Wedding budget calculator.
Enter your budget and see straight away how it spreads across the 13 categories almost every wedding runs into. Adjust anything you like, and take it with you as a PDF.
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- Venue Rent, extras and often the staff too 30 % €
- Catering & drinks The line that grows with every single guest 25 % €
- Photography & video What stays with you the longest 10 % €
- Flowers & décor Seasonal flowers save real money here 7 % €
- Music & DJ A live band usually sits well above this 5 % €
- Outfits Dress, suit, shoes and alterations 5 % €
- Buffer Plan for it. You will need it. 5 % €
- Cake & sweets A candy bar usually comes on top 3 % €
- Rings Try them early, delivery times are long 3 % €
- Stationery Invitations, menus and signage 2 % €
- Transport A guest shuttle is the classic blind spot 2 % €
- Guest favours Small amounts that add up fast 2 % €
- Registry office & fees Varies a lot from town to town 1 % €
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What does a wedding cost?
A wedding in Germany costs around €17,000 on average. Honestly, that number only gets you so far, because the spread is enormous: we see celebrations at €5,000 and celebrations north of €50,000, and both can feel exactly right. What actually moves the number is almost always the same two things, your guest count and your venue.
As a rule of thumb, count on €150 to €350 per guest depending on how lavish you go. At 75 guests that puts you somewhere between €11,000 and €26,000. The calculator above starts from precisely that maths and then spreads it across the categories.
Regional differences are real. In Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt, venues and catering sit noticeably above the national average, and in rural areas below it. If you have any flexibility: a weekday wedding, or one outside the May-to-September high season, often cuts the venue price by 20 to 30 percent.
Do not fixate on a single number. Set percentages, plan a buffer, and check after every booking whether it still adds up.
How to split the budget sensibly
The percentages in the calculator are a starting point, not a law. They reflect how an average couple in Germany divides things up. Yours may differ, as long as you know where the money is coming from.
| If this matters to you | Raise it to | Take it from |
|---|---|---|
| Food and drinks | 35 to 40 % | decoration, stationery, favours |
| Photography and video | 15 to 18 % | flowers, cake, venue category |
| A venue with a wow factor | 40 to 45 % | guest count, music, outfits |
| Music and atmosphere | 10 to 12 % | decoration, stationery |
Only one rule matters: if one category goes up, another has to come down. A budget where every category is generous is not a budget, it is a wish list.
When each payment falls due
For a savings plan, timing often matters more than the total. Almost all deposits land very early, the bulk shortly before the wedding.
| Timing | What falls due | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 18 months before | deposits for venue and photographer | about 15 to 20 % |
| 9 to 6 months before | deposits for catering, music, celebrant | about 10 % |
| 4 to 2 months before | outfits, rings, stationery | about 20 % |
| 4 to 2 weeks before | final payments to nearly every supplier | about 45 to 50 % |
| on the day | tips, cash payments | about 3 to 5 % |
Which means the most expensive month is not the month of the wedding, it is the one before. If you are saving monthly, know this before you pay the first deposit.
What the calculator does not cover
Deliberately excluded: honeymoon and engagement ring. Studies count them sometimes and sometimes not, and both follow their own logic. The honeymoon comes afterwards and can be saved for separately; the engagement ring comes before and is usually paid off by the time planning starts.
Also not included: what it costs your guests. Travel, accommodation, a gift and often an outfit add up to €150 to €400 per guest. That is not your budget, but it is a good reason to think about it when choosing a date and recommending places to stay.
Four cost traps that catch almost everyone.
Drinks are often billed separately
Plenty of venues quote food and drinks apart. Always ask for a per-person rate that includes drinks, otherwise your catering line will quietly climb by the time you get the final bill.
Guest count is the biggest lever
Catering, stationery, favours, seats: all of it scales with every guest. Ten guests fewer typically saves more than any negotiation with a single vendor ever will.
A deposit is not a price
Photographers, venues and bands ask for deposits at wildly different moments. Plan not only what things cost, but when the money is actually due.
The buffer is not a rainy-day fund
Budget 5 to 10 percent as a buffer and treat it as already spent. Nearly every couple ends up needing it, usually in the final six weeks.
Questions about the wedding budget
01How much budget do you need for a wedding?
02How should you split a wedding budget?
03How big should the buffer be?
04Is the wedding budget calculator free?
05Where do you save the most on a wedding?
06Who pays for the wedding?
07When do wedding costs fall due?
Deeper reading
Hand-picked articles from the journal — for everyone who wants to dive into a single phase.
Budget What does a wedding cost in Germany? Honest numbers for 2027
€17,000 on average, but that’s only the start. Every German wedding cost by line item, guest count and region, plus what actually saves money.
Budget Splitting your wedding budget: how to allocate money across the right categories
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Planning DJ or band for your wedding? The honest comparison
DJ or live band for the wedding reception? Pros and cons, costs and how to make the right call for your celebration.
Inspiration A sustainable wedding: going green without giving anything up
How a sustainable wedding works, concrete tips on catering, flowers, décor, outfits and travel, without it feeling like sacrifice.
A budget that stays current.
In HeyBride your budget stays connected to your guest list and your vendors. Book the venue, and the budget follows along.
Miri can hardly wait
