See your real wedding budget in 60 seconds.
Free interactive budget calculator with industry-standard pacing. Enter your guest count, region, and style. Get a 14-category breakdown with realistic per-vendor amounts and a built-in contingency buffer. No signup required.
Your wedding details
Enter the basics. The breakdown rebuilds in real time as you adjust any input.
14-category breakdown
Built on real U.S. wedding industry data.
Per-person averages and category percentages are pulled from how vendors actually price weddings, then adjusted for your region and style.
Per-person baseline
Starts at the U.S. national average of about $385 per guest at the Standard tier. This includes all 14 categories with industry-standard percentages, pulled from how caterers, venues, photographers, and DJs actually price.
Region multiplier
Major metros (NYC, SF, LA, Boston, DC, Chicago) run 1.4x the national baseline due to venue, catering, and labor costs. Smaller metros track to baseline. Rural and small markets run about 0.78x.
Style multiplier
"Budget-Conscious" lands around 0.65x baseline. "Elevated" runs 1.45x. "Luxury" runs 2.10x. Style multiplies after region, so a Major Metro Luxury wedding can hit 3x the national average. The breakdown shows exactly where the dollars go.
8 ways to cut costs without cutting quality.
Off-peak season saves 20 to 30 percent
January, February, July, and November are the cheapest months for venues and vendors in most U.S. markets. May, September, and October are the priciest. Friday and Sunday weddings save 10 to 25 percent vs Saturday.
Cut the guest list before anything else
Every guest costs $100 to $300 in catering, bar, rentals, and seating. Cutting 20 guests typically saves $4,000 to $8,000. The single highest-leverage decision in a wedding budget is the headcount, which is why the Guest List Manager exists.
Limited bar beats open bar
Beer + wine + 2 signature cocktails covers 90 percent of guest preferences and costs about half of a full open bar. Cash bar saves more but feels cheap; limited bar is the sweet spot most planners recommend.
Photography is not the place to cut
The wedding ends but photos last decades. Photography is the line item with the most regret when couples cut corners. Cut from florals, transportation, or favors before cutting photography below the 8 percent allocation.
Florals are the most flexible category
Greenery costs 30 to 40 percent of equivalent flower volume. Reusing ceremony arrangements at the reception cuts the floral budget roughly in half. DIY bouquets work; DIY centerpieces are riskier with stems wilting before service.
All-inclusive venues simplify and often save
Venues that include catering, bar, rentals, and coordination often cost less in total than separately renting a venue and hiring 4 to 5 vendors. Compare line by line before assuming the all-inclusive is more expensive.
Day-of coordinator vs full planner
Full planners run 10 to 15 percent of total budget. Day-of coordinators run $1,500 to $3,500 flat. If you have time and organizational skills, a day-of coordinator captures most of the value at a fraction of the cost.
Always include a 5 to 10 percent contingency
Surprise costs always show up: extra rentals at the venue walkthrough, additional florals because the church requires them, vendor overtime if dinner runs long. A 5 to 10 percent buffer prevents budget panic in the final 30 days.
Now find vendors that match your budget.
Photographers, planners, caterers, and venues priced for your tier
Once you know your category budgets, the next step is finding vendors who actually fit. The Zennvue marketplace lets you filter by price tier, region, and category. Free for couples to browse, no signup required to look up pricing.
Budget Calculator FAQ.
Ready for the next step? Plan your whole wedding free.
Zennvue's free couples app saves your budget automatically, syncs with your guest list and RSVP tracker, and matches you with vendors that fit your category budgets. No credit card required.