Wedding Budget Calculator

Venue and catering combined typically consume 50-65% of a total wedding budget, with the venue alone often around 40% since it usually bundles rentals, tables, and staffing. If your venue quote comes in far above 40% of your total budget, you'll need to trim other categories or increase the overall budget to compensate.

Guest count is the single biggest driver of per-guest costs like catering, favors, and rentals — most of these scale almost linearly with headcount. Cutting your guest list by even 20% often saves more money than negotiating any individual vendor discount, because it reduces costs across nearly every category at once.

Average US wedding costs generally fall in the $28,000-$35,000 range including the ceremony and reception, though this varies enormously by region and guest count — major metro weddings can run well over $50,000 while smaller or rural weddings can come in under $15,000. Use your own realistic total budget rather than a national average, since local vendor pricing varies so widely.

Many couples combine them into one 'photo/video' line since bundled packages are common and often cheaper than booking separately. If videography isn't a priority for you, reallocating that portion toward photography, flowers, or the honeymoon is a common and reasonable adjustment.

Per-guest costs (catering, favors, rentals) commonly range from $100 to $300+ depending on venue formality and menu choice, with plated dinners and open bars pushing toward the higher end. Dividing your total budget by guest count gives a useful sanity check, but remember fixed costs like photography and attire don't scale with headcount.

Alcohol, vendor gratuities, alterations, and day-of miscellaneous fees (delivery, overtime, cake-cutting fees) are the most frequently underbudgeted items. Building in a 5-10% contingency within your 'miscellaneous' category, as this calculator does, helps absorb these surprises without derailing the rest of your plan.