How this calculator works
A wedding budget is a list of decisions with prices attached, and the total is usually larger than people expect because the individual items are small. This calculator adds the categories so you can see where the money is going, how much of the budget is used, and what each guest costs. The per-guest figures are the ones most wedding planners start with: caterer and venue quotes are often given per head, so dividing the total by the number of guests, and the budget by the number of guests, shows whether the guest list is affordable. The single largest lever is almost always the guest count, because catering, drinks, seating and stationery all scale with it. The second largest is the venue, which often sets a minimum spend. Both are usually committed early, so decide those before the smaller items. The categories here are a guide, not a standard: some couples spend far more on photography and little on flowers, and others the reverse. What matters is that the total sits inside the budget and that the items you care about most are funded first. Keep a contingency of 5% to 10% for the costs that appear late, such as service charges, taxes, gratuities and last-minute guest changes, which are frequently omitted from the first estimate.
Formula
Total = sum of every category cost. Remaining = budget - total. Share of budget used = total / budget. Cost per guest = total / number of guests. Budget per guest = budget / number of guests.
Worked example
A budget of $35,000 with the default costs totals $29,900, leaving $5,100 and using 85.4% of the budget. With 100 guests the cost per guest is $299 and the budget per guest is $350. The largest single line is catering at $8,000, which is 26.8% of the total, followed by the venue at $5,000.
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Frequently asked questions
What share of a wedding budget does catering usually take?
Food and drink together are often the largest item, commonly 30% to 50% of a wedding budget when the guest list is large. The exact split depends on the meal, the bar and the venue.
Should service charges and taxes be included?
Yes, especially in Canada and the United States where a service charge of 15% to 20% and sales tax are often added to catering and venue quotes. Put them in the category they belong to, or use the other cost lines, so the total reflects the invoice.
How much contingency should I keep?
Five to ten per cent of the budget is a common cushion. Late costs include gratuities, overtime charges, delivery fees, guest count changes and the items you decide you need at the last minute.
Does a smaller guest list save money?
Yes, and it saves across several categories at once: catering per head, drinks, seating, place settings, stationery and favours. Cutting the guest list by 20% can reduce the total by more than 20% because the fixed costs do not fall with it.
Is the cheapest option always the right one?
No. Decide what you genuinely care about and spend there. A budget that is spread equally across categories tends to produce a wedding nobody is happy with and a total that still looks large.