Wedding Budget Calculator

Plan your dream wedding without overspending. Get a detailed category-by-category breakdown.

$30,000
100
Cost per Guest
$300
Venue & Rentals$10,500
Catering & Bar$8,400
Photography & Video$3,600
Flowers & Décor$1,800
Attire & Beauty$1,500
Entertainment & Music$2,100
Stationery & Invites$900
Miscellaneous$1,200
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The Smart Couple's Guide to Wedding Budgeting

Wedding budgets spiral out of control when couples don't have a clear allocation framework from the start. Our calculator uses industry-standard percentage allocations refined from data across thousands of real weddings.

The 50/30/20 of Wedding Spending

Think of your wedding budget in three tiers: Essentials (venue + catering = ~60% of budget), Enhancements (photography, flowers, entertainment = ~25%), and Details (attire, stationery, favors, misc = ~15%).

Hidden Costs Most Couples Forget

Service charges (18-22%), sales tax, overtime fees, gratuities for vendors, alterations, hair/makeup trials, marriage license, and day-of emergency fund. Budget an extra 5-10% contingency beyond your planned allocations.

Budget Allocation

Industry-standard percentages: Venue (30-40%), Catering (25-28%), Photography (10-12%), Flowers (5-8%), Attire (5-8%), Entertainment (5-8%).

Category Budget = Total Budget × Category Percentage

Budget Scenarios

Budget Wedding ($15K)

Guests75
Per Guest$200
Venue + Catering$8,250
💡 Info:Focus spending on food and venue. DIY flowers, use playlists instead of DJs, and leverage off-peak timing.

Luxury Wedding ($80K)

Guests150
Per Guest$533
Venue + Catering$52,000
📊 Analysis:At this level, a planner typically pays for themselves through vendor discounts and negotiation.