Budget & planning
Wedding budget breakdown.
Enter your total budget and split it across venue, catering, photography, flowers, music and more — by percentage, with each amount worked out for you. Free, with no signup.
Allocation
A number, divided up.
Knowing your total is the easy part — the hard part is deciding how much of it goes to the venue, how much to the photographer, and what is left for flowers, music and the hundred smaller things. A percentage-based breakdown turns one big, abstract number into a clear plan you can actually spend against.
Start from the recommended split — venue and catering carry the largest share, with photography, attire and flowers behind them — then drag the percentages around to suit your priorities. If music matters more than favours, give it more; if you are skipping a planner, redistribute that slice. The running allocated indicator keeps you honest, flagging when your categories add up to over or under 100% so nothing is double-counted or left unassigned. When the split feels right, download the PDF breakdown to share with your partner, your family or a planner — and track every real cost against it inside My Wedding Planner.
Questions
Budget questions.
How should I split my wedding budget?
A common starting point is to put around 40% toward the venue and catering — usually the single largest line — then roughly 12% on photography and video, 8% each on attire and flowers, 7% on music, and smaller slices for the planner, stationery, cake, transport, rings, favours and a contingency buffer. The tool above starts from those recommended percentages, and you can adjust every category to fit your own priorities.
What is the difference between this and a wedding cost calculator?
A cost calculator estimates a likely total from your guest count, location and style — it tells you roughly how much a wedding might cost. This budget breakdown does the opposite: you already have a total in mind, and it splits that fixed number across categories by percentage so you know how much to spend on each. Many couples use the cost calculator first to set a number, then this tool to allocate it.
How much of the budget should go to the venue and food?
Venue, catering and bar usually take the biggest share — often 40% to 50% combined — because they scale with your guest count. If that slice feels too large, the most effective lever is the headcount: a shorter guest list frees up budget for everything else. Adjust the venue percentage in the tool and watch the other amounts update.
Do the percentages have to add up to 100%?
They do not have to, but it helps. The tool shows a running allocated indicator and warns you when your categories add up to more or less than 100%, so you can see at a glance whether you have over-committed or still have budget left to assign. Aim for a balanced 100% before you lock the plan in.
Is the wedding budget breakdown tool free?
Yes — it is free with no signup, part of a set of free wedding planning tools. Everything runs in your browser, and you can download a PDF breakdown to share with your partner or planner.
Plan the whole wedding
One free tool here. The whole celebration inside.
Budget, guest list, RSVPs, seating, timeline and your wedding website — every feature free, kept in one calm place.
Free to start · no card required