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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 % €
Continue this budget in HeyBride

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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 youRaise it toTake it from
Food and drinks35 to 40 %decoration, stationery, favours
Photography and video15 to 18 %flowers, cake, venue category
A venue with a wow factor40 to 45 %guest count, music, outfits
Music and atmosphere10 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.

TimingWhat falls dueShare of budget
12 to 18 months beforedeposits for venue and photographerabout 15 to 20 %
9 to 6 months beforedeposits for catering, music, celebrantabout 10 %
4 to 2 months beforeoutfits, rings, stationeryabout 20 %
4 to 2 weeks beforefinal payments to nearly every supplierabout 45 to 50 %
on the daytips, cash paymentsabout 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.

From experience

Four cost traps that catch almost everyone.

01

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.

02

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.

03

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.

04

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.

Honest numbers: what a wedding really costs
Common questions

Questions about the wedding budget

01How much budget do you need for a wedding?
In Germany the average sits at around €17,000, with a range from €5,000 to well over €50,000. As a rule of thumb, count on €150 to €350 per guest depending on how lavish your celebration is: for 75 guests that lands between €11,000 and €26,000. The per-guest figure is the more reliable one, because your budget depends far more on guest count than on style. Add 5 to 10 percent as a buffer and treat it as already spent from day one.
02How should you split a wedding budget?
A split that works: 30 percent venue, 25 percent catering and drinks, 10 percent photography, 7 percent flowers and décor, 5 percent each for music, outfits and buffer, 3 percent each for cake and rings, 2 percent each for stationery, transport and guest favours, and 1 percent for registry office fees. Venue and catering together eat up well over half. Use the percentages as a starting point and shift them deliberately: if you want a band instead of a DJ, the difference usually comes back out of décor and stationery. In the app this split comes pre-filled and adapts to your guest count.
03How big should the buffer be?
5 to 10 percent of your total budget, and treat it as already committed rather than as a reserve. On a €20,000 budget that is €1,000 to €2,000. It gets used almost every time, usually in the last six weeks: extra décor, tips, overnight stays, transport, dress alterations, one more guest at the table. If something is left over at the end, it is a gift to yourselves.
04Is the wedding budget calculator free?
Yes, completely, and with no sign-up. No email address and no payment details. Your figures stay in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers, so you can play with the numbers freely. Save or print the result as a PDF whenever you like. If you then want to carry the budget forward and connect it to quotes, deposits and deadlines, that happens in the app.
05Where do you save the most on a wedding?
On the guest count. Catering, drinks, stationery, favours and seats all scale linearly with every guest, so ten guests fewer usually saves more than any negotiation with a single vendor. The second biggest lever is the date: a weekday or off-season celebration outside the May to September peak often cuts the venue price by 20 to 30 percent. After that come a flat drinks rate instead of per-item billing, seasonal flowers instead of imports, and a DJ instead of a band. Saving on photography is the one most couples regret afterwards.
06Who pays for the wedding?
Most often the couple themselves, frequently with a contribution from parents or grandparents. Clarify early and precisely whether a contribution is earmarked: “we will cover the venue” and “we will add 5,000 euros” are two very different promises, because the first grows with the price and the second does not. Put commitments in writing, even if only as a note, so nobody remembers it differently later. And do not count cash gifts as budget, they only arrive after the celebration while the invoices fall due before it.
07When do wedding costs fall due?
Deposits for venue and photographer usually 12 to 18 months ahead, together about 15 to 20 percent of the budget. The bulk, roughly half, falls due four to two weeks before the wedding, mostly based on your final headcount. Which makes the most expensive month the one before the wedding, not the month of it. Set money aside accordingly and log every payment deadline the moment you sign a contract. In HeyBride, Miri reminds you of deposits and balances in good time.
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