Your wedding budget
Wedding budget calculator
Total
$36,936
$316 per guest
Line items
Venue & rentals
$9,624·26.1%
Ceremony and reception space. Among couples who paid for a reception venue, The Knot’s average was $12,900. This line is the venue’s share of the overall average, so a quote can land higher.
20.8%
$Chairs, tables, linens, and dinnerware. The published average for event rentals was about $2,000.
5.2%
$
Food & drink
$7,964·21.6%
Food service. The Knot’s catering average was $80 per guest among couples who hired a caterer. This line is lower because it is a share of the $34,200 average, which includes weddings with simpler food.
15.9%
$Alcohol. The published average was about $2,800. A beer-and-wine bar costs less than an open bar.
4.8%
$The published cake average was about $540, before a cutting fee of roughly $1–$3 per guest if the venue charges one.
0.9%
$
Photo & video
$3,318·9%
Coverage and an album or digitals. The published average was about $3,000, and it barely changes with guest count.
5.1%
$The published average was about $2,300. Set this to zero if you are not hiring a videographer — many couples don’t, which is why the starting share is below that average.
3.9%
$
Flowers & decor
$2,987·8.1%
Personal flowers and reception arrangements. The published average was about $2,800.
4.8%
$Lighting and non-floral decor. The published average was about $1,900.
3.3%
$
Music
$1,991·5.4%
A DJ averaged about $1,800. A live band averaged about $4,500. This line starts near a DJ. Raise it if you want a band.
5.4%
$
Attire & beauty
$1,991·5.4%
Outfits for both partners. A wedding dress alone averaged about $2,100.
4%
$The Knot’s figures were about $150 for hair and $150 for makeup, each quoted for one person.
1.3%
$
Wedding rings
$1,659·4.5%
Bands for the wedding day. The buyer average was about $3,000. This line is the 5% budget share, so raise it if your rings are in that range. Engagement rings are separate (about $4,600) and not included.
4.5%
$
Planner
$1,659·4.5%
Full planning averaged about $2,100 among couples who hired a planner. A day-of coordinator costs less. Set this to zero if you are planning it yourselves.
4.5%
$
Guest entertainment
$995·2.7%
A photo booth, lawn games, or another act. The published average for non-musical entertainment was about $1,500.
2.7%
$
Transportation
$664·1.8%
Guest shuttles or a getaway car. The published average was about $1,100.
1.8%
$
Stationery
$332·0.9%
Save-the-dates, invitations, and day-of paper. The published average was about $510.
0.9%
$
Officiant
$332·0.9%
The published average was about $260. A friend who officiates may cost nothing beyond the marriage license.
0.9%
$
Other
$684·1.9%
The published average was about $480. This is one of the easier lines to cut.
0.9%
$Tips, the marriage license, and small surprises. Tips for caterers, coordinators, and musicians often land here.
0.9%
$
Buffer
$2,736·7.4%
A reserve on top of the lines above for tax, service charges, delivery, and a last-minute guest. The Knot averages are money couples spent, not a cushion. Clear the field or type a different amount.
7.4%
$
- Venue & rentals$9,62426.1%
- Food & drink$7,96421.6%
- Photo & video$3,3189%
- Flowers & decor$2,9878.1%
- Music$1,9915.4%
- Attire & beauty$1,9915.4%
- Wedding rings$1,6594.5%
- Planner$1,6594.5%
- Guest entertainment$9952.7%
- Transportation$6641.8%
- Stationery$3320.9%
- Officiant$3320.9%
- Other$6841.9%
- Buffer$2,7367.4%
A few things that move the total
- Guest count is the lever. Catering, the bar, cake, rentals, and favors move with the headcount.
- July Saturdays are the expensive combination. The Knot’s July–September weddings averaged $35,400, against $33,200 for January–March and October–December.
- The venue quote is not the venue line. Ask what is included: tables, linens, staff, cake cutting, and a service charge.
- A band and a DJ are not the same line. The Knot’s DJ average was about $1,800.
- Keep a buffer that is actually empty. The averages in the study are money couples spent.
- Replace the estimate with three quotes. State and city figures are a starting point, not a price from a florist on your street.
Questions
How much does a wedding cost in the US in 2026?
The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed 10,474 couples married in 2025, puts the average ceremony and reception at $34,200. The study readout also cites an average around $34,000 and a median of $24,000. About half of couples spent between $12,000 and $41,000. The average guest count was 117, or about $292 per guest.
How much should I budget per guest?
The same study found $292 per guest at 117 guests. That figure includes fixed costs such as photography. A smaller guest list usually lowers the total and raises the cost per guest, because the photographer does not get cheaper when ten people stay home. Catering, bar, cake, rentals, and favors are the lines that move with the headcount.
What share of the budget goes to the venue and the food?
The Knot’s breakdown puts venue and rentals at about 29% and catering, cake, and drinks at about 24%. Photography and videography are about 10%. Flowers and decor are about 9%. Those shares are a starting mix from real weddings, not a rule for yours. The published shares round to 101%.
Does this include the honeymoon, the engagement ring, or the rehearsal dinner?
No. The Knot lists those separately from the $34,200 average: a rehearsal dinner around $2,800, an engagement ring around $4,600, and a honeymoon around $5,500. You can add the rehearsal dinner as its own line. The ring and the honeymoon stay off this budget on purpose.
Why is a line lower than the vendor average I read online?
Vendor averages are usually what couples paid if they hired that vendor. The $34,200 average also includes weddings that skipped a planner, a videographer, or a shuttle. This calculator splits the published total using typical percentages, then lets you replace any line with a quote. A $3,000 photographer average and a smaller photography line can both be true.
Can I use this outside the United States?
Yes. Choose your country and type every amount yourself. The currency follows the country. Published starting prices from The Knot are only for the United States, and they are labeled that way. For every other country the amount fields start empty, because this tool does not invent a precise local average. The total on the page updates as you type.
Do I need an email to see the budget?
No. The total, the cost per guest, the chart, and every line item stay on this page. The Excel workbook is the part that asks for an email and a clear yes to the weekly newsletter. The checkbox starts unchecked.
Do you sell my email address?
No. If you download the spreadsheet, we store your email, the time you consented, and a few budget details: state, city if you typed one, guest count, and total, plus the style and season so the note is useful. The list is for the weekly newsletter only. You can unsubscribe later. The privacy policy has the full account.
Which states are the most and least expensive?
In The Knot’s 2026 state table, New Jersey averaged $57,000 and Wyoming $17,000, for the ceremony and reception only. Cities can differ from their states. New York City averaged $88,000, against $49,000 for New York state. Washington, DC is published as a city average of $42,000.
Sources
US starting figures are from The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study (national average $34,200, state and city averages, 117 guests). Other countries start blank. Style, season, and the 8% buffer adjust US starting lines only.