Wedding Budget Calculator
Plan your wedding budget with category breakdowns for venue, catering, photography, attire, flowers, entertainment, and more. Get recommended allocations based on your total budget and guest count.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter your total wedding budget - The maximum you want to spend on your entire wedding
- Set your guest count - This impacts venue, catering, and per-person costs
- Select your region - Location significantly affects vendor pricing
- Choose your style and preferences - Season, style, and ceremony type adjust allocations
- Toggle categories - Include or exclude vendors to customize your budget breakdown
- Click Calculate Budget to see your personalized allocation with vendor ranges and tips
Budget & Guest Details
Location & Timing
Wedding Style & Ceremony
Optional: Wedding Date (for Savings Plan)
Categories to Include
Toggle categories on/off to customize your budget. Excluded categories will redistribute funds to included ones.
Understanding Wedding Budget Allocation
The largest portion of any wedding budget goes to the venue and catering, typically consuming 40-50% of total spend. This is because per-guest food and beverage costs add up quickly. The remaining budget is distributed among photography, entertainment, florals, and other vendors. Your allocation should reflect what matters most to you as a couple.
Hidden Costs Most Couples Forget
- Gratuities: 15-20% tips for vendors (catering staff, DJ, drivers, hair/makeup)
- Sales tax: 5-10% on venue, catering, rentals, and other taxable services
- Overtime fees: $500-$2,000+ if your reception runs long
- Dress alterations: $200-$800 on top of the dress cost
- Marriage license: $30-$100 depending on state
- Vendor meals: Photographer, DJ, and planner need to eat too
- Setup/breakdown fees: Extra charges for early access or late cleanup
- Cake cutting fee: Some venues charge $1-$3 per slice to serve cake
- Corkage fees: $15-$40 per bottle if you bring your own alcohol
Money-Saving Tips
- Off-peak timing: Friday or Sunday weddings save 20-30% vs Saturday
- Shoulder season: November, January-March offer significant discounts
- Guest list control: Every guest cut saves $100-$300+ in catering alone
- All-inclusive venues: Often cheaper than renting separately + coordinating
- Digital invitations: Save $500-$2,000 on printing and postage
- Seasonal flowers: In-season blooms cost 30-50% less than imported
- Brunch/lunch reception: Save 30-40% vs dinner service
- Book early: Many vendors offer discounts for 12+ month advance booking
Payment Timeline Guide
- 12+ months out: Book venue (deposit 25-50%), photographer, band/DJ
- 9-12 months: Book florist, videographer, planner, caterer
- 6-9 months: Order invitations, book officiant, transportation, cake
- 3-6 months: Order attire, book hair/makeup, finalize rentals
- 1-3 months: Final headcount, last payments, confirm all vendors
- Final week: Final balances due, vendor tips prepared, timeline confirmed
Save & Share Your Budget Plan
Your budget plan is automatically saved in the URL. You can bookmark this page to save your wedding budget plan, or use the Share button to copy the link. All settings and category preferences will be restored automatically when you return.