Wedding Budget Calculator
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Industry averages allocate ~40–50% to venue and catering, 10–12% to photography/video, 8–10% to flowers and decor, 8–10% to attire, and 5–8% to entertainment.
Category budget = Total budget × Category percentageCatering, rentals, and favors scale per guest. Fixed costs (photographer, band, officiant) stay constant regardless of guest count.
Variable costs = Guest count × Per-guest rate; Total = Fixed + VariableApply regional multipliers: major metros (NYC, SF, LA) run 1.3–1.6× national average; rural and Midwest markets run 0.7–0.85×.
Adjusted cost = National average × Regional multiplierUpdated: July 2026
Venue/catering: $17,500 (50%). Photography: $3,500. Flowers: $3,000. Attire: $3,000. DJ/band: $2,000. Remaining $6,000 for planner, invitations, cake, and contingency.
Fixed vendor costs (photographer $2,500, officiant $500) consume a larger share. Venue/catering at $7,500 (50%) = $187/guest. Micro-wedding savings come from fewer rentals and smaller flower orders.
NYC multiplier 1.5× pushes venue/catering to $40,000+ ($200/guest). Photography $5,000+, flowers $6,000. Budget contingency of 10% ($8,000) essential for metro vendor overruns.
Weddings consistently exceed budget by 10–15%. Reserve at least 5–10% contingency. Vendor gratuities alone (15–20% for catering staff) often exceed $1,000.
A $30,000 budget that works in the Midwest covers barely half a comparable NYC wedding. Apply regional multipliers before setting expectations with vendors.
Wedding costs vary dramatically by guest count, region, and priorities. This calculator builds a category-by-category budget — venue, catering, photography, flowers, attire, and more — with percentage benchmarks adjusted for your guest count and location.