This wedding budget calculator splits your total budget across the classic categories using typical allocation percentages — editable in your head as quotes arrive — and shows the per-guest cost that quietly drives everything.

The Guest List Is the Budget — Everything Else Is Commentary

The bar quantities inside that venue line are our Party Drink Calculator. Part of our Everyday Life Calculators collection.

Worked Example (Verified)

  • $30,000 budget, 150 guests (defaults): venue + catering $13,500 · photo/video $3,600 · flowers/décor $3,000 · attire $2,700 · music $1,500 · cake $900 · rings $900 · stationery $900 · transport $600 · cushion $2,400 — per guest: $200
  • The +10-guest lever: at this scale each additional 10 guests costs ≈ $900 on the catering line (45% of budget ÷ 150 × 10) before chairs, favors and cake slices join in
  • Reality anchors (recent US surveys): average wedding ≈ $33,000 with ≈ 116 guests — the defaults intentionally sit slightly grander; scale the total, the percentages still steer

Budget Discipline

  • Track actuals against these lines weekly once booking starts; a category that eats its cushion in month one is forecasting the finale.
  • Hidden-line hunters: service charges (18–22% on catering), tax on everything, attire alterations, marriage license, rehearsal dinner, tips — most live in “transport + misc” and the cushion by design.
  • Cut guests before cutting quality on the big three: 20 fewer guests funds the photographer upgrade and the better menu simultaneously.
  • Off-season/off-day pricing is real (January Saturdays and Fridays/Sundays discount hard at many venues) — the same wedding, 15% cheaper, different calendar square.

Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you split a $30,000 wedding budget?

Typical allocation: venue + catering 45% ($13,500), photography/video 12% ($3,600), flowers/décor 10% ($3,000), attire 9% ($2,700), music 5% ($1,500), cake, rings and stationery 3% each ($900), transport/misc 2% ($600), and an 8% cushion ($2,400). This calculator applies the split to any total and adds per-guest cost.

What is the average cost per wedding guest?

All-in budget ÷ guests: the defaults give $200 per guest; recent national averages land near $280 per guest ($33,000 ÷ 116). Catering alone typically runs $85–100 per guest — the single largest per-head line and the reason guest count dominates the budget.

What do couples most often forget to budget?

Service charges and taxes on the big contracts, alterations, the rehearsal dinner, vendor tips, the marriage license, and postage. Together they routinely reach 10–15% — which is exactly why this allocation carries an 8% cushion plus a misc line instead of pretending precision.

Where can we cut without guests noticing?

Paper (invites → digital for save-the-dates), favors (most are left behind), oversized florals on non-photo surfaces, and the cake’s top tiers (a display cake + sheet cake serves identically). Guests notice food quality, bar lines and the dance floor — protect those lines.

How much should we hold back as a cushion?

5–10%: this calculator uses 8%. Final-week surprises (weather rentals, extra hours, broken things) are not possibilities but scheduling — couples who spend the cushion line in advance fund surprises from the honeymoon instead.

Is this wedding budget calculator free?

Yes — free, instant, no sign-up.