Tools

What does a guest really cost you?

Cost per guest is your budget divided by your guest count. But cutting 10 guests does NOT save you 10 times that: the venue, the photographer and the dress cost the same at 90 people as at 100. This calculator tells the two apart.

Catering, drinks, invitations and place settings grow with every guest. The venue, the photographer, the dress and the flowers do not. Adjust it to YOUR budget, we won't invent a figure for you.

Enter your budget and your guest count.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate a wedding's cost per guest?

Divide your total budget by your guest count. It's a useful average for comparison, but it misleads you if you use it to decide who to cut: a large part of the budget doesn't depend on the guest count at all.

Does cutting 10 guests save 10 times the cost per guest?

No. Only the variable costs, catering, drinks, invitations, place settings, fall when the list shortens. The venue hire, the photographer, the dress and the flowers stay the same. The real saving is calculated on the variable share of your budget only.

Why do you have to enter the variable share yourself?

Because the split depends on your wedding. A wedding with high-end catering and little decoration has a different variable share than a community-hall wedding with a renowned photographer. We'd rather ask you than invent a percentage.