How much does a wedding cost per guest?

The per-guest cost is the variable spend (catering, drinks, favours and the seat) divided across your guests, on top of fixed costs like the dress, photographer and venue hire. Cutting the guest list is one of the most effective ways to reduce a wedding budget.

Why does the guest list drive the cost?

Many of the biggest wedding costs scale with numbers: food, drinks, tables, chairs and sometimes the venue. Each extra guest adds the per-head cost, so a larger list quickly lifts the total.

How can I cut the cost?

Trimming the guest list, choosing a simpler menu, and limiting the bar all reduce the variable per-guest spend. The fixed costs stay the same, so a smaller, simpler celebration is the surest way to save.

Wedding Guest Cost Calculator

This New Zealand calculator works out the per-guest cost of your wedding and how the guest list drives the total. Many of the biggest costs (catering, drinks, the seat) scale with numbers, so trimming the list is one of the most effective ways to cut the budget. You enter the per-head spend and your fixed costs, and the tool shows the total, the cost per guest, and what each extra guest adds.

Number of guests

Catering per head

Drinks per head

Other per head (favours, seat)

Fixed costs (dress, venue, photos)

total wedding cost

Cost per guest$0

Each extra guest adds$0

The per-head costs scale with the guest list; the fixed costs do not. Cutting the list saves the per-head amount per guest removed. Estimate only.

How it works

The calculator adds the per-head costs (catering, drinks and other) and multiplies them by your guest count for the variable spend, then adds your fixed costs for the total. It divides the total by the guests for the cost per guest, and shows what one more guest adds, which is just the per-head amount. This makes clear why the guest list is the biggest lever on a wedding budget.

Worked example

At $90 catering, $40 drinks and $20 other (so $150 a head) for 90 guests, the variable spend is $13,500. With $18,000 of fixed costs, the total is $31,500, about $350 a guest, and each extra guest adds $150.

Related calculators

Wedding Budget Calculator: full wedding budget.
Honeymoon Budget Calculator: honeymoon budget.
Wedding vs House Deposit Calculator: the trade-off.
Engagement Ring Budget Calculator: ring budget.

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