Free tool
Wedding budget
calculator.
Set your number, get a sensible split. Every line is adjustable - the point is seeing the trade-offs, not obeying the percentages.
£250 per head
- Venue & catering 45% £0
Hire, food and drink - usually the biggest line by far.
- Photography & film 10% £0
The only line item that outlives the day itself.
- Attire & beauty 10% £0
Outfits, tailoring, hair and makeup - for every event you host.
- Flowers & decor 8% £0
Bouquets, centrepieces, staging - or a mandap, if you need one.
- Music & entertainment 7% £0
Band, DJ, dhol players - whatever gets people up.
- Rings & jewellery 4% £0
The bit you keep forever.
- Stationery & signage 3% £0
Invitations, menus, table plans.
- Cake & favours 3% £0
Dessert, favours and the little extras.
- Transport 2% £0
Getting people (and a baraat) where they need to be.
- Contingency 8% £0
The line that saves the others. Keep it.
100% allocated
Quick answers
How should I split a wedding budget?
A common starting point is roughly 45% on venue and catering, about 10% each on photography and attire, and 5-10% held back as contingency - then adjust for what you actually care about. The split is a tool for making trade-offs visible, not a rule.
How do I budget for a multi-day or multicultural wedding?
Shift weight from the single venue line towards the things every event needs again: outfits, photography, decor and transport. Multiple functions rarely double the cost - venues and catering per event tend to be smaller - but attire and coverage add up fastest.
How much contingency should a wedding budget have?
Plan for 5-10% unallocated. Late guest-count changes, delivery fees and day-of extras land on almost every wedding, and a funded contingency line means they land softly.
What does cost per head mean in wedding planning?
Your total budget divided by your guest count. It is the fastest way to sanity-check a venue quote: caterers and venues price per head, so knowing your own number tells you instantly whether a quote fits.