Wedding Budget Calculator
Split a total wedding budget by the usual industry shares into categories, and work out the average cost per guest.
Input Data
Results
At a glance:A wedding budget is often split by typical shares: venue & catering 45%, photography 12%, flowers & decor 10%, music 8%, attire 8%, others 17%. Cost per guest = total budget ÷ guests. The shares are rules of thumb and can be reweighted.
Formula
Each category = total budget × its share.
Cost per guest = total budget ÷ guests.
$$Category = Budget \times Ratio_{category}$$$$Cost/Guest = \dfrac{Budget}{Guests}$$How to Use
- Enter the total wedding budget.
- Enter the number of guests.
- Read each category amount and the cost per guest.
FAQ
Are these percentage shares fixed?
No. The shares come from common industry allocations and are only a starting point, not a hard rule. Each couple prioritises differently, so you can shift amounts between categories as needed—for example, if you value photography or venue more, increase or decrease accordingly.
Why does controlling the guest count matter so much?
Venue, catering, drinks and return gifts all rise almost linearly with the guest count and make up the largest share of the budget. So reducing the guest list is the single most direct money-saving move of all.
What costs are easily overlooked?
Often missed: vendor meals, overtime fees, dress alterations, marriage-registry fees, invitation postage, guest favours and various tips—together they can be 5%–10%. A contingency fund (already inside 'others') helps cover these surprises.
Why does venue & catering take nearly half the budget—is that reasonable?
Venue & catering is the largest wedding expense (industry norm about 45%) because it bundles the two most expensive and hardest-to-cut items: the 'venue rental' (hotel ballroom, wedding venue or outdoor site) and the 'per-table/per-head catering'. With the default HK$300,000 budget, venue & catering = 300,000 × 45% = HK$135,000, the highest of the six categories. Whether this share is reasonable depends mainly on two things: first, 'guest count'—catering scales roughly with heads, so more guests means a bigger slice; second, 'venue tier'—a five-star hotel and a regular restaurant can differ several-fold per table. If you go for a small, refined wedding (few guests, plain venue), the real share may fall below 45%, letting you shift savings to photography, decor or honeymoon; conversely, a large banquet or upscale venue easily exceeds 45%, squeezing other categories. So 45% is a 'starting reference'—decide what you value most, then adjust by priority, but venue & catering is usually the biggest single cost regardless.
When the budget is tight, where do I start to save most effectively?
The most effective lever is not trimming a little here and there, but tackling 'the largest share that is tied to headcount'—cutting guests and choosing the venue carefully. Directly: venue & catering is nearly half the budget, while catering, drinks, favours and invites all rise roughly with the guest count. With HK$300,000: at 200 guests the per-guest cost is only HK$1,500, but more guests raise the absolute catering & drinks total and crowd out other categories; trimming to 80 guests lifts per-guest cost to HK$3,750 but lets you host a more refined wedding at the same total, or simply lower the total to save real money. Practical tips: (1) 'set the guest count before the budget'—each table cut (about 10–12 guests) saves catering + drinks + favours of several thousand to tens of thousands; (2) 'choose venue tier and date carefully'—off-season, non-Saturday or lunch slots usually carry discounts; (3) 'DIY or simplify flexible items'—flowers, invites and decor in 'others' are the most elastic for creative savings; (4) 'keep a contingency'—reserve 5%–10% for overtime and alteration fees. In short, controlling guests and venue is the 'big lever'; the rest are 'small tweaks'.
Related Tools
References
Content review: Calculatorism Finance Team. Results are for reference only; please refer to the relevant authorities for the official figures.