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 calculator works out what your wedding really costs per guest, and shows how much your guest list drives the final bill. Many of the biggest wedding expenses, including catering, drinks and small extras like favours, scale directly with numbers, so a longer guest list can quietly blow out a budget more than a fancier venue or dress ever would. You enter the number of guests, the catering cost per head, the drinks cost per head, other per-head costs such as favours or the seat, and your fixed costs, things like the dress, venue hire and photography, that stay the same no matter how many people attend. The calculator multiplies the per-head spend across your guest list, adds your fixed costs, and returns the total wedding cost, the cost per guest, and what each extra guest adds to the bill. This last figure is the one most couples underestimate: it shows in hard numbers why trimming names off the list can save more than negotiating with every supplier combined. Use it while finalising numbers, testing a few guest-list scenarios side by side to see whether catering, drinks or headcount moves the total the most. It is a planning estimate built from the figures you provide, so actual costs depend on your suppliers, region and choices; treat the outputs as a guide to shape decisions, not a fixed quote.

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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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