Wedding Budget Calculator

What formula does this tool use?

This tool uses: catering = per-person price × guests; subtotal = venue + catering + photography + flowers + music + attire + cake + transport + stationery + hair + rings; contingency = subtotal × buffer %; total = subtotal + contingency. The default inputs give a subtotal of $26,300 and a total of $28,930.

Which items scale with the guest count?

Only catering. It is entered per person and multiplied by guests. Every other category is a flat amount, so if you add guests and expect to pay more for cake, stationery or flowers, you must raise those figures yourself.

What does the contingency percentage apply to?

The whole subtotal, rings and attire included. At 10% on $26,300 it is $2,630, shown as its own line. Setting it to 0 removes the buffer entirely.

How is cost per guest calculated?

It is the final total, contingency included, divided by the number of guests. The default run gives $28,930 ÷ 100 = $289. It averages fixed costs such as the venue over everyone, so it falls as you add guests with the other amounts unchanged.

What happens if the guest count is zero?

Catering becomes $0 and cost per guest shows $0, but the flat categories and contingency still count. With default values and zero guests the total is $19,580.

Does the tool suggest what I should spend in each category?

No. It never proposes amounts or typical percentages; it adds what you enter. The defaults in the form are placeholders so the page has something to show, and you should replace each one with a quote you have received.

What costs are not modelled?

Tax, tips for vendors, deposits and payment dates, currency conversion and costs outside the eleven listed categories are not fields. Put anything extra inside an existing category or raise the contingency. The dollar sign is a label only.