How much should you budget for a wedding?

There is no honest single number, which is why this site does not print one. The widely-quoted averages come from surveys of a planning platform's own users, which skew high. The right answer starts from what you and your partner can spend, and this worksheet splits that number by percentage — it never proposes a total. The guide on what weddings actually cost explains the published figures and how to arrive at your own.

What percentage of a wedding budget goes to food and drink?

Conventionally food and drink is the largest single line, often around a third or more, but the right split depends entirely on what you care about. A food-first wedding and a photography-first wedding allocate very differently. The worksheet is a starting split you should change to match your own priorities — it is not a rule.

Wedding budget worksheet

Enter your total. This worksheet splits it by percentage across the categories you care about — and it never proposes a total, because the right number starts from you.

Category Split Your number

Venue and space

The room, the grounds, and any base fee for the site.

25–40%

—

Food and drink

Catering, the bar, and anything served.

30–45%

—

Photography and video

The photographer and, if you want it, the videographer.

8–15%

—

Attire

What you and the wedding party wear, plus alterations.

5–10%

—

Florals and decor

Flowers, decor, lighting and anything that dresses the space.

5–10%

—

Music and entertainment

The DJ, band, or playlist setup, and any entertainment.

5–10%

—

Stationery and paper

Save-the-dates, invitations, postage, programs and signs.

2–5%

—

Rings

The rings — a one-off, not a line to borrow from.

2–5%

—

Everything else

Licence, transport, small extras, and a contingency for the surprises every wedding has.

5–10%

—

Your total The worksheet never proposes a total — it only splits the number you enter.

Why there is no average here, and no suggested total

The numbers you see repeated about what weddings cost come from surveys of people who used a wedding-planning platform — a self-selected sample of that platform's own users, which systematically underrepresents everyone who spent little or planned without one. Quoting a number anchors you upward before you have decided anything.

So this worksheet starts from your number and nothing else. The split below is a starting point you should change — the right allocation depends entirely on what you and your partner care about. A photography-first wedding and a food-first wedding allocate very differently, and both are right. The guide on what weddings actually cost explains the published figures and how to arrive at your own number instead.

Print it, or save it as a PDF

Use your browser's print dialog to print this worksheet with your total filled in, or save it as a PDF. The preview below is what the printable looks like.

A preview of the wedding budget worksheet printable

Common questions

How much should you budget for a wedding?: There is no honest single number, which is why this site does not print one. The widely-quoted averages come from surveys of a planning platform's own users, which skew high. The right answer starts from what you and your partner can spend, and this worksheet splits that number by percentage — it never proposes a total. The guide on what weddings actually cost explains the published figures and how to arrive at your own.
What percentage of a wedding budget goes to food and drink?: Conventionally food and drink is the largest single line, often around a third or more, but the right split depends entirely on what you care about. A food-first wedding and a photography-first wedding allocate very differently. The worksheet is a starting split you should change to match your own priorities — it is not a rule.