# Does my wedding budget add up?

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.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/wedding-budget-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/wedding-budget-calculator.json
- Version: 7b2e87111af5

## Default answer

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.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| budget | Total wedding budget | All the money you plan to spend on the wedding, from every source. |
| guests | Guests | How many guests you invite, the couple included. |
| venue | Venue and ceremony | Ceremony and reception venue fees, rentals and officiant. |
| catering | Food, drink and cake | Catering, bar, cake and service charges. |
| photo | Photo and video | Photographer and videographer. |
| attire | Attire and beauty | Dress, suit, alterations, hair and makeup. |
| music | Music | Band or DJ, and ceremony music. |
| flowers | Flowers and decor | Flowers, decorations and lighting. |
| rings | Rings | Wedding bands. |
| other | Everything else | Invitations, favors, transport, planner, tips, licence and anything else. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| left | Left in the budget | The budget minus everything listed. Negative means you are over budget. |
| status | Your budget | What is left in words: under budget, on budget, or how much over. |
| spent | Planned costs | Every cost line added up. |
| used | Share of the budget used | Planned costs ÷ the budget × 100. |
| perGuest | Cost per guest | Planned costs ÷ the number of guests. |
| budgetPerGuest | Budget per guest | The budget ÷ the number of guests. |
| reception | Venue and food share | Venue plus food and drink as a percent of planned costs. |

## 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.

## Assumptions

- 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

1. budget = $30,000.00, guests = 100, venue = $9,000.00, catering = $8,000.00, photo = $3,000.00, attire = $2,500.00, music = $1,500.00, flowers = $2,000.00, rings = $1,000.00, other = $2,000.00 gives spent = $29,000.00, left = $1,000.00, status = $1,000.00 under budget, used = 96.666667%, perGuest = $290.00, budgetPerGuest = $300.00, reception = 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.
2. budget = $15,000.00, guests = 60, venue = $6,000.00, catering = $7,200.00, photo = $2,400.00, other = $600.00 gives spent = $16,200.00, left = -$1,200.00, status = $1,200.00 over budget, perGuest = $270.00, budgetPerGuest = $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.
3. budget = $10,000.10, guests = 3, venue = $5,000.05, catering = $5,000.05 gives left = $0.00, status = right on budget, perGuest = $3,333.37.

## FAQ

### 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.

## Sources

- 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 (retrieved 2026-10-03)