Free Excel template · Excel for event planning
Free Excel wedding budget template
For couples (and the parents or planners helping them) who want one sheet that answers "can we afford this?" at every step. Set a budget for each category, enter quotes as they arrive and the deposits you pay; the template shows where each quote lands against the budget, what is still owed, when each balance is due, the cost per guest and the planned total with quotes you have not received yet filled in from your budget.
Preview and try it
This is the template's sheet, calculated by the same engine as the Cellwise app. Change any number to see the formulas react before you download.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wedding budget | ||||||||
| 2 | Wedding date | Jan 16, 2027 | |||||||
| 3 | Total budget | 30000 | |||||||
| 4 | Expected guests | 120 | |||||||
| 5 | Today's date | Nov 2, 2026 | |||||||
| 6 | |||||||||
| 7 | Category | Budget | Quote | Under (+) / over (-) | Deposit paid | Balance | Due (days before) | Balance due date | Status |
| 8 | Venue | 8500 | 9500 | -1000 | 3000 | 6500 | 60 | 46343 | Pay soon |
| 9 | Catering | 9600 | 10200 | -600 | 2000 | 8200 | 30 | 46373 | Scheduled |
| 10 | Photography | 3200 | 2950 | 250 | 1000 | 1950 | 14 | 46389 | Scheduled |
| 11 | Flowers | 2000 | 2400 | -400 | 500 | 1900 | 14 | 46389 | Scheduled |
| 12 | Music / DJ | 1500 | 1400 | 100 | 400 | 1000 | 7 | 46396 | Scheduled |
| 13 | Attire | 2200 | 1850 | 350 | 1850 | 0 | 0 | 46403 | Paid |
| 14 | Cake | 700 | 650 | 50 | 100 | 550 | 7 | 46396 | Scheduled |
| 15 | Invitations and stationery | 500 | 380 | 120 | 380 | 0 | 0 | 46403 | Paid |
| 16 | Hair and makeup | 900 | Get quotes | ||||||
| 17 | Rentals (chairs, linens) | 900 | Get quotes | ||||||
| 18 | Total | 30000 | 29330 | 9230 | 20100 | ||||
| 19 | |||||||||
| 20 | Planned total (quote, or budget where no quote yet) | 31130 |
How the formulas work
Quote against budget, line by line
Budget minus quote: positive means the quote came in under budget, negative means over. It stays blank until you have a quote. In the sample, the venue is 1,000 over, catering 600 over and flowers 400 over, while attire came in 350 under.
When each balance is due
Vendors usually want the balance a set number of days before the date (check each contract). Type that number in column G and the due date is simply the wedding date minus those days, because Excel stores dates as day numbers. Change the wedding date in B2 and every due date moves with it.
A status for every line
No quote yet shows Get quotes; a zero balance shows Paid; a balance due within 30 days of today's date (B5) shows Pay soon. In the sample, the venue balance (due November 17) is flagged. Replace B5 with =TODAY() to keep it current.
Planned total, even before every quote is in
Adds every quote you have, plus the budget figure for lines with no quote yet. That is a more honest total than the budget alone. Here it comes to 31,130, which is 1,130 over the 30,000 budget, so something needs to give before you sign the last contracts.
Next balance due
FILTER keeps the due dates of lines that have a quote and an unpaid balance, and MIN picks the earliest. Format the cell as a date. Needs Excel 2021, Microsoft 365 or Google Sheets.
Make it yours
- Keep 5 to 10% of the budget as a separate contingency line. Almost every wedding has surprises: extra rentals, overtime, service charges.
- Ask whether quotes include tax, service charges and gratuities. Put the all-in number in the Quote column so the totals are real.
- Every deposit or payment you make goes in Deposit paid as a running total for that vendor (for example =3000+1500), so the Balance stays right.
- Add rows for anything missing (officiant, transport, favors, license) by inserting them above row 17 and copying the formulas in D, F, H and I down.
FAQ
How do I make a wedding budget in Excel?
List each category with a budget amount, add columns for the quote, what you have paid and the balance, and SUM each column. This template also works out due dates from your wedding date, the cost per guest and a planned total that uses your budget for lines without a quote.
How do I calculate cost per guest?
Divide the planned total by the number of guests: =B20/B4. Use the planned total (fixed costs plus per-head costs), not just catering, to see what each extra guest really adds to the budget.
Can my partner and I edit the budget together?
Yes. Save the file to OneDrive and share it, or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; both let two people edit at the same time.
Functions used
IFPicks a result from a testSUMAdds numbersSUMIFAdds cells that matchSUMIFSAdds with several conditionsROUNDRounds to digitsMINSmallest numberFILTERKeeps matching rows, spillsIFERRORFallback when a formula errors
Related guides
- How to calculate days between two dates in Excel
- SUMIFS with multiple criteria in Excel
- How to write a nested IF in Excel
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