Wedding budget template (free spreadsheet with vendor quote tracker)

Short answer

Set your total first, decide your guest count, then give every vendor category a line with its quote, deposit, balance and due date. Keep a contingency line you don't spend. The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study puts the US average at about $34,000 for 117 guests and 13 vendors — useful context, not a target.

Most wedding budgets don't fail on the big number. They fail on the lines nobody wrote down: service charges, overtime, delivery and setup fees, vendor tips, postage, and balances that all fall due in the same final month.

This template gives each vendor its own row with room for two quotes, so you compare like with like before you sign. Download it as a spreadsheet (opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers), print it, or copy the plain-text version into your notes app.

The template

Edit right in the box — replace anything in [brackets] — then copy, email or print.

WEDDING BUDGET — [Couple names] — [Wedding date]
Total budget: $[amount]   Guest count range: [min]–[max]
Contributors: [name: $amount], [name: $amount]

Category  |  Budget  |  Quote A  |  Quote B  |  Deposit  |  Balance due date
Venue / ceremony site  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Catering & bar  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Photography  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Videography  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Music (band / DJ)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Florals & decor  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Attire & alterations  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Hair & makeup  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Officiant & licence  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Cake / desserts  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Invitations & stationery  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Rings  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Planner / coordinator  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Transportation  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Rentals (tables, linens, tent)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Favours & gifts  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Vendor tips  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Contingency (buffer)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
TOTAL  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____

Before signing any vendor contract, confirm in writing:
- Exactly what is included (hours, items, delivery, setup, teardown)
- Service charge, gratuity and tax — are they in the quoted price?
- Overtime rate and minimums
- Deposit amount, refund and cancellation/rescheduling terms
- Final balance due date and accepted payment methods

WEDDING BUDGET — [Couple names] — [Wedding date]
Total budget: $[amount]   Guest count range: [min]–[max]
Contributors: [name: $amount], [name: $amount]

Category  |  Budget  |  Quote A  |  Quote B  |  Deposit  |  Balance due date
Venue / ceremony site  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Catering & bar  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Photography  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Videography  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Music (band / DJ)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Florals & decor  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Attire & alterations  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Hair & makeup  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Officiant & licence  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Cake / desserts  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Invitations & stationery  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Rings  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Planner / coordinator  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Transportation  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Rentals (tables, linens, tent)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Favours & gifts  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Vendor tips  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
Contingency (buffer)  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____
TOTAL  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____  |  ____

Before signing any vendor contract, confirm in writing:
- Exactly what is included (hours, items, delivery, setup, teardown)
- Service charge, gratuity and tax — are they in the quoted price?
- Overtime rate and minimums
- Deposit amount, refund and cancellation/rescheduling terms
- Final balance due date and accepted payment methods

Educational template from whatsnormal.app — not legal, financial or tax advice. Adapt to your local law.

How to fill it in

1
Agree the total and who is paying
Write down the maximum you will spend and every contributor's amount before you look at venues. Everything else is allocated from this number.
2
Fix a guest-count range
Catering, bar, rentals, stationery and often venue size scale with headcount, so a range (for example 90–110) lets you price realistically.
3
Get two written quotes per major vendor
Enter both in Quote A and Quote B. In Notes, record what is included — hours, delivery, service charge, tax and gratuity — so the numbers are comparable.
4
Record deposits, balances and due dates
Your cash-flow problem is usually timing, not total. Sort by due date to see which month carries the most payments.
5
Protect the contingency line
Treat it as spent. Only release it for genuine surprises, not upgrades.

Lines couples most often forget

Venue or caterer service charges — these are often not the same thing as a tip; ask what the charge covers.
Per-person prices multiplied by the final count, plus vendor meals for photographers, band and planner.
Overtime if the reception runs late, and minimum-hour bookings.
Delivery, setup and teardown for florals and rentals.
Alterations, postage, marriage licence fees and vendor tips.

Got a quote or bill to check?

Upload a photo or PDF and get a plain-English read on whether the price looks normal and what to ask next.

Check your bill or quote

Common questions

What is the average cost of a wedding?

The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study, based on more than 10,000 US couples married in 2025, reports an average spend of about $34,000, 117 guests and 13 vendors. Your location, guest count and priorities can move your number far above or below that.

How much should I put in the contingency line?

There is no official rule. Pick an amount you can afford to leave unspent, and decide in advance that upgrades don't come out of it.

Can I use this in Google Sheets?

Yes. Download the spreadsheet file and open it with Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers. Add totals with a SUM formula in the TOTAL row.

How do I compare two vendor quotes fairly?

Write down what each one includes — hours, items, service charge, tax and gratuity — in the Notes column. A lower price that leaves out the service charge or setup is not cheaper.

Keep reading

Is it normal to pay the full amount before work is completed?

Why full prepayment hands over your leverage, and what a normal payment schedule looks like.

Before you pay: 10 things to check on a large bill

Ten minutes, ten checks, any large bill. The umbrella checklist for everything else here.

Sources

The Knot Worldwide: 2026 Real Weddings Study press release — US average spend ($34,000), guest count (117) and number of vendors (13) for 2025 weddings.
The Knot: Real Weddings Study data read-out (2026) — Survey scope and methodology for couples married in 2025.
The Knot: Average wedding guest list size — Average guest count and factors that change it, including location and budget.

Last reviewed October 2026.