What does each wedding guest really cost?
Dividing your entire wedding budget by the guest count is useful, but it is not the same as the cost of adding one more guest. The better number is the group of expenses that actually rise when your headcount rises.
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About $150 per guest.
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There are two useful per-guest numbers
Total budget divided by guest count gives you a broad budget-per-guest benchmark. Marginal cost per guest is different: it focuses on expenses that increase when another person attends.
Add the costs that scale
Start with the per-person meal and drinks, then include any per-person or per-place-setting rentals, favors and stationery costs that truly increase with attendance. Use your vendor quotes whenever possible.
Do not count every fixed expense again
Your photographer, officiant or DJ often costs the same whether 90 or 95 people attend. A small guest-list change usually should not be assigned a slice of every fixed contract when you are deciding what five additional guests would cost.
Run the 10-person test
Multiply your variable cost per guest by ten. That number makes the financial effect of a guest-list decision much easier to see. Then compare it with how important those ten seats are to you.
Use estimates carefully
National averages can be useful for early planning, but local prices and your actual contracts matter more. Replace assumptions with quotes as soon as you have them.
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