A wedding budget calculator that starts from your total
Most couples know the number they can spend before they know what anything costs. This wedding budget calculator takes that total and splits it across the categories that make up a wedding — venue, food, decor, photography, outfits, jewellery, entertainment, invitations and a contingency — using typical shares that have been published for Indian and for US and UK weddings. Every share is a box you can overwrite, so the plan quickly becomes yours.
Indian weddings are usually priced by the plate, so the India preset works that way: enter the caterer’s per-plate price, the guest count and how many meals or functions you are feeding, and catering becomes a fixed amount. The rest of the money is shared among the other categories. Add the quotes you receive in the “Actual / quote” column to see what is left in each line, then download everything as a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets.
How to use the Wedding Budget Calculator
- Pick the India preset (rupees, per-plate catering) or the US & UK preset (dollars or pounds, catering as a share).
- Type your total budget and the number of guests. Change the currency if you are paying in pounds, dirhams or another currency.
- For per-plate catering, enter the price per plate including taxes and the number of meals — for example a sangeet dinner and a wedding lunch.
- Adjust any share. If the shares no longer add up to 100%, the amounts are scaled to your total and a note says so.
- As quotes arrive, type them in “Actual / quote”; the last column shows how much is left in each category.
- Press Download CSV to keep a spreadsheet, or Copy summary to share the plan with family.
Wedding Budget Calculator features
Two published presets
An Indian split that includes jewellery, outfits for both sides and guest hospitality, and a US/UK split with a planner, stationery and a 10% contingency.
Per-plate catering
Price per plate × guests × meals fixes the food bill; the remaining budget is divided over the other lines in proportion to their shares.
Editable shares that always fit
Shares that add to more or less than 100% are scaled, so the planned amounts always total your budget.
Plan vs actual
Enter quotes or payments to see the balance left in every category and overall.
CSV export
A UTF-8 CSV with shares, planned, actual and remaining amounts, ready for a spreadsheet.
Private
Calculated in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Typical wedding budget shares used by the presets
The India preset takes a point inside each range published by Samaro’s wedding planner guide (1 June 2025) — venue 20–28%, food 18–25%, decor and flowers 10–16%, photography 7–10%, bridal fashion 5–8%, groom fashion 2–4%, entertainment 5–9%, makeup 2–4%, planner 4–6%, hospitality and transport 3–5%, invitations and gifting 1–2%, contingency 5–8%. Jewellery is not in that list, so the preset adds it at 10%; if family jewellery is being passed down, set it to zero. The US & UK preset uses the middle of the ranges in Giftlist’s guide (6 June 2026), which it bases on The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study and Zola’s 2026 cost index.
| Category | India preset | US & UK preset |
|---|---|---|
| Venue | 20% (with accommodation) | 20% (reception venue) |
| Food and drink | 20% or per plate | 22% (catering and bar) |
| Decor and flowers | 11% | 9% |
| Photography and video | 8% | 11% |
| Outfits, beauty and jewellery | 6% bride + 3% groom + 3% makeup + 10% jewellery | 6% attire and beauty |
| Entertainment | 5% (DJ, sangeet) | 7% (band or DJ) |
| Planner | 4% | 6% |
| Invitations, gifts, favours | 1% | 2% stationery + 2% favours |
| Transport and guests | 4% | 3% |
| Ceremony and officiant | — | 2% |
| Contingency | 5% | 10% |
How the per-plate calculation works
Catering = price per plate × guests × meals. With the default ₹25,00,000 budget, 300 guests and two meals at ₹1,100 a plate, catering is ₹6,60,000. That leaves ₹18,40,000 for the other categories, whose shares add to 80%, so the venue’s 20% becomes 20 ÷ 80 × ₹18,40,000 = ₹4,60,000. If the food bill is more than the total, the calculator warns you instead of producing negative numbers.
Flip the question round by switching catering to a share: the caption shows the per-plate price your plan can afford. A ₹25 lakh budget with 20% for food and 300 guests over two meals gives about ₹833 a plate.
Tips for keeping a wedding budget on track
- Fix the guest count first. Food, venue size, invitations and favours all scale with it; a seating chart helps you see the real number.
- Ask whether quotes include tax. In India, GST on catering and venues can add 5–18% depending on the service; compare like with like.
- Keep the contingency. Late additions — extra guests, overtime, transport — are common; 5–10% is the usual cushion.
- Plan the bar separately with the drinks calculator if drinks are not part of the caterer’s package, and set gift budgets with the shagun calculator.
Wedding Budget Calculator FAQ
How do I split a wedding budget?
Start from the total you can afford, fix the guest count, then give each category a share. The presets here use typical published splits — about a fifth each for venue and food — and you can change any share. The wedding budget calculator scales everything so it always adds up to your total.
What percentage of a wedding budget goes to the venue?
Published guides put the venue at roughly 18–22% in the US and UK and 20–28% in India, where the venue often includes rooms for guests. Food and drink takes a similar share.
How much should catering cost per plate in India?
It varies widely by city, menu and venue, from a few hundred rupees to several thousand per plate. Enter the price your caterer quotes, including taxes; the calculator multiplies it by guests and meals and plans the rest around it.
Does this wedding budget calculator work for UK weddings?
Yes. Choose the US & UK preset and switch the currency to pounds. The shares are the same kind of split couples in Britain use; adjust them to your quotes.
Why don’t my shares add up to 100%?
You may have changed a share. The tool treats whatever the shares add up to as 100% and scales every amount, and it shows a note telling you the current total. Press Reset shares to preset to go back.
Can I save my budget?
Download the CSV — it opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. The page keeps nothing.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a planning aid built on typical published shares.