Wedding Budget Calculator
Split a total wedding budget across venue, catering, photography, and 9 more categories.
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About the Wedding Budget Calculator
Splits a total wedding budget across 12 standard categories (venue, catering, photography, and more) using planner-consensus allocation percentages, based on The Knot's annual Real Weddings Study.
- Enter your total wedding budget.
- Enter your guest count (used only for the per-guest catering check).
- Read the suggested dollar amount for each category in the breakdown.
A $34,200 total budget with 100 guests: catering & bar allocation is $8,550, or $85.50 per guest — within the commonly cited $80-$100/guest catering range.
| Category | % of budget |
|---|---|
| Catering & bar | 25% |
| Venue & rentals | 17% |
| Photography & video | 11% |
| Flowers & decor | 9% |
| Music & entertainment | 8% |
| Attire & beauty | 8% |
| Planner/coordinator | 6% |
| Contingency buffer | 4% |
| Rings | 4% |
| Stationery & invites | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Favors & gifts | 2% |
These percentages are a planning heuristic from The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study, not a rule — actual spend varies enormously by region, guest count, and personal priorities.
- • The 4% contingency buffer is there deliberately — weddings routinely run over budget on unplanned add-ons.
- • Catering & bar is consistently the single largest category (25%) — a small per-guest cut there has an outsized effect on the total.
- • Guest count drives cost more than almost any other single decision, since catering, rentals, favors, and stationery all scale roughly per-head.
- The Knot — 2026 Real Weddings Study — accessed 2026-08-30
Illustrative estimate only, not financial or tax advice. Verify figures with a licensed adviser or your local tax authority.