Wedding budget calculator: split your budget and see the cost per guest
Type your total budget and how many guests you expect. The calculator splits the money across ten wedding categories and shows what each one costs per guest, so you know early whether the guest list or the budget needs to move.
Every share has a slider. Give more to photography, less to flowers, and the amounts update as you go. Download the result as a free PDF when it looks right.
The Wedding Budget Spreadsheet (Excel and Google Sheets) starts from the same categories and adds estimated vs actual costs, deposits paid and balance due for every vendor.
Default shares: Venue 20%, Catering 25%, Photo & video 12%, Attire & beauty 8%, Flowers & decor 8%, Music & entertainment 7%, Invitations & stationery 3%, Rings 5%, Transportation 3%, Misc & buffer 9%. A starting point to adjust, not an average of real weddings.
How the wedding budget calculator splits your money
The starting shares are: venue 20%, catering 25%, photo and video 12%, attire and beauty 8%, flowers and decor 8%, music and entertainment 7%, invitations and stationery 3%, rings 5%, transportation 3% and a misc and buffer line of 9%. Venue and food together take 45%, the largest part of most wedding budgets, and the buffer covers officiant fees, the license, favors, tips and the surprises that every couple meets.
These numbers are a starting point we chose for planning, not an average of real weddings. If the shares no longer add up to 100% after you move the sliders, the calculator tells you how much is left or how far over you are, and one click balances them back to 100%.
Venue 20%
Catering 25%
Photo and video 12%
Attire and beauty 8%
Flowers and decor 8%
Music and entertainment 7%
Invitations and stationery 3%
Rings 5%
Transportation 3%
Misc and buffer 9%
Wedding cost per guest
The cost per guest is your total budget divided by the number of guests, and every category also shows its own per-guest amount. Catering is usually quoted per head, so compare the catering line per guest with real quotes first. Cutting ten guests from the list lowers the per-guest costs for food, drinks, rentals and stationery much more than trimming the flowers.
From calculator to a wedding budget spreadsheet
A calculator gives you the plan. Once quotes and deposits arrive, a wedding budget spreadsheet keeps track of what you actually spend: estimated vs actual cost for every vendor, deposits paid, balance due and due dates, with the same categories. Our Wedding Budget Spreadsheet works in Excel and Google Sheets and is the paid next step; the calculator stays free.
Free wedding budget template as a PDF
The download button turns your result into a one-page wedding budget template: total budget, guest count, cost per guest, and each category with its share, amount and per-guest cost. Print it, stick it in your planning binder or send it to whoever is helping pay. It is made in your browser; nothing you type is stored.
How it works
Enter your total budget and the number of guests.
Move the sliders until the split fits your priorities, then download the free PDF.
When the quotes come in, track real costs and deposits in the spreadsheet (one payment through Stripe).
How much should we spend on each part of the wedding?
A common starting point is to give the venue and catering about half of the budget, photography around a tenth or more, and keep a buffer for surprises. The calculator starts from venue 20%, catering 25%, photo and video 12% and a 9% buffer; move the sliders to match what matters most to you.
How is the cost per guest calculated?
Total budget divided by the number of guests. Each category also shows its amount divided by the guest count, which helps when you compare per-head catering quotes.
What happens if my shares do not add up to 100%?
The calculator shows how much of the budget is still unallocated or how far over you are, and the Balance to 100% button rescales all shares while keeping their proportions.
Is the wedding budget calculator free?
Yes. The calculator and the PDF download are free with no sign-up. The calculation and the PDF are made in your browser and nothing is saved on our side.
Is there a wedding budget spreadsheet to track real costs?
Yes. The Wedding Budget Spreadsheet for Excel and Google Sheets tracks estimated and actual costs, deposits and balances for every vendor, using the same categories.
Is the default split based on averages?
No. It is a planning starting point, not survey data. Costs vary a lot by location, season and guest count, so adjust it to your own quotes.
