A workable total for a 50-guest wedding is around $12,000 — past the restaurant-table stage, but not yet into banquet pricing.
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% | $4,200 |
| Photography & videography | 10% | $1,200 |
| Attire (dress, suit, alterations) | 7% | $840 |
| Flowers & décor | 7% | $840 |
| Music & entertainment | 5% | $600 |
| Wedding planner / coordinator | 5% | $600 |
| Rings | 4% | $480 |
| Stationery (invites, menus, signage) | 3% | $360 |
| Hair & makeup | 2% | $240 |
| Transportation | 2% | $240 |
| Cake & desserts | 2% | $240 |
| Officiant & license | 1% | $120 |
| Favors & gifts | 1% | $120 |
| Contingency (10–15% recommended) | 10% | $1,200 |
| Everything else (rehearsal dinner, tips, hotel…) | 6% | $720 |
| Total — 50 guests | $12,000 |
The venue minimum and catering per head. At 50 guests you can often book a restaurant's private room, which folds food, service and space into one number — convenient, and it hides the per-head cost inside it.
The per-head costs (catering, stationery, favors) are the lines people under-plan, because each one looks small until it's multiplied by 50. 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.