A workable total for a 150-guest wedding is around $24,000 — above roughly 120 guests, venues jump into banquet-hall tiers: catering per head drops slightly, but volume pushes the total up.
Published 2026-11-12. Totals are planning midpoints drawn from our budget calculator's category shares, not vendor quotes; treat every line as adjustable.
| Category | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Venue & catering | 35% | $8,400 |
| Photography & videography | 10% | $2,400 |
| Attire (dress, suit, alterations) | 7% | $1,680 |
| Flowers & décor | 7% | $1,680 |
| Music & entertainment | 5% | $1,200 |
| Wedding planner / coordinator | 5% | $1,200 |
| Rings | 4% | $960 |
| Stationery (invites, menus, signage) | 3% | $720 |
| Hair & makeup | 2% | $480 |
| Transportation | 2% | $480 |
| Cake & desserts | 2% | $480 |
| Officiant & license | 1% | $240 |
| Favors & gifts | 1% | $240 |
| Contingency (10–15% recommended) | 10% | $2,400 |
| Everything else (rehearsal dinner, tips, hotel…) | 6% | $1,440 |
| Total — 150 guests | $24,000 |
Volume. Per-head catering cost falls slightly at this size, but 150 plates set the floor for the whole budget, and staffing and rentals start showing up as their own line items rather than being bundled into the venue.
The per-head costs (catering, stationery, favors) are the lines people under-plan, because each one looks small until it's multiplied by 150. Price your venue and your photographer first — they're the two biggest checks — then multiply the per-head lines honestly, then add the full contingency. If that sequence exceeds your total, cut guests before you cut the contingency.
Free route: this table is the whole answer if you just want to plan. Take the numbers into any spreadsheet — ours, The Knot's free planner, or a blank one. The free budget calculator generates this split for any total you type.
Guest list, RSVPs, seating and budget in one file — the counts update themselves as RSVPs land.
Part of the free vs paid spreadsheet comparison and the budget calculator.