- Forty guests: fixed lines dominate; photography, attire and music take a third of the total.
- A hundred guests: the classic split; venue and catering take about half.
- A hundred and eighty guests: per-head lines take over; catering alone is a third and the per-guest figure falls.
- Every example keeps a contingency line, because every wedding needs one.
Forty guests, a dinner-sized wedding
Built on a total of 9,000 for illustration. With few guests the per-head lines shrink, and the lines that do not care about the guest count, the photographer, the outfits, the rings and the music, take a larger share than in any other size. The per-guest figure looks high, and it is: 225 per person, most of it fixed cost divided by a small number.
| Line | Share | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | 18% | 1,620 | A restaurant's private room or a small hall |
| Catering and drinks | 24% | 2,160 | Forty dinners and drinks, about 54 per head |
| Photography and video | 14% | 1,260 | Fixed; the same photographer as at a big wedding |
| Attire and beauty | 11% | 990 | Fixed |
| Music and entertainment | 6% | 540 | A duo or a playlist and a hired speaker |
| Flowers and décor | 7% | 630 | Bouquet and five table arrangements |
| Stationery and printing | 1% | 90 | Digital invitations, printed place cards |
| Cake | 3% | 270 | Two tiers |
| Transport | 2% | 180 | One car |
| Rings | 6% | 540 | Fixed |
| Contingency | 8% | 720 | Spent last |
A hundred guests, the classic wedding
Built on a total of 20,000 for illustration. This is the shape the starting shares in the calculator describe: venue and catering around half, photography a tenth, the rest in single digits. Per guest, 200.
| Line | Share | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | 20% | 4,000 | A venue with its own furniture and staff |
| Catering and drinks | 28% | 5,600 | A hundred dinners and a drinks package, 56 per head |
| Photography and video | 10% | 2,000 | Full day, one photographer |
| Attire and beauty | 8% | 1,600 | With alterations and trials |
| Music and entertainment | 6% | 1,200 | A DJ, ceremony musician |
| Flowers and décor | 8% | 1,600 | Ceremony flowers, ten tables |
| Stationery and printing | 2% | 400 | Digital invitations, printed menus and place cards |
| Cake | 2% | 400 | Three tiers |
| Transport | 3% | 600 | Two cars |
| Rings | 4% | 800 | Fixed |
| Contingency | 9% | 1,800 | Spent last |
A hundred and eighty guests, the large wedding
Built on a total of 32,000 for illustration. Now the per-head lines run the budget: catering is a third of the total on its own, the venue has to be large enough to seat everyone and often prices by number, and the fixed lines shrink in share without getting cheaper. Per guest, 178, the lowest of the three, because the photographer and the dress are divided by more people.
| Line | Share | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | 19% | 6,080 | A large hall, priced by number |
| Catering and drinks | 33% | 10,560 | A hundred and eighty dinners, 59 per head |
| Photography and video | 8% | 2,560 | Two photographers for a big room |
| Attire and beauty | 6% | 1,920 | Fixed |
| Music and entertainment | 6% | 1,920 | A band |
| Flowers and décor | 9% | 2,880 | Eighteen tables and the ceremony |
| Stationery and printing | 2% | 640 | Place cards, table plan, signs |
| Cake | 2% | 640 | Four tiers or a cutting cake with sheet cakes |
| Transport | 3% | 960 | Cars and a coach for guests |
| Rings | 3% | 960 | Fixed |
| Contingency | 9% | 2,880 | Spent last |
What the three have in common
The fixed lines are the same money at every size and a different share; the per-head lines are the same share and different money. The contingency never disappears. And in all three, the guest count is the number that set the total, which is why the budget guide starts with the guest list and not with the venue. Put your own numbers in the calculator and the shape of your wedding will be one of these three, or somewhere between.
FAQ
- Are these real wedding costs?
- No. Each example is built on a chosen total to show the shape of the split at that size; the amounts are illustrations, not typical prices for any country.
- Why does a small wedding cost more per guest?
- Because the photographer, the attire, the rings and the music cost the same whatever the guest count and are divided by fewer people. The per-guest figure is the whole budget per guest, not the price of one more dinner.
- Why does catering take a bigger share at a large wedding?
- Catering is paid per head, so it grows with every guest while the fixed lines stay the same. At a hundred and eighty guests it is a third of the total on its own.