How to Make a Wedding Budget (With a Free Template)

That's the whole method. Below is each step, a worked example for 80 guests and a template to copy.

Step 1: Set the total

Work out the total from what you have, not from what weddings cost. Add up:

• Savings you already have set aside for the wedding.
• What you can save before the day. Monthly amount × months until the final balances are due (usually a few weeks before the wedding, not the day itself).
• Family contributions. Easy Weddings' 2026 survey found 69% of Australian couples get money from family (source, last checked 22 October 2026). Get a dollar figure, and ask whether it comes with expectations: a say in the guest list, a particular church, a seat for an uncle.

Don't count wishing well money. It arrives after the bills are due and you can't predict it.

Couples in that same survey spent about 23% more than they first planned, so if your number is firm, plan to spend a bit less than it.

For what each category costs in Australia right now, see our guide to the average wedding cost in Australia.

Step 2: Do the per-head maths

Guest numbers drive more of the cost than anything else, so test your total against them before you book a venue.

Split your costs into two kinds:

• Fixed costs don't change with guest numbers: celebrant, photographer, your outfits, hair and makeup, rings, music, transport for the two of you.
• Per-head costs go up with every guest: food, drinks, chairs and tables, cake slices, favours, invitations and stationery.

Then:

(Total budget − fixed costs) ÷ guests = what you can spend per head on venue, food and drinks

Compare that with real quotes. Easy Weddings suggests allowing about $170–220 per guest for venue and catering together, and $250–300 at higher-end venues (source, last checked 22 October 2026). If your per-head figure is under that, you either raise the total, trim fixed costs or cut the guest list. Cutting guests usually goes furthest.

Step 3: Split it by category

Want the numbers worked out for you? Our free wedding budget calculator applies this split to your total and guest count as you type.

A starting split for an Australian wedding. Move money between lines to suit what you care about, but keep the total at 100%.

Category	Share	Notes
Venue, catering and drinks	45%	The biggest line at almost every wedding
Photography and video	12%	Drop to 8% without a videographer
Flowers, styling and hire	10%	Higher if the venue is a blank space or a marquee
Outfits, hair and makeup	9%	Both of you, plus anything you're covering for the wedding party
Music and entertainment	6%	DJ, band, ceremony musician
Cake, stationery and favours	4%	Online invitations bring this down
Celebrant and ceremony	3%	Celebrant fee, ceremony venue or permit
Transport	3%	Cars, guest shuttle
Wedding bands	3%	Rings vary a lot; adjust to your real quote
Buffer	5%	For the surprises. Don't spend it early

Easy Weddings' survey found venues take about 46% of the average couple's spend, which is why the first line is so large.

Step 4: List deposits and due dates

A budget tells you how much. A payment schedule tells you when, and that's what catches couples out. Most suppliers take a deposit to hold your date and the balance before the wedding. The deposit amount, when the balance is due and what happens if you cancel or postpone are all set by each supplier's contract.

For every booking, write down:

1. The deposit, and whether it's refundable.
2. The balance and its due date. Venues and caterers often want it, along with final numbers, a few weeks before the day.
3. Extras that turn up late: public holiday or Sunday surcharges, card fees, cake-cutting fees, setup and pack-down, travel fees for regional weddings, overtime if the night runs long.
4. Cancellation and postponement terms, including what happens in extreme weather. Read these before you sign.

Add up the deposits due in the next three months and the balances due in the final month. That second number is often the biggest single bill of the whole engagement.

Worked example: 80 guests, $35,000

Lauren and Josh are planning an autumn Saturday wedding in regional Victoria with 80 guests. They have $14,000 saved, can put away $1,500 a month for 12 months ($18,000), and Lauren's parents are giving $5,000. That's $37,000. They set the budget at $35,000 and leave $2,000 untouched for anything they've missed.

Per head: $35,000 ÷ 80 = $437.50 a guest, all in.

The split:

Category	Share	Amount
Venue, catering and drinks	45%	$15,750
Photography and video	12%	$4,200
Flowers, styling and hire	10%	$3,500
Outfits, hair and makeup	9%	$3,150
Music and entertainment	6%	$2,100
Cake, stationery and favours	4%	$1,400
Celebrant and ceremony	3%	$1,050
Transport	3%	$1,050
Wedding bands	3%	$1,050
Buffer	5%	$1,750
Total	100%	$35,000

The check: $15,750 ÷ 80 = about $197 a guest for venue, food and drinks. That sits inside the $170–220 range, so a mid-range venue with a drinks package is realistic. If they wanted a $260-a-head venue, they'd need about $5,000 more for that line, or about 50 guests instead of 80.

Their payment schedule (example terms only; every contract differs):

Supplier	Booked	Deposit	Balance	Balance due
Venue and catering	12 months out	$3,000	$12,750	With final numbers, 3 weeks out
Photographer	11 months out	$1,000	$3,200	4 weeks out
Celebrant	11 months out	$300	$750	2 weeks out
Band	9 months out	$500	$1,600	2 weeks out
Florist and styling	7 months out	$700	$2,800	4 weeks out

Deposits come to $5,500, spread between 12 and 7 months out. In the last month, balances on just these five come to $21,100. Knowing that, Lauren and Josh keep their savings in an account they don't touch until the final month.

Your budget template

Copy this into a spreadsheet or your notes app. Fill in the share column first, then replace the budget figures with quotes as they come in.

Category	Share	Budget	Quote	Deposit	Deposit paid	Balance	Balance due	Paid
Venue, catering and drinks	45%
Photography and video	12%
Flowers, styling and hire	10%
Outfits, hair and makeup	9%
Music and entertainment	6%
Cake, stationery and favours	4%
Celebrant and ceremony	3%
Transport	3%
Wedding bands	3%
Buffer	5%
Total	100%

Two columns worth adding: who's paying (you, parents, split) and notes for anything you've agreed verbally that isn't in the contract yet.

Common mistakes

• Booking the venue before the guest count. A room for 120 when you can afford 80 means paying for the minimum spend anyway.
• Forgetting the small per-head costs. Chair covers, cake-cutting fees, supplier meals for your photographer and band, and bomboniere all multiply.
• Spending the buffer in month two. Something always comes up in the last six weeks.
• Not reading the cancellation clause. Outdoor summer weddings in particular should know what happens on a total fire ban day or in a storm.
• Paying everything by card on the last day. Card surcharges add up on big balances. Ask how each supplier prefers to be paid.

Track it as you go

Once you start booking, the vendor tracker in Online Wedding Invitation keeps each supplier's cost, deposit and balance owing together, so you can see what's still to pay without opening five contracts. Pair it with the month-by-month checklist to know when each booking is due.

Start your free wedding budget

Quick questions

How do we start a wedding budget?

Add up what you have saved, what you can save before the balances are due and any family contributions. That total, not the national average, is your budget.

How much of the budget goes on the venue?

Plan on about 45% for venue and catering together. Easy Weddings found venues take about 46% of the average Australian couple's spend.

Should we count wishing well money?

No. It arrives after most bills are due and you can't predict it. Treat it as a bonus for after the wedding.