EventSays

Wedding Budget Calculator (US, UK, Canada)

General answer

Multiply your guest count by the all-in per-guest average for your country — $292/guest in the US (The Knot 2026, n=10,474) and £278/guest in the UK (Bridebook 2026, n=7,000). A 100-guest US wedding lands near $29,200; a 100-guest UK wedding near £27,800. Canada lacks a verifiable survey, so we derive ~CAD $191/guest from an industry figure whose methodology is undisclosed — treat it strictly as an estimate.

Your numbers below — the calculator personalizes this.

Why per-guest math beats category lists

Real couples plan in per-head terms — it is how caterers and venues quote, and it makes trade-offs visible: at US survey averages, removing 10 guests frees roughly $2,900, which is more than most couples save by cutting flowers entirely.

74% of couples report going over budget (Zola survey, 2025 — sample size undisclosed). The most reliable protection is anchoring your total to guest count first and adding a 10–15% contingency buffer before allocating anything else.

How to use the result

Treat the output as your feasibility ceiling, not a quote. Get three venue+catering quotes for your real date and guest count; if their sum exceeds 55% of your total, either the total or the guest list has to move.

Save your inputs to your event — every other EventSays page (capacity, drinks, timeline) will reuse them.

Assumptions

  • Per-guest averages are all-in (venue, catering, photography, decor…), not catering-only.
  • Survey averages reflect 2025 weddings reported in 2026 studies.
  • Category shares are US-survey heuristics; UK venue+catering runs ~40–50% of budget.

What changes this answer

  • Your city is a high-cost market (US regional catering alone spans $62–$123/person).
  • You cut the guest list — guest count is the single biggest cost lever.
  • Off-peak dates or non-Saturday days change venue pricing.

Common questions

How much does a 100-guest wedding cost?

At 2026 survey averages: about $29,200 in the US ($292/guest, The Knot 2026) and £27,800 in the UK (£278/guest, Bridebook 2026). Actual quotes vary with city, date and format.

Is the average wedding cost the same as what I should budget?

No — averages are anchors. Your guest count times the per-guest average gives a realistic starting total; your quotes for venue and catering then confirm or correct it.

Sources

Last checked 2026-07-22. Tiers: 1 government/regulator · 2 industry body · 3 official supplier docs · 4 large surveys · 5 professional material.

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