Event and wedding budget planner template

	A	B	C
1	Event budget summary
2	Example data — replace the blue input cells with your own.
3
4	Event details
5	Event	Example wedding reception
6	Event date	Jun 12, 2027
7	Expected guests	120	Per-guest lines on the Budget tab use this number
8	Contingency (percent of estimated costs)	10%
9	Payments status as of	Oct 8, 2026	Payments due before this date and still unpaid are marked Overdue
10
11	Budget totals (USD)
12	Estimated costs	$26,625	Budget tab, before contingency
13	Contingency	$2,663
14	Total budget, including contingency	$29,288
15	Committed costs (actual where entered, otherwise estimate)	$26,385
16	Paid to date	$4,100	From the Payments tab

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J
1	Event budget by category
2	Per-guest lines multiply the unit cost by the expected guests on the Summary tab. Fixed lines use the quantity you enter.
3
4	Category	Driver	Unit cost	Quantity (fixed lines)	Estimated	Actual	Committed	Paid to date	Balance to pay	Notes
5	Venue	Fixed	$4,500	1	$4,500	$4,500	$4,500	$1,500	$3,000	Deposit and balance are on the Payments tab
6	Catering	Per guest	$68		$8,160	$7,920	$7,920	$2,000	$5,920	Signed contract is lower than the estimate
7	Bar and drinks	Per guest	$32		$3,840		$3,840	$0	$3,840	Estimate until a quote arrives
8	Cake	Fixed	$420	1	$420		$420	$0	$420
9	Music and DJ	Fixed	$1,600	1	$1,600		$1,600	$0	$1,600
10	Photography	Fixed	$2,400	1	$2,400	$2,400	$2,400	$600	$1,800
11	Flowers and decor	Fixed	$1,250	1	$1,250		$1,250	$0	$1,250	Quote pending
12	Rentals (tables, chairs, linens)	Per guest	$11		$1,320		$1,320	$0	$1,320
13	Invitations and stationery	Per guest	$4.50		$540		$540	$0	$540
14	Attire and beauty	Fixed	$1,100	1	$1,100		$1,100	$0	$1,100
15	Transportation	Fixed	$350	1	$350		$350	$0	$350
16	Officiant and permits	Fixed	$425	1	$425		$425	$0	$425

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
1	Payments and deposits
2	Scheduled payments to vendors. Category must match a category on the Budget tab so that paid amounts flow back to it.
3
4	Payee	Category	Type	Due date	Amount due	Paid to date	Outstanding	Status
5	Example venue	Venue	Deposit	Nov 15, 2026	$1,500	$1,500	$0	Paid
6	Example venue	Venue	Balance	May 15, 2027	$3,000	$0	$3,000	Scheduled
7	Example caterer	Catering	Deposit	Dec 1, 2026	$2,000	$2,000	$0	Paid
8	Example caterer	Catering	Balance	May 29, 2027	$5,920	$0	$5,920	Scheduled
9	Example photographer	Photography	Deposit	Oct 1, 2026	$600	$600	$0	Paid
10	Example photographer	Photography	Balance	Jun 1, 2027	$1,800	$0	$1,800	Scheduled
11	Example florist	Flowers and decor	Deposit	Sep 30, 2026	$400	$0	$400	Overdue
12	Example florist	Flowers and decor	Balance	Jun 5, 2027	$850	$0	$850	Scheduled
13	Example band	Music and DJ	Deposit	Feb 1, 2027	$800	$0	$800	Scheduled
14
15
16

	A
1	Event and wedding budget planner
2	Notes: what this workbook does, how to use it and the method behind it.
3
4	What it does
5	Plans the cost of an event such as a wedding, party or conference. Costs are estimated per guest or as fixed amounts, then tracked against actual quotes, payments and a contingency.
6
7	How to use it
8	1. On the Summary tab, enter the event name, date, expected guest count, contingency percentage and the date for payment status.
9	2. On the Budget tab, set each line's driver to Per guest or Fixed. Enter the unit cost, and the quantity for Fixed lines. Type the actual amount once a quote or contract is signed.
10	3. On the Payments tab, list each deposit and balance with its category, due date, amount due and amount paid so far.
11	4. Read the total budget, committed costs, balance still to pay and the overdue count on the Summary tab.
12
13	Formulas and method
14	Estimated = unit cost × guests for Per guest lines, or unit cost × quantity for Fixed lines.
15	Committed = actual if entered, otherwise estimated. Balance to pay = committed − paid to date.
16	Paid to date on the Budget tab = SUMIF of amounts paid on the Payments tab for the same category.

What does this template do?

A budget planner for an event such as a wedding, party or conference. Each cost line is either a per-guest cost, multiplied by the expected guest count, or a fixed cost with a quantity. The Budget tab shows the estimate for each line, the actual amount once a quote is signed, the committed amount, what has been paid and the balance to pay.

The Payments tab lists deposits and balances with due dates. It flags unpaid payments that are past due on a status date you set, and it sends the paid-to-date figure back to each category. The Summary tab adds a contingency percentage to the estimate and shows the total budget, the headroom and the cost per guest.

The example is a fictional reception for 120 guests with a set of vendors and amounts. Vendor names are invented, and the prices are illustrative rather than quotes.

What’s inside

Per-guest and fixed drivers, with the guest count set once on the Summary tab
Estimated, actual and committed amounts for each line
Deposits and balances with due dates and an overdue flag
Paid-to-date figures pulled from the Payments tab with SUMIF
Contingency as a percentage, with headroom and cost per guest

Which tabs does the workbook have?

Tab	What it holds
Summary	Event details, contingency, total budget, committed costs, balance to pay and payment status.
Budget	Each cost line with its driver, unit cost, estimate, actual, committed, paid and balance.
Payments	Deposits and balances with category, due date, amount due, amount paid and status.
Notes	Purpose, steps, formulas used, assumptions and limits.

What formulas does this template use?

This template holds 144 formulas in 339 cells across 4 tabs, so 42% of its cells calculate. They use 5 distinct functions; the longest formula is 133 characters and 70 of them read from another tab.

Function	Uses	What it does
`IF`	224	one result when a test is true, another when false
`SUMIF`	21	adds values meeting one condition
`SUM`	9	adds numbers
`ABS`	1	absolute value
`COUNTIF`	1	counts cells meeting one condition

Counted from the workbook itself. Only functions that Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets and Apple Numbers evaluate the same way are used, so the formulas survive every download format.

How do you use it?

On the Summary tab, enter the event name, date, expected guests, contingency percentage and the status date.
On the Budget tab, choose Per guest or Fixed for each line and enter its unit cost. Enter the quantity for fixed lines.
Type the actual amount on the Budget tab when a quote or contract is signed.
List each deposit and balance on the Payments tab, with its category, due date and amount.
Read the total budget, balance to pay and overdue count on the Summary tab.

What is it good for?

Planning a wedding budget with a guest-count driver
Tracking vendor deposits and balances against due dates
Checking whether committed costs fit the budget with contingency
Comparing cost per guest between two venues

Questions about this sheet

How does the guest count change the budget?

Every Per guest line multiplies its unit cost by the guest count on the Summary tab, so one change updates all of them.

What is a committed cost?

It is the actual amount once you have entered one, and the estimate until then. It is the most current view of what the event will cost.

How is a payment marked overdue?

A payment is overdue when its due date is before the status date on the Summary tab and some of it is still unpaid.

Does the planner include tax and tips?

Not unless you add them as lines. Vendor taxes, service charges and gratuities are not added automatically.