Two money questions come up in almost every wedding: how much do we need to save each month, and what will catering really cost once the extras are added? Both have simple answers if you do the math with real numbers. Here's how, with two free calculators that do it for you.
How much to save each month for your wedding
The formula is short: take your total wedding budget, subtract what you've already saved (including deposits you've paid) and any family contributions that are confirmed, then divide what's left by the number of months you have.
One detail changes the answer: count to about a month before the wedding, not the wedding day itself. Many vendors want final balances before the day, so saving right up to the date can leave you short exactly when the biggest payments are due. Check your contracts for the real due dates.
In the example above (worked out in November 2026), $17,000 is still to save over nine months: about $1,889 a month, or $944 each when a couple splits it. The wedding savings calculator also shows the amount per paycheck and per week, which is often easier to plan around.
If the monthly number is too high
- Move the date. A few extra months can make the monthly amount much smaller.
- Trim the guest count. Food, drinks, rentals and invitations all scale with every guest.
- Lower the total and re-split it. Our wedding budget calculator re-drafts every category in seconds, so you can see what a smaller total looks like.
What wedding catering really costs per guest
A caterer's per-person price is rarely the final number. The total usually includes some of these on top:
- Bar costs, often priced per person too.
- A service charge, a percentage of the food and drink. It's often not a tip, so ask whether gratuity is included.
- Sales tax. In San Antonio the rate is 8.25%. How it applies to service charges depends on how your caterer bills them.
- A tip for staff, if gratuity isn't already included.
In this example, a "$48 per person" quote becomes $9,976 in total, or about $83 per guest once the bar, service charge and tax are added. That gap is why it pays to compare caterers on the full total, not the headline price.
The wedding catering cost calculator also works backwards: enter your catering budget and it shows the per-person food price you can afford after the extras. In the example, an $11,000 catering budget allows about $55 per person for food.
Ways to bring catering down
- Choose a buffet, stations or family-style service.
- Serve lunch or brunch instead of dinner.
- Limit the bar to beer, wine and one signature drink.
- Ask what's included before comparing: staff, linens, cake cutting and setup can all be extras.
More free wedding money calculators
- Flower budget calculator: split your flower budget across bouquets, boutonnieres, ceremony pieces and centerpieces.
- Dress and attire budget calculator: see what's left for the outfit after alterations, accessories and shoes.
- All free wedding planning tools, including a checklist and seating chart maker.
Once the math works, keep it on track: record every deposit as you pay it, and your plan always shows what's left. Here's our guide to tracking wedding vendor payments.
Cover photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash. Screenshots use sample numbers; use the figures from your own quotes and contracts.
