square feet per seat, Wilton's cake chart), all stated on each page. They are planning estimates for an average crowd: know your guests, round up, and check what your venue, caterer and local alcohol rules require.