- Per guest (Delhi NCR, mid-range)
- ₹7,500–₹10,000
- Biggest category
- Catering, about 25%
- Venue + catering
- About 45% of the total
- Contingency
- 10%
Start with your own numbers
Every wedding is different, so the most useful thing on this page is the calculator below. Enter your city, guest count, number of days, functions and style, and it will show a realistic total and a category-by-category split. Then read on for what drives each number.
What drives the cost
Guest count
Guests are the biggest lever. Every extra guest adds food, venue space, invitations, favours and often a room. Cutting 50 guests from a 300-guest Delhi wedding can save ₹3–4 lakh. The fixed costs — décor, photography, outfits, jewellery — do not shrink, which is why smaller weddings cost more per head.
City
Delhi NCR and Mumbai are the most expensive wedding markets in India. The same wedding in Lucknow, Indore or Chandigarh can cost 20–25% less. Destination weddings in Udaipur or Goa cost more per guest because you are also paying for rooms and travel; see destination vs local.
Number of functions and days
Each additional function adds food, décor, outfits and often a venue. A one-day wedding is roughly 30% cheaper than a three-day celebration with the same guest list. Combining the mehendi and sangeet into one evening is one of the easiest ways to save.
Style
Moving from a food-inclusive banquet package to a farmhouse with a designer décor team and premium catering can double the per-guest cost without adding a single guest.
How to split the budget
The breakdown table on this page shows how a ₹25 lakh wedding for 300 guests typically divides. Catering and venue together take around 45%. Décor, photography, outfits and jewellery take roughly a third. Everything else — music, makeup, transport, invitations, gifts and rituals — shares the remaining fifth. Use it as a starting point, not a rule: if photos matter most to you, move money from décor to photography.
Where families overspend
- Guest list creep. "Just a few more" adds lakhs. Freeze the list per function early.
- Décor for every function. Design for reuse, and let beautiful venues do the work.
- Outfits worn once. Consider rentals or pieces that can be worn again.
- Last-minute bookings. Vendors booked in the final month cost more and leave little room to negotiate.
- Taxes and overtime. Always ask for all-in quotes and fixed timings.
How to save without it showing
- Choose an off-peak date: July–September and weekdays can save 15–25% on venues.
- Serve fewer, better dishes. Check quantities with the food calculator.
- Right-size your bar with the alcohol calculator.
- Send e-invites to friends and print cards only for elders; the invitation calculator helps you split the count.
- Put guests in fewer rooms for fewer nights with the guest stay calculator.
Saving for it
If the wedding is a year or more away, the savings calculator shows how much to set aside each month to reach your target, and whether a recurring deposit or other plan gets you there. Agree early how costs are shared between the two families and the couple, and write it down — it prevents misunderstandings later.
These figures are WeddingStreet estimates for 2026. Read how we arrive at them on How we estimate.
Budget scenarios
| Scenario | Guests | Total budget | Per guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intimate | 100 | ₹10 lakh | ₹10,000 |
| Small | 200 | ₹17 lakh | ₹8,500 |
| Mid-size | 300 | ₹25 lakh | ₹8,300 |
| Large | 500 | ₹37.5 lakh | ₹7,500 |
Where the money goes
Assumptions behind these numbers
Planning estimates, not quotations. How we estimate →