How much does a wedding cost?
Enter your guest count, budget level, and location. We estimate each line item separately and show a low-to-high range and what your wedding really costs per guest.
Prices updated: · United States (USD) · free, no sign-up
Calculator result
Estimated wedding cost
$36,000
including a 10% buffer
- Per guest
- $310
- Full cost, not just the plate
- Per plate
- $110
- Venue and catering per guest
- Without buffer
- $32,500
Where the money goes
- Venue and catering115 × $110$12,700
- Photographer and videographertypically $5,000$5,000
- Flowers and decortypically $2,950$2,950
- Bar and drinks115 × $25$2,900
- Attire and accessoriestypically $2,800$2,800
- Musictypically $1,800$1,800
- Wedding bandstypically $1,500$1,500
- Transportationtypically $800$800
- Cake and desserts115 × $6$690
- Invitations and stationery115 × $5$580
- Officiant and marriage licensetypically $500$500
- Hair and makeuptypically $450$450
- Buffer10% of the estimate$3,250
- Food and drinks make up 48% of the cost. Every 10 fewer guests saves about $1,350.
- A Friday or Sunday, or an off-peak month (January-March, November), usually means 15-25% lower prices for the venue and vendors.
- The easiest savings are on things guests see only briefly: reception decor, transportation, and stationery.
How we calculate
- Costs that depend on the guest count (venue and catering, bar, cake, invitations) are multiplied by the number of guests. Flat-fee vendors (photographer, music, attire) are counted once - we don’t just split a budget “per head”.
- Flowers and decor grow with the size of the wedding, but more slowly than the guest list: a 230-guest wedding doesn’t need a florist twice as expensive as a 115-guest one.
- Location shifts vendor prices: major metros like NYC, San Francisco, Boston, or LA about +35%, large cities +15%, small towns and rural areas about -20%. Attire and wedding bands don’t change by region - you can shop for them anywhere.
- Per-guest prices include sales tax and the 20-22% service charge that venues and caterers add on top of the menu price. The low-to-high range shows the price spread within your budget level (about -15% to +20% of the typical price), and the buffer is added on top of every line.
- Not included: the engagement ring, the honeymoon, the rehearsal dinner (traditionally hosted by the groom’s family), and a wedding planner.
Cheat sheet: prices and good practice
A typical wedding for 115 guests in 2026 (mid-size city, 10% buffer)
- Budget: $19,000-24,000
- Standard: $32,000-40,000
- Premium: $60,000-75,000
- Full cost per guest: $180-320, premium from $550
- For comparison: the national average is about $33,000 for 116 guests (The Knot Real Weddings Study 2025)
Where the money goes (standard)
- Venue, catering, and bar: 45-50%
- Photo and video: about 15%
- Attire and wedding bands: 10-15%
- Flowers and decor: about 9%
- Music: about 6%
Questions and answers
Is the cost per guest the same as the per-plate price?
No. The per-plate price covers only the venue and food. The full cost per guest also includes photography, music, attire, and everything else - for a standard wedding it is usually 2.5-3 times the plate price.
How big should the buffer be?
A safe bet is 10-15%. Something unplanned almost always comes up: overtime for the venue or band, vendor tips, cake-cutting or corkage fees, a hotel room for family.
Why is my estimate higher than the national average?
Averages mix big-city weddings with small backyard ones and often leave out the buffer. A standard wedding for 115 guests in a mid-size city comes to about $36,000 here, including a 10% buffer - about $32,500 without it, close to the national average.
Calculate next
- Venue and catering Per-guest price for adults and kids, the bar, vendor meals, a day-after brunch, and the service charge and tax that turn a $100 menu into about $130.
- Savings plan Your monthly and weekly savings target, counted to the date the money is actually due.
- Who pays Split the cost between you and your parents: ready-made models or your own amounts, with a check that it all adds up.
- Gifts vs. wedding cost Gifts counted per couple and household, not per guest - an honest look at what gifts bring in versus what the wedding costs.
For the party itself
Games every guest plays at once
Couple trivia, awards and a finale on the big screen. Guests join with a QR code on their phones, no app to download.