Wedding budget
The wedding budget starts with the guests.
Food, drinks and often accommodation are charged per person. Build the budget from the guest count and keep the estimate alongside the contracted price.
Simplified demo: Emily & James
Total with contingency$49,500
Per guest$635
- Per person $24,400
- Fixed costs $20,600
- Contingency 10 % $4,500
Each additional guest adds roughly $344.10, including contingency. The per-guest price falls as the guest count grows.
The starting figures are the estimate for Emily & James's wedding in Kruspin: $45,000 for 78 guests, not average prices. Replace the rates and amounts with your own quotes. Guest-count adjustments and the additional contingency are calculated only in this guide.
Per person
$24,400- $11,750
- $5,250
- $7,400
Fixed costs
$20,600Only this browser remembers the wedding date, completed tasks and your figures. Nothing is sent.
Next step · Venue directory
Venues by region and capacity; for documented weddings, also the coordinators who worked there.
Calculation
What the budget includes.
An average wedding cost from an article will not build your budget. Guest count, venue, season and what you arrange yourselves determine it.
Per person
Menus, drinks, cake, place cards, favors and often accommodation and transport. Each additional guest increases these costs.
Fixed costs
Venue, photography and video, music, flowers and coordination. They do not change with guest count, or only in steps: another server, a larger marquee or a second bus.
Contingency
A separate item for costs that arise during planning. A working rule is 10 to 15 percent, usually more for an outdoor wedding, a marquee or multiple days.
Položky, na které se zapomíná. Korkovné a servisní poplatky, přesčasy hudby a fotografa, doprava a ubytování dodavatelů, ochutnávka menu, tisk, technika, úklid, vratné kauce, spropitné. A formality: povolení obřadu mimo místo nebo čas určený obcí stojí 3 000 Kč, osvědčení k církevnímu sňatku 500 Kč (zákon č. 634/2004 Sb. (e-Sbírka, opens in a new window), sazebník, položka 12).
Rezervu veďte viditelně. Ne jako tiché zaokrouhlení ostatních položek nahoru. Když z ní během příprav čerpáte, víte, kolik ještě zbývá.
Položky, na které se zapomíná, Rezervu veďte viditelně
Položky, na které se zapomíná. Korkovné a servisní poplatky, přesčasy hudby a fotografa, doprava a ubytování dodavatelů, ochutnávka menu, tisk, technika, úklid, vratné kauce, spropitné. A formality: povolení obřadu mimo místo nebo čas určený obcí stojí 3 000 Kč, osvědčení k církevnímu sňatku 500 Kč (zákon č. 634/2004 Sb. (e-Sbírka, opens in a new window), sazebník, položka 12).
Rezervu veďte viditelně. Ne jako tiché zaokrouhlení ostatních položek nahoru. Když z ní během příprav čerpáte, víte, kolik ještě zbývá.
Steps
From the first estimate to the payment plan.
A budget is more than a spreadsheet at the start. It changes with every quote, contract and guest response.
Set a ceiling and three priorities
The ceiling is the amount you can actually spend, including contingency. Three priorities show where money should go first, such as food, photos and music. Use them to assess every quote and later change.
Estimate a guest range
Write down the lowest and highest counts. Calculate per-person items for both. If the upper estimate exceeds the ceiling, reduce the list or scope before signing anything.
Request quotes for the same brief
Give vendors the same date, venue, guest count and scope. Ask for the price including VAT, what is included and cancellation terms. Recalculate “from” prices for your guest count.
Record the contracted price beside the estimate
Enter the quoted or contracted price beside the item's estimate. Do not overwrite the estimate: the difference shows where costs are drifting and where there is room. The budget template has Estimate and Agreed price columns for this.
Record deposits and due dates
For each contract, record the deposit amount, balance due date and cancellation terms. Put due dates in the calendar. Balances can easily fall together in the final weeks, when you are also handling final counts.
Recalculate after the RSVP deadline
Once counts are final, recalculate per-person items and tell vendors. Only then do you know what the wedding will cost.
Settle up after the wedding
Overtime and actual drink consumption, returned security deposits and final invoices. Compare the result with the estimate; it will make your next budget more accurate.
Checking quotes
Where the budget drifts.
Review these four points in the quote before signing.
Price with or without VAT
Quotes for agencies and businesses in particular often exclude VAT. Always compare VAT-inclusive prices; that is what you eventually pay.
Price per person, and who counts
Does the price apply to children and vendors eating with you? Does it include a drinks package, or are drinks charged by consumption? The same per-person price can produce very different totals.
Minimum spend and corkage
Some venues require a minimum spend or guest count; others charge for your own wine, cake or vendors. Find out before ordering your own drinks.
Cancellation and refundable deposits
What happens to the deposit if the date moves or the guest count falls? Until when can meal numbers be reduced without a charge? These terms belong in the budget just as much as the price.
Budget in the Kruspin app
Estimates, actual costs and payments.
The Kruspin budget uses the vendors, food, drinks and decorations you manage in the wedding. Keep the estimate separately so you can see where actual costs differ.
Total, paid, remaining
At the top, see the category total, how much is paid, how much remains and payment progress.
Budget estimate
Assign vendors and other costs to an estimate category. See current costs beside the estimate for each category and in total. Payments and candidate quotes do not change the estimate.
Payment plan
Deposits and balances with due dates, linked to a vendor or item. Overdue payments appear first in the plan.
The client can view, but not edit
A client with wedding access can see items, prices and payments. They cannot edit them.
What you will find in the app
Total, paid, remaining
At the top, see the category total, how much is paid, how much remains and payment progress.
Budget estimate
Assign vendors and other costs to an estimate category. See current costs beside the estimate for each category and in total. Payments and candidate quotes do not change the estimate.
Payment plan
Deposits and balances with due dates, linked to a vendor or item. Overdue payments appear first in the plan.
The client can view, but not edit
A client with wedding access can see items, prices and payments. They cannot edit them.
Continue planning
Choose the venue using the guest count.
Wedding venues
Venues by region and capacity; for documented weddings, also the coordinators who worked there.
Wedding planning checklistWhat to book straight after the venue and what can wait, by months before the wedding.
Planning your own wedding? Your coordinator or wedding venue invites you to the app.
Managing wedding budgets for clients? Kruspin for wedding coordinators
Frequently asked questions
Wedding budgets in practice.
Did not find an answer? Write to us through the page support.
What if the guest count changes after signing the contract?
Check the contract for the deadline to reduce meal numbers without a charge. Report the change in writing and update the budget immediately, so it does not surprise you at the balance payment.