Wedding Budget
Spread your total across the categories that matter, then track each booking as the real prices come in — what is paid, what is still owed and when, and what it all costs per guest.
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Spread the total across categories
Rules of thumb to start from. Picking one replaces your estimates — prices, payments and suppliers you have entered are kept.
Type the estimate while you plan. When a supplier quotes, fill in the price — it replaces the estimate. Add what you have paid and when the rest is due.
Payments still to make
Add a due date to any line with money still owed and it shows up here, in date order.
How the numbers work
Planned is each line's price if you have one, otherwise its estimate. Left is your total budget minus everything planned. Still owed is planned minus paid, never counting an overpayment twice.
Per guest divides everything planned by the people you still expect: those who have said yes plus those who have not replied, with plus-ones. Until you have a guest list it uses your rough guest count.
The starting splits are rules of thumb gathered from common planning advice, not survey data — venue and food usually take the biggest share by far. Change any line; the split is only a place to start.
Setting a wedding budget that holds
Start from what you can actually spend, not from what weddings cost. Add up your own savings, what you can put aside each month until the day, and any money family has offered — confirmed, not hoped for. That number is the budget; the categories are how you spend it.
Then set aside a contingency before you book anything. Five to ten per cent is common, and it gets used: overtime for the photographer, extra chairs, the cake stand nobody mentioned.
Why cost per guest matters most
Food, drink, chairs, tables, invitations and favours all scale with the guest list, which makes it the single biggest lever on the budget. The figure above shows what each guest costs across everything; trimming ten guests usually saves far more than switching florists.
The costs people forget
Service charges and tax on catering, which can add a fifth to the menu price. Tips for suppliers. Delivery, set-up and collection fees. Alterations. The marriage licence. Postage for invitations. Put a line in for each so they are planned rather than discovered.
Related
The guest list drives the cost per guest here, and the drinks calculator helps price the bar. The planner shows the budget alongside everything else, and the wedding planning guide covers the year in order.
Questions people actually ask
What percentage should the venue be?
Venue and catering together usually take the largest share — often around 40 to 50 per cent — because they scale with guests. The starting splits on this page use figures in that range, but your own priorities should decide.
Should the rings be in the wedding budget?
Many couples budget the rings separately. Remove the Rings line if yours are paid for another way.
Can I use a currency other than dollars?
Yes — choose it with Edit details at the top. Amounts are not converted; the page simply shows your plan in the currency you pick.
Is my budget uploaded anywhere?
No. It is kept in this browser only, alongside the rest of your plan. Download a backup to keep a copy or move it to another device.