Wedding Budget by Guest Count: What 50, 100, and 150 Guests Change
Compare 50-, 100-, and 150-guest wedding budgets and see why fixed costs, per-guest costs, venue capacity, and contingency change the math.
Wedding Planner — Plan the wedding you’re picturing.
Ideas you share with family, a website your guests reply on, seating and tables you can walk around in 3D, and a budget that knows what it all costs.
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Maya & Daniel’s wedding120 guests · 16 tables
Everything in one plan
Most people find these one at a time. Here they all are.
- Idea board
- Recommendations
- Budget
- Payments
- Timeline & day schedule
- Guests & RSVPs
- Wedding website
- Printed invitations
- Seating in 3D
- Tables in 3D
- Flowers in 3D
- Plan it together
Idea board
Show your mum the venues. She can like them.
Save the venues, dresses, flowers and late-night food you find anywhere, each with its picture. Share the plan, and the people helping you like and comment on each idea, right on it.
“Dad and I walked it Sunday. The ballroom opens right onto the beach, and everyone from out of town could stay on site.”Linda, the bride’s mother, on “Sea Crest Beach Resort” · ♥ Liked by Linda and 2 others
- From search, a photo, or a link
- Move each idea from shortlisted to booked
- Pass on the ones that won’t work, without losing them
Recommendations
Real venues near you, one tap from your board.
Add your town and the plan finds venues, caterers, photographers, florists, bands and hotel blocks near you, with photos and ratings. It also answers what to book first and what couples forget.
The Arlo · 4.8★ (281) · Wedding venue · Austin, TX → ✓ Added to idea board“Recommend wedding venues near Austin”: 20 places
- Venues, caterers, photographers, florists, DJs and bands, cake, hair and makeup, planners, hotels
- Add any pick as an idea, or straight to the plan
- Guides: what to book first, what people forget, where budgets go over
Guests & RSVPs
Your guest list answers itself.
Add each household once, by hand or from a spreadsheet. Every one gets its own private link, replies from their phone, and your list keeps count: who’s coming, how many seats, what they can’t eat.
“Will you be joining us?” Happily accept · Seats attending 2 → Olivia & James Park · ComingA household replying from its own link, and the list a moment later
- Households and the people in them, by side, table and invite priority
- One private link per household: no account, no app, no ads
- Coming, maybe and declined counted as the replies arrive
Invitations & wedding website
Invitations your guests can answer.
Design printed invitations, reply cards and envelopes, and a wedding website where every guest replies, sees the rehearsal dinner if they’re invited, and adds it to their calendar.
“Will you be joining us?” Happily accept · Not sure yet · Regretfully declineThe reply on your wedding website
- Printed set: invitation, reply card, details card, envelope
- A QR code on the card goes to their reply
- Save-the-dates and invitations by email, or printed
Seating
Seat 120 people without a spreadsheet.
Pick the room, and the plan lays out tables for your headcount around a dance floor and a sweetheart table. Seat everyone, then stand in the room in 3D.
“Lay out the room for 120 guests”79 × 49 ft · 32 sq ft a guest · 16 tables
- Ballroom, barn, garden tent or loft
- Rules: keep people apart or together, near the exit — or say it in words
- Place cards print from the same seats
In 3D
See your reception before you book a thing.
Walk the room, dress the tables, design the flowers. Swap the linens, the chairs or the stems and watch it change in front of you.
Timeline & day schedule
Your day, hour by hour.
Every tasting, fitting and walkthrough on one timeline, then the day itself in pictures, from hair and makeup to the send-off.
9:00 AM Hair and makeup begins · 4:00 PM Ceremony · 7:30 PM First dance · 10:00 PM Last dance and send-offThe example’s wedding-day schedule
- Reminders before each booking deadline
- Rehearsal dinner and other events alongside
Budget & payments
Know what it costs, and what’s due.
Typical prices for every part of the day, what’s booked, what’s paid, and every deposit and balance before it surprises you.
Venue rental 10,200 typical → 7,500 · Budget $79,325 → $76,625Joe & Mary’s budget, the moment they typed the venue’s quote
- Grows with your guest list
- Swap a typical price for your quote, and the total follows
- Deposits and balances per vendor
Watch it first
Watch a wedding get planned
“You’re engaged. Now what? Where, when, who, and what is it all going to cost?”
Or watch the full tour →
About the Wedding Planner
The average US wedding costs $35,000 — and that average hides enormous regional variation. The same wedding in Manhattan and in Birmingham, Alabama have completely different price tags. Our calculator asks three things — date, region, guest count — and produces a 40-line-item budget anchored in real regional pricing.
Once you have the budget, we work backwards: how much do you need to save per month between now and the date, and which vendors need to be booked when? The booking timeline runs from 12 months out (venue, photographer) to two weeks out (final headcount, day-of coordinator).
What you can do
- 40 line items: venue, catering, photo, flowers, attire, etc.
- 6-tier regional pricing (NYC/SF, major metros, mid-size, etc.)
- Vendor booking timeline (12 months out → week of)
- Monthly savings target to your date
- Save and share with your partner or planner
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are the regional defaults?
They're anchored in The Knot, WeddingWire, and our own aggregate data. They're a starting point — actual quotes vary by season, day of week, and venue tier. Override any line item.
Does the budget include the engagement ring?
No — the engagement ring is typically pre-budget. Honeymoon is also separate (use the Trip & Vacation Planner).
What if our parents are contributing?
You can split the savings target across multiple contributors. The calculator shows what each person needs to set aside per month.
Should we set the budget before booking a venue?
Yes. The venue, catering, guest count, date, and location drive most of the budget. Set a total ceiling first, then reserve the venue only if the remaining categories still have room.
What wedding costs are easiest to underestimate?
Service fees, tips, alterations, vendor meals, rentals, transportation, postage, beauty trials, welcome events, after-party costs, and last-minute weather plans are easy to miss. Keep a contingency line so every surprise does not become new debt.
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