How to budget a UK wedding: cost per guest, VAT and deposits

Most wedding budgets go wrong in the same three places: guest numbers creep up, quotes turn out to exclude VAT or service charges, and deposits and final balances land in the same few months. This guide gives you a simple method to avoid all three.

1. Start with a total you can actually pay

Work out what you can put in from savings, what you can save each month between now and the wedding, and any contributions family have firmly promised. Add those up and that is your budget. Do not start from what a "typical" wedding costs; averages hide huge regional and seasonal differences and include people spending far more or less than you.

Keep 5–10% back as a contingency. Something always costs more than expected, whether it is extra hours of staffing, a dress alteration or a late-night food add-on.

2. Turn the total into a cost per guest

Many of the biggest costs scale with guest numbers: catering, drinks, chairs and linen, stationery and favours, and often the size of venue you need. So divide what is left after fixed costs (photographer, outfits, rings, music) by your guest count. That figure, your cost per guest, is the most useful number in your budget.

It makes trade-offs concrete. If your cost per guest is £90, adding 10 evening-and-day guests is roughly a £900 decision, not a vague "a few more people". It also lets you compare venue packages quoted per head with venues that charge a hire fee plus separate catering.

Use the free wedding budget calculator to split your total across categories and see the cost per guest instantly.

3. Split the budget by category

Venue and catering usually take the largest share, often around half of the total once drinks are included. Photography and videography, outfits, flowers and decoration, entertainment, stationery and transport take most of the rest. Write down your top two or three priorities first and give them a bigger share; cut back on the items you will not remember.

4. Check every quote for VAT

VAT is the most common reason a wedding goes over budget. The standard rate in the UK is 20%, so a £5,000 quote "plus VAT" is really £6,000. Points to check:

• Is the price inclusive or exclusive of VAT? Ask in writing. Business-facing price lists often exclude it.
• Venue hire. Hire of land and buildings is often VAT-exempt, but a venue can opt to tax its property, in which case VAT is added. Catering, drinks and equipment hire are normally standard-rated.
• Small suppliers. A sole trader below the VAT registration threshold will not charge VAT, which is one reason their prices can look lower.
• Service charge. Many venues add 10–12.5% on food and drink. Find out whether it is calculated before or after VAT.

5. Compare venues on the full cost, not the headline price

A cheap hire fee can hide a high minimum spend, corkage of £10–£20 a bottle, compulsory in-house catering or charges for furniture and late finishes. Put every venue through the same list: hire fee, catering per head, drinks, minimum spend top-up, service charge, corkage, extras and VAT. Then compare the total and the cost per guest.

The venue hire cost comparison calculator does this for up to three venues side by side.

6. Plan deposits and final payments as a cash-flow schedule

Suppliers usually ask for a booking deposit, often 20–50% for venues and a fixed sum for photographers and bands, with the balance due a few weeks before the day. Venues commonly want final payment 4–8 weeks out. That means a large share of your total can fall due in the last two months.

• List each supplier with the deposit amount, the balance and the due date.
• Add up what is due each month and compare it with what you will have saved by then.
• Read the cancellation terms: deposits are often non-refundable, and some contracts make the full balance payable if you cancel late.
• Paying by credit card for amounts over £100 can give extra protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if you can clear the balance.

7. Track it as you go

A budget is only useful if you update it. Each time you book something, record the quoted price, what you have paid and what is still due. Re-check your cost per guest whenever the guest list changes.

Free tools: wedding budget calculator · venue hire cost comparison · wedding planning timeline

Written with AI assistance and checked against GOV.UK guidance. General information, not financial, tax or legal advice.