Split a wedding or event budget across categories by percentage or fixed amount, with the cost per guest and what is left to allocate.
By AdminDrafted with AI writing toolsUpdated Checked examples: 4
$30,000.00 for 120 guests is $250.00 a head. Venue & catering takes the largest share (45%); the plan uses the whole budget.
| Category | Budget share | Amount | Per guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue & catering | 45 % | $13,500.00 | $112.50 |
| Photography & video | 12 % | $3,600.00 | $30.00 |
| Attire & beauty | 8 % | $2,400.00 | $20.00 |
| Flowers & decor | 10 % | $3,000.00 | $25.00 |
| Music & entertainment | 8 % | $2,400.00 | $20.00 |
| Stationery | 3 % | $900.00 | $7.50 |
| Rings | 3 % | $900.00 | $7.50 |
| Transport | 3 % | $900.00 | $7.50 |
| Contingency | 8 % | $2,400.00 | $20.00 |
Venue & catering: 45% × 30,000 = 13,500; Photography & video: 12% × 30,000 = 3,600; Attire & beauty: 8% × 30,000 = 2,400; Flowers & decor: 10% × 30,000 = 3,000; Music & entertainment: 8% × 30,000 = 2,400; Stationery: 3% × 30,000 = 900; Rings: 3% × 30,000 = 900; Transport: 3% × 30,000 = 900; Contingency: 8% × 30,000 = 2,400
In the formula, T is the total budget, p_i a category percentage, A_i its amount, n the guest count and C the budget per guest. For a fixed-amount category, A_i is the amount entered instead.
Each category is either a percentage of the total budget or a fixed amount; the calculator turns both into money, adds them up and shows what is left to allocate or how far the plan runs over. Budget per guest is the total divided by the number of guests, and the table gives each category's cost per guest.
With the defaults, 30,000 for 120 guests is 250 per guest, and the example split puts 45% (13,500) on venue and catering. For comparison, couples married in the US in 2025 spent an average of $34,200 on 117 guests, or $292 a head, according to The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study.
The default percentages are an example, not a rule; change them to your priorities. A line such as "Rings 2500" is read as a fixed amount and "Flowers 10%" as a share of the total.
Give each category either a percentage of the total budget or a fixed amount, add the amounts up and subtract them from the total to see what is left. Cost per guest is the total divided by the guest count: 30,000 for 120 guests is 250 a guest, and 45% for venue and catering is 13,500.
A 10,000 budget for 40 guests, with Venue 40% and Rings 2500:
This example split adds up to 100%. At 30,000 for 120 guests it gives:
It is a starting point, not a rule. Move percentages toward what matters to you, and replace a percentage with a fixed amount once a vendor gives you a quote.
Budget per guest is an average. It is not what one more guest costs, because many costs are fixed fees: a 3,000 photographer is 30 a guest at 100 guests and 20 a guest at 150, for the same 3,000.
Catering is usually priced per head, so enter it as price × guests. At 100 a head, 120 guests is 12,000. Adding 20 guests makes it 14,000, which cuts what is left to allocate by 2,000 and drops the budget per guest from 250 to 214.29.
For a benchmark, The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study put the average US wedding in 2025 at $34,200 for 117 guests, about $292 a guest. That is a national average from surveyed couples, not a local quote.
| Scenario | Allocated | Remainder | Budget per guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | 30000.000000 | 0.000000 | 250.000000 |
| Part allocated | 12000.000000 | 8000.000000 | 250.000000 |
| Mixed amounts | 6500.000000 | 3500.000000 | 250.000000 |
| Over budget | 11000.000000 | -1000.000000 | 250.000000 |
| Fixed dominates | 8000.000000 | 2000.000000 | 200.000000 |
Venue 50% and Photography 10%.Venue 80% and Band 3000. The plan uses 110% of the budget and runs 1,000 over.Room 20% and Food 6000. The fixed food amount is 60% of the budget.Photography 12% is a share of the total and Rings 2500 is a fixed amount: the % sign decides which.When guests or family share costs, the expense splitter works out who owes whom from what each person paid.
Checked against: Percentages sum to 100; 30000/120 = 250; 45% of 30000 = 13500
Checked against: Hand calculation: 20000 × 0.6 = 12000
Checked against: Hand calculation: 4000 + 2500
Checked against: Hand calculation: 8000 + 3000 = 11000, 1000 over
$34,200 in the US in 2025, according to The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study, based on 10,474 couples married that year. The average guest count was 117 and the average spend per guest $292. Couples hired 13 vendors on average.
Divide the total budget by the number of guests: 30,000 ÷ 120 = 250 per guest. The table does the same for each category, so venue and catering at 13,500 is 112.50 per guest. Only costs charged per head, such as catering, rise with each extra guest; a photographer or band booked for a fixed fee does not.
Start from the total you can spend, give each category a percentage or a fixed amount, and keep a contingency line. The default split is 45% venue and catering, 12% photography and video, 10% flowers and decor, 8% each for attire and beauty, music and contingency, and 3% each for stationery, rings and transport, which adds up to 100%. Move percentages toward what matters most to you.
The calculator shows a negative amount left to allocate and a share allocated above 100%. For a 10,000 budget with Venue 80% and Band 3,000, the categories total 11,000, which is 110% of the budget and 1,000 over. Lower a percentage or a fixed amount, or raise the total, until the share allocated is 100% or less.
This calculator includes 4 worked examples with independently sourced answers. They run in the test suite, and you can run them here too.