What is the biggest expense?

The reception. Venue hire, catering and drinks usually take 45–55% of the budget, and they are priced per head. Cutting the guest list by twenty people saves more than trimming every other line.

How much does a wedding cost per guest?

All-in, most weddings work out at £250–350 per guest in the UK and $350–450 in the US, once the fixed costs are spread across the guest list. The reception alone is about £110–170 or $120–220 per head, depending on the venue.

What does the calculator leave out?

The engagement ring, the honeymoon, and the hen and stag parties — none of them is part of the wedding day budget, and each varies too much to estimate sensibly. Add them separately if you want a full picture.

How much should we keep in reserve?

Ten percent is the usual cushion, and it is built into the estimate. Overtime, an extra bar hour, late additions to the guest list and the small purchases in the last week reliably add up to about that.

Can gifts cover part of the cost?

In the UK and the US wedding gifts are mostly registry items and vouchers, so a cash contribution towards the cost is the exception, not the rule. Budget as if the day is paid for in full; anything guests give is a bonus.

Wedding budget calculator

How much does a wedding cost in 2026

Two kinds of money go into a wedding: the reception, which is sold per head, and everything you buy once — photographer, band, flowers, the dress. Set the guest count and the level you have in mind, and get a realistic total with the breakdown behind it, not a national average that fits nobody.

Plan the wedding budget Wedding gift calculator

How this is calculated

No national average — that number is skewed by a few very expensive weddings and fits nobody. Three moving parts, priced for 2026.

Per head first

Venue, catering and drinks are the largest line by far and they scale with the guest list. In a British city that is roughly £130 per guest all-in, in London closer to £170; in an American city about $160, in a major metro $220 or more.

Then what you buy once

Photography, music, flowers, attire, rings, stationery, transport, hair and make-up, the ceremony. Each is priced at a standard level and moved by the tier you choose: modest is about 30% below it, premium about 50% above.

A range, plus a cushion

Ten percent is added for the things nobody budgets for — the extra hour of the bar, the overtime, the last-minute guests. And you get a band, not a figure: real quotes land on both sides of any estimate.

Planning it yourself?

An estimate is only the first column. In EventHub the budget sits next to the guest list, so the per-head lines follow the confirmations, every quote gets its own row with a paid and outstanding balance, and the total you agreed on stays visible while the real numbers come in.

Plan the wedding budget

Wedding gift calculator One unwritten rule holds nearly everywhere: your gift covers at least the cost of your own seat, then rises with how close you are to the couple. Set the cost per plate, say how many of you are going, and get an honest range instead of an invented number.Wedding alcohol calculator Set the guest mix, banquet length and season. The calculator returns bottles of spirits, wine and sparkling, plus water, juice and ice — with a cost estimate in PLN, RON, EUR, USD, UAH or BGN.Wedding invitation maker online Design an elegant invitation with the couple’s names, your own wording and a favourite photo. Preview every change, then share the finished invitation by link or PDF.Guest seating for banquets Building a wedding, birthday, corporate celebration or banquet? Draw the room, place tables and prepare who sits where — the same tools hosts use when seating guests, not a concert hall seating map.Guest list & replies Send invitations, then see who confirmed, declined or is still deciding. Keep plus-ones, meal notes and contacts together — ready for seating and the guest app.Wedding planning guide Turn a long list of decisions into a clear sequence. Choose your wedding date to see suggested deadlines, tick off tasks and move from the first budget conversation to the final wedding-day checks.

Common questions about wedding costs

How much does a wedding cost in 2026?: In the UK, a wedding for 80–100 guests typically comes to £20,000–30,000 in 2026, and more in London. In the US the average sits around $35,000, with major metros well above that. Roughly half goes on the reception — venue, food and drink — which is why the guest count moves the total more than anything else.
What is the biggest expense?: The reception. Venue hire, catering and drinks usually take 45–55% of the budget, and they are priced per head. Cutting the guest list by twenty people saves more than trimming every other line.
How much does a wedding cost per guest?: All-in, most weddings work out at £250–350 per guest in the UK and $350–450 in the US, once the fixed costs are spread across the guest list. The reception alone is about £110–170 or $120–220 per head, depending on the venue.
What does the calculator leave out?: The engagement ring, the honeymoon, and the hen and stag parties — none of them is part of the wedding day budget, and each varies too much to estimate sensibly. Add them separately if you want a full picture.
How much should we keep in reserve?: Ten percent is the usual cushion, and it is built into the estimate. Overtime, an extra bar hour, late additions to the guest list and the small purchases in the last week reliably add up to about that.
Can gifts cover part of the cost?: In the UK and the US wedding gifts are mostly registry items and vouchers, so a cash contribution towards the cost is the exception, not the rule. Budget as if the day is paid for in full; anything guests give is a bonus.