Wedding Budget Worksheet: Allocate by Percentage, Then Track Quotes
Start with percentages of a hard ceiling — not with vendor prices. Prices anchor you; percentages keep the whole day in proportion.
A workable starting allocation
Use these as a first pass for a US wedding of 80–150 guests, then adjust for your priorities. Every row is a share of the total ceiling including tax, gratuity and contingency.
| Category | Share | What is usually forgotten |
|---|---|---|
| Venue, rentals & catering | 40–45% | Service charge, cake cutting fee, chair/table upgrades |
| Photography & video | 10–12% | Overtime hours, engagement session, travel |
| Attire & beauty | 8–10% | Alterations, steaming, trial runs, accessory replacements |
| Florals & decor | 8–10% | Setup/strike labor, delivery, vases |
| Music & entertainment | 6–8% | Ceremony audio, power, meal breaks |
| Stationery & signage | 2–3% | Postage, return addressing, reprints |
| Officiant, license, rings | 2–3% | License fee, mileage, engraving |
| Transportation & lodging | 2–4% | Shuttle wait time, parking |
| Contingency | 8–10% | Not a slush fund — reserve for contract changes |
When one category goes over, another must go down in the same session. Never "absorb" an overage into the contingency line.
Columns your sheet actually needs
Category,Target %,Target $— formula:=TotalCeiling * Target%.Quote A / B / C— three comparable quotes per line item. Not one.Quoted subtotalandLanded total— landed adds tax, gratuity, delivery and overtime. Compare landed totals only.Deposit paid,Balance due,Due date— the cash-flow view. A $30k wedding with $18k due in one month is a liquidity problem, not a budgeting one.Variance—=Landed - Target$. Sort descending every Friday.
Five costs that break US budgets
- Service charge ≠ gratuity. Ask which is which, in writing, before signing.
- Sales tax on rentals and florals varies by state and sometimes by city.
- Vendor meals — often billed at full guest price for 8–15 crew members.
- Overtime — photographer, DJ and venue rates are usually per hour with a minimum.
- Postage — heavy or oversized invitations can double the assumed rate. Weigh a finished sample at the post office.
Free preview vs. the kit
This page gives you the allocation logic and column definitions. The $17 kit includes a Google Sheet with live formulas, conditional formatting on variance, three quote columns per row and a cash-flow tab. Download the free starter CSV to see the column structure.
Get the working budget sheet — $17
Percentages are planning heuristics, not industry averages. Adjust to your region and priorities.