Wedding Budget Calculator
Plan your wedding budget with recommended allocations, vendor quotes, guest count impact, 12 cost categories, tip estimates, tax, and contingency buffer.
Extended More scenarios, charts & detailed breakdown ▾
Professional Full parameters & maximum detail ▾
Cost Summary
Budget Check
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your Total Budget and Guest Count to see the recommended allocation across 5 categories. Use the By Vendor tab to enter actual vendor quotes and track remaining budget. Use the Guest Impact tab to model the cost of adding or removing guests. The Professional tab covers all 12 categories plus tips, tax, contingency, and budget variance.
Formula
Per Guest = Total Budget ÷ Guests | Tips = Service Vendors × 15% | Contingency = Subtotal × % | Grand Total = Subtotal + Tips + Tax + Contingency
Example
$30,000 budget, 100 guests → $300/guest | Venue: $12,000 | Catering: $7,500 | With 5% contingency + tips: Grand Total ≈ $34,400
Frequently Asked Questions
- In the US, the average wedding cost is about $29,000-$35,000 as of 2024, but this varies widely by location. New York and California weddings average $40,000+, while Midwest weddings average $20,000-$25,000.
- Venue typically takes 35-45% of the total budget, making it the largest single expense. This often includes ceremony and reception space rental.
- Yes — it is customary to tip caterers, bartenders, photographers, videographers, and DJs/bands. Budget 15-20% on top of service vendor costs, which typically adds $2,000-$5,000 to your total.
- A contingency of 5-10% covers unexpected costs: overtime charges, last-minute additions, price increases, or forgotten items. Most experienced wedding planners strongly recommend it.
- Each additional guest adds catering, bar, invitations, favors, and seating costs. The Guest Impact tab estimates the total cost increase for any change in headcount based on your per-person variable cost.