Does my wedding budget add up?
Type your total wedding budget, the number of guests and what you expect each part of the day to cost. The wedding budget calculator adds the costs, shows whether you are under or over budget, and works out the cost per guest.
- Left in the budget
- $1,000.00
Your wedding plan costs $29,000.00: $1,000.00 under budget.
- Your budget
- $1,000.00 under budget
- Planned costs
- $29,000.00
- Share of the budget used
- 96.7%
- Cost per guest
- $290.00
- Budget per guest
- $300.00
- Venue and food share
- 58.6%
Left in the budget: $1,000.00. Your wedding plan costs $29,000.00: $1,000.00 under budget.
The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use
How to calculate
Adds up what each part of a wedding costs, from the venue and catering to the rings, and shows what is left of your wedding budget and the cost per guest.
Example with the default inputs (Total wedding budget $30,000.00, Guests 100, Venue and ceremony $9,000.00, Food, drink and cake $8,000.00, Photo and video $3,000.00, Attire and beauty $2,500.00, Music $1,500.00, Flowers and decor $2,000.00, Rings $1,000.00, Everything else $2,000.00): Your wedding plan costs $29,000.00: $1,000.00 under budget.
Method: planned costs = the sum of the cost lines; left = budget − planned costs; cost per guest = planned costs ÷ guests; share used = planned costs ÷ budget × 100.
- Every cost is the full amount you expect to pay, deposits included. Empty lines count as $0.
- Cost per guest spreads every cost over the guest count, including costs that do not change with guests, such as rings.
- The cost lines are a planning list, not a recommended split. Prices vary a lot by place and season.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Total wedding budget $30,000.00, Guests 100, Venue and ceremony $9,000.00, Food, drink and cake $8,000.00, Photo and video $3,000.00, Attire and beauty $2,500.00, Music $1,500.00, Flowers and decor $2,000.00, Rings $1,000.00, Everything else $2,000.00 gives Planned costs $29,000.00, Left in the budget $1,000.00, Your budget $1,000.00 under budget, Share of the budget used 96.666667%, Cost per guest $290.00, Budget per guest $300.00, Venue and food share 58.62069%.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Your Money, Your Goals: Monthly budget tool (list income, list spending, subtract spending from income), https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_well-being_monthly-budget.pdf: budget − costs
- Total wedding budget $15,000.00, Guests 60, Venue and ceremony $6,000.00, Food, drink and cake $7,200.00, Photo and video $2,400.00, Everything else $600.00 gives Planned costs $16,200.00, Left in the budget -$1,200.00, Your budget $1,200.00 over budget, Cost per guest $270.00, Budget per guest $250.00.Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Your Money, Your Goals: Monthly budget tool (list income, list spending, subtract spending from income), https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_well-being_monthly-budget.pdf: costs above the budget leave a shortfall
- Total wedding budget $10,000.10, Guests 3, Venue and ceremony $5,000.05, Food, drink and cake $5,000.05 gives Left in the budget $0.00, Your budget right on budget, Cost per guest $3,333.37.
How it works
Every typed amount is used as the exact decimal you typed. The eight cost lines are venue and ceremony, food drink and cake, photo and video, attire and beauty, music, flowers and decor, rings, and everything else; an empty line counts as $0.
- Planned costs C = the sum of the eight lines.
- Left in the budget = budget − C. Negative means over budget; the text says “under budget”, “right on budget” (to the cent) or “over budget”.
- Share of the budget used = C ÷ budget × 100.
- Cost per guest = C ÷ guests; budget per guest = budget ÷ guests.
- Venue and food share = (venue + food) ÷ C × 100, shown when C is more than $0.
Rules
- Budget from $1 to $10⁹; 1 to 10,000 guests; each cost from $0 to $10⁹.
Assumptions
- Each line is the full amount you expect to pay. The lines are a planning list, not a recommended split.
Worked examples by hand
The default: $30,000 for 100 guests. C = 9,000 + 8,000 + 3,000 + 2,500 + 1,500 + 2,000 + 1,000 + 2,000 = $29,000. Left = $1,000 under budget; used = 29,000 ÷ 30,000 = 96.7%; cost per guest = $290; budget per guest = $300; venue and food = 17,000 ÷ 29,000 = 58.6%.
$15,000 for 60 guests. C = 6,000 + 7,200 + 2,400 + 600 = $16,200. Left = −$1,200 (over budget); cost per guest = $270; budget per guest = $250.
$10,000.10 for 3 guests, two lines of $5,000.05. C = $10,000.10 exactly, so the plan is right on budget; cost per guest = $3,333.37.
Other questions people ask
How do I make a wedding budget?
Start with the total you can spend, from savings and any family gifts, then list every cost and subtract. This is the same income-minus-spending method as a monthly budget. $30,000 against $29,000 of planned costs leaves $1,000 for surprises.
How is the cost per guest worked out?
Planned costs ÷ guests. $29,000 for 100 guests is $290 a guest. It spreads every cost over the guests, including ones that do not change with the guest count, such as rings.
What should I do if I am over budget?
Lower the lines that grow with guests (food, drink, seats, invitations) or the guest count. At $270 a guest, 10 fewer guests saves up to $2,700, less the costs that stay the same, such as attire and rings.
What is the venue and food share?
Venue plus food and drink as a percent of planned costs. In the default plan they are $17,000 of $29,000, or 58.6%, so a 10% change to them moves the total by $1,700.
Should I keep money aside?
Tips, overtime and last-minute costs are easy to forget. Keeping the “left in the budget” figure above $0 leaves room for them.
How do I save for the wedding in time?
Divide what you still need by the months until the wedding, or use the savings goal calculator to add the interest a savings account pays.