Wedding Budget Calculator
Allocate your wedding budget across venue, catering, photography, flowers, attire, and music.
Returns spend per category and a per-guest cost breakdown.
Wedding budget planning requires allocating your total spend across the major cost categories proportionally. Industry benchmarks show how most couples distribute their budget. Use these as a starting framework, not rigid rules.
The Allocation Formula:
Category spend = Total budget × Category percentage
Standard Wedding Budget Percentages (US, 2024):
| Category | Typical Allocation |
|---|---|
| Venue and catering | 35–45% |
| Photography and video | 10–15% |
| Music (DJ or band) | 5–10% |
| Flowers and décor | 8–12% |
| Wedding dress and attire | 5–10% |
| Catering (food and bar) | included in venue or 25–35% separately |
| Officiant | 1–2% |
| Transportation | 2–3% |
| Invitations / stationery | 2–3% |
| Rings | 3–5% |
| Honeymoon | 0–15% (often separate) |
| Contingency | 5% |
Worked Example:
Total wedding budget: $30,000.
- Venue + catering (40%): $12,000
- Photography + video (12%): $3,600
- Music DJ (7%): $2,100
- Flowers/décor (10%): $3,000
- Attire (8%): $2,400
- Contingency (5%): $1,500
- Remaining categories split: $5,400
Cost Per Guest:
Average US wedding cost per guest = $200–$300 (catering + venue share)
For 100 guests: catering cost alone ≈ $12,000–$18,000
Practical Tips:
- Get quotes before finalizing the guest list, since costs scale directly with attendance
- Venue and catering typically can’t be negotiated much; photography and florals have more flexibility
- Off-season dates (January–March, weekday evenings) can save 20–30% on venue costs
- Always pay vendors by credit card for purchase protection; never full cash in advance
Where your budget fits in the national picture
| Market | Typical total spend |
|---|---|
| Smaller cities and rural areas | $15,000–$25,000 |
| National average (US, 2024) | ~$35,000 |
| Larger metros | $40,000–$60,000 |
| NYC, LA, SF, Boston | $50,000–$100,000+ |
The single biggest swing factor is location, not guest count. The same 100-guest wedding can run $20,000 in rural Tennessee and $90,000 in Manhattan because the venue and catering rates differ that much. If your number falls below the local market range, expect to make trade-offs: smaller guest list, off-peak date, or a non-traditional venue (a relative’s backyard, a state park pavilion, a brewery). None of these make for a worse wedding. Most photographers will tell you intimate weddings are the most fun to shoot.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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