How to Make a Wedding Budget in NZ (With a Template)
Set a wedding budget in New Zealand: what you can really spend, cost per guest, a split by category in NZD, payment dates, and an 80-guest example.
The short answer
Work your budget out in this order: the money you'll really have by the wedding, then that divided by your guest numbers, then a split across categories, then a list of when every payment falls due. In New Zealand, a wedding for 50 to 100 guests tends to cost about $220–380 a guest all in, so that per-guest figure tells you quickly whether your total and your guest list fit together.
Run your own numbers. Start free
Here's each step, with a worked example for 80 guests and a template to copy. Prices are in NZD.
Step 1: Add up what you'll actually have
Start from your own money, not from what weddings cost:
- Savings you already have, minus anything you'd be uncomfortable spending.
- What you can put away each month between now and the wedding. Be honest about the months with Christmas, birthdays and car registration in them.
- Whānau contributions, as a dollar figure. Ask early, and ask kindly whether anything comes with it: a bigger guest list, a particular church, the marae.
Leave out koha and wishing well money. It arrives on the day or after, long after the deposits and balances are due.
Step 2: Check it per guest
Divide your total by the number of guests. MoneyBalance's 2026 estimates give a realistic range for New Zealand weddings of each size (source, last checked 22 October 2026):
| Guests | Typical cost per guest |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | $250 – $600 |
| 20–50 | $240 – $440 |
| 50–100 | $220 – $380 |
| 100–150 | $230 – $370 |
| 150+ | $200 – $350+ |
If you're under the range, you have three levers: a smaller guest list, an off-peak date (winter, a Friday or a Sunday), or a venue that does its own catering. Each extra guest adds roughly $150–250 in catering alone, so the guest list moves the total more than anything else.
Our free wedding budget calculator does this sum as you type, with your guest count's range beside it.
Step 3: Split it across categories
A starting split, built from MoneyBalance's mid-range costs for an 80-guest wedding, with 5% kept back:
| What for | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venue hire and catering | 42% | Scales with every guest |
| Photographer and videographer | 17% | Closer to 10% without video |
| Dress or suit, hair and makeup | 9% | For both of you |
| Rings | 8% | The line that varies most |
| Flowers | 7% | Bouquets, the ceremony and tables |
| Music, DJ or band | 4% | |
| Cake, invites and stationery | 4% | Less if you send invites online |
| Celebrant and marriage licence | 2% | The licence fee is set by the government |
| Transport and your wedding night | 2% | |
| Buffer | 5% | The bar tab, a late extra guest, the surprises |
Move money towards what you care about. If photos matter most, take it from flowers; if the party matters most, put more into the band and the bar.
The costs that don't move
The marriage licence fee is set by the government, not by suppliers: it was $158 when we checked govt.nz's Get a marriage licence page. Your celebrant's fee is separate. Check the current licence fee when you apply; our marriage licence guide covers the steps.
Where you marry changes the numbers
MoneyBalance rates Queenstown and Wānaka, and Waiheke Island, as very high cost; Auckland city venues, Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Marlborough wineries as high; Christchurch and Canterbury as moderate; and regional New Zealand as lower. A destination wedding also moves cost onto your guests, through flights, ferries and accommodation, which may shrink your guest list without you asking.
Summer Saturdays cost the most; a winter wedding or a weekday can bring venue prices down. Ask about public holiday surcharges too, which catch couples marrying on a long weekend.
Step 4: Write down when every payment is due
The budget says how much. The payment list says when, and that's the part that bites. Most suppliers take a deposit to hold your date and the balance in the weeks before the wedding, on terms set in their contract.
For each booking, note:
- The deposit, and whether you get it back if plans change.
- The balance and the date it's due. Caterers often want it with your final numbers.
- Extras: a public holiday surcharge, a cake-cutting fee, setup and pack-down, travel for regional suppliers, overtime if the night runs late.
- What happens if you postpone, including for weather or illness. Read it before you sign.
Worked example: 80 guests in Hawke's Bay, $32,000
Mere and Josh are planning an autumn Saturday at a Hawke's Bay winery with 80 guests. They have $12,000 saved, can put aside $1,400 a month for 12 months ($16,800), and Josh's parents are giving $4,000: $32,800 in all. They set the budget at $32,000 and keep the last $800 well out of reach.
Per guest: $32,000 ÷ 80 = $400. That's just above MoneyBalance's $220–380 range for a wedding this size, which makes sense for a winery in a high-cost region.
The split:
| What for | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Venue hire and catering | 42% | $13,440 |
| Photographer and videographer | 17% | $5,440 |
| Dress or suit, hair and makeup | 9% | $2,880 |
| Rings | 8% | $2,560 |
| Flowers | 7% | $2,240 |
| Music, DJ or band | 4% | $1,280 |
| Cake, invites and stationery | 4% | $1,280 |
| Celebrant and marriage licence | 2% | $640 |
| Transport and wedding night | 2% | $640 |
| Buffer | 5% | $1,600 |
| Total | 100% | $32,000 |
The check: $13,440 for venue and catering is $168 a guest. With MoneyBalance's mid-range catering at about $130 a head, that leaves around $3,000 for venue hire: tight for a winery, so they ask for a package price that includes the venue and catering together, and drop the videographer to free up about $2,000 if they need it.
Their payment list (example terms only; every contract is different):
| Supplier | Booked | Deposit | Balance due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winery venue and catering | 12 months out | $2,500 | With final numbers, 3 weeks out |
| Photographer | 11 months out | $800 | 4 weeks out |
| Celebrant | 10 months out | $200 | 2 weeks out |
| DJ | 8 months out | $300 | 2 weeks out |
| Florist | 6 months out | $500 | 4 weeks out |
Deposits total $4,300 over six months. In the last month, balances on these five alone come to about $18,700, so Mere and Josh keep the money for them in a separate account.
Your budget template
Copy this into a spreadsheet or a notes app. Fill in the share column first, then replace each budget figure with real quotes as they arrive.
| What for | Share | Budget | Quote | Deposit | Paid? | Balance | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue hire and catering | 42% | ||||||
| Photographer and videographer | 17% | ||||||
| Dress or suit, hair and makeup | 9% | ||||||
| Rings | 8% | ||||||
| Flowers | 7% | ||||||
| Music, DJ or band | 4% | ||||||
| Cake, invites and stationery | 4% | ||||||
| Celebrant and marriage licence | 2% | ||||||
| Transport and wedding night | 2% | ||||||
| Buffer | 5% |
Mistakes we see often
- Counting koha or wishing well money towards the bills. It's lovely, and it's late.
- Forgetting the bar. If the venue charges drinks on consumption, put a cap on the tab, or budget for it from the buffer.
- Booking the venue before the guest count. The venue decides most of the cost per guest, so know your numbers first.
- Spending the buffer early. Something always comes up in the last month.
For what each category costs in more detail, see our guide to the average wedding cost in NZ; for when to book each supplier, our month-by-month planning checklist.
Keep it up to date in one place
Your account keeps every supplier with their quote, deposit and balance in NZD, next to a to-do list paced to your date, so the template above looks after itself.
Quick questions
How do we work out a wedding budget in NZ?
Add up your savings, what you can save before the wedding and any whānau contributions. Divide by your guest numbers, split it across categories, then list when each payment is due.
How much should we budget per guest?
For 50 to 100 guests, MoneyBalance's 2026 estimates put a typical wedding at $220 to $380 per guest, all in.
Should we count koha towards the budget?
No. Koha and wishing well money arrive on the day or after, long after the deposits and balances are due.