How the wedding budget calculator works
A wedding budget has two jobs. Before you book anything, it shares one total among the parts of the day, so you know how much you can spend on the venue, the food, the photographer and everything else. Once quotes and invoices arrive, it tracks what each part really costs, what you have paid and what is left. The calculator does both on one page: the categories hold the plan, the items inside them hold the costs.
The example split, and how to make it yours
The calculator opens with a $30,000 budget for 100 guests and the split below. It is an example split, so adjust it: the percentages are made up to give you a starting point, not averages from a survey and not advice. What a wedding costs and where the money goes depends on where and when you marry, how many people you invite and what you care about most.
| Category | Example share | Of $30,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Venue | 22% | $6,600 |
| Catering and drinks | 28% | $8,400 |
| Photo and video | 12% | $3,600 |
| Attire and beauty | 8% | $2,400 |
| Flowers and decor | 8% | $2,400 |
| Music and entertainment | 6% | $1,800 |
| Rings | 4% | $1,200 |
| Stationery | 2% | $600 |
| Cake and desserts | 2% | $600 |
| Transportation | 2% | $600 |
| Officiant and fees | 1% | $300 |
| Gifts and favors | 2% | $600 |
| Buffer for surprises | 3% | $900 |
A good way to adjust it: pick the two or three things that matter most to you, give them more, and take the difference from the parts you care less about. If music is the heart of the day for you, raise that line and lower flowers or favors. Rename any category, delete the ones that do not apply, such as transportation for a wedding at home, and add your own for things like a rehearsal dinner, a welcome event or childcare for guests.
Under the list, the calculator tells you whether your split adds up to the whole budget. If part of the money is not assigned yet, you see how much; if the categories add up to more than your total, it tells you by how much, so you know where to trim before you sign contracts.
Tracking estimated, actual and paid costs
Open "Items and payments" in a category to add what you are buying there, one line per vendor or purchase. Each line has three amounts:
- Estimated: what you expect to pay before you have a quote. Use it early to test whether the plan works.
- Actual: the price in the quote or contract you accepted. As soon as it is filled in, it replaces the estimate in every total.
- Paid: what you have already paid, such as a deposit or an installment.
With the example items, the venue costs $6,200 against $6,600 planned, which leaves $400. Catering is estimated at $8,500 against $8,400, $100 over its share, so the calculator marks it in red. Across all categories, $21,200 is booked or estimated, $6,200 is paid and $15,000 is still to pay. Moving money from a category with room to spare to one that runs over is often the easiest fix: change the percentages until every bar fits.
Why the guest count matters
The cost per guest is the total divided by the number of guests. A $30,000 budget for 100 guests is $300 per guest; the same budget for 150 guests is $200. The calculator shows the budget per guest and, once you have entered costs, the cost per guest so far. When a caterer, venue or rental company quotes a price per person, multiply it by your guest count before you enter it as an item, and update it when your final numbers come in.
Keep a buffer
The example split keeps 3% as a buffer for surprises. That is our example, not a rule. A buffer covers what is easy to forget or hard to predict: overtime for a vendor, a delivery fee, alterations, postage for invitations, tips, or a price that changes between estimate and contract. Ask each vendor what the quote includes, such as taxes, service charges, setup and delivery, and enter the full amount as the actual cost.
Saving and sharing your budget
Everything runs in your browser. Tick "Save on this device" to find your budget again next time; untick it to delete the saved copy. Download CSV gives you a spreadsheet with every category and item, the planned amounts and what is left, ready to share with a partner or a planner. Copy link puts the whole budget in a web address, so only send it to people you trust. To set money aside for the day, the savings goal calculator works out how much to save each month, and the travel budget calculator helps plan the honeymoon.
How to use the wedding budget calculator
- 1Enter your total budget, your currency and the number of guests.
- 2Adjust the example split: change the percent of each category, or switch to Amount and type in the money for each one.
- 3Rename, delete or add categories until the list fits your wedding, and check that the split adds up to your budget.
- 4Open Items and payments in a category and add each vendor or purchase with its estimated, actual and paid amount.
- 5Watch what is left in each category and overall, then copy the result, download a CSV or save the budget on this device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I split a wedding budget into categories?
Start with the total you can spend without debt you will regret, then decide what matters most to the two of you and give it the biggest share. The calculator starts with an example split you can change: type a new percent or amount for any category, rename categories, delete the ones you do not need and add your own. The status under the list tells you when the split adds up to the whole budget.
Is the example split an average or a recommendation?
Neither. It is a made-up starting point so the calculator shows something useful right away. Real weddings differ a lot by place, season, guest count and what the couple cares about. Replace the percentages with your own priorities, and use real quotes from vendors for the amounts.
What is the difference between estimated, actual and paid?
Estimated is what you expect an item to cost before you book it. Actual is the final price once you have a quote or contract, and it replaces the estimate in every total. Paid is what you have already handed over, like a deposit. What is left in a category is its planned amount minus the costs, and still to pay is each cost minus what you paid on it.
How do I work out the cost per guest?
Divide the total by the number of guests. A $30,000 budget for 100 guests is $300 per guest. The calculator shows this for your budget and for the costs you have entered so far. When a quote is priced per person, multiply it by your guest count before you enter it.
Should I plan in percent or in amounts?
Percent is handy at the start, when you only know the total and want to see how it could be shared. Amounts are better once you have quotes. Switching between the two converts every category at your current total, so you can start in percent and move to amounts later without retyping.
Is my wedding budget saved or sent anywhere?
Nothing is sent to a server. The calculator runs in your browser. If you turn on "Save on this device", your budget stays in this browser for your next visit, and turning it off deletes it. A copied link contains your budget, so only share it with people you trust.