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17,006 euros. That was the average wedding budget in Germany in 2026 according to the Bridebook report, as analyzed in the Sparkasse guide. Including the honeymoon and engagement ring, it was 20,263 euros. ING cites an average of 15,629 euros for 2025. A realistic range is considered to be 10,000–22,000 euros.
The calculator above arrives at 17,035 € for 80 guests. This is calculated using the exact items from the Bridebook report, without a Saturday surcharge and without a buffer. That is a 29-euro difference from the measured average. The market ranges behind this calculator are therefore calibrated to a real survey and not estimated.
Both calculations are also close to each other item by item. The largest block in the survey is the wedding venue at 8,568 euros, although this includes catering, of which 3,947 euros is for the reception alone. The flat-rate items can be compared directly.
28 percent of couples stay under 10,000 euros. This is the most important figure in the entire survey because it shows that the average is not a benchmark. More than one in four couples celebrates for less than a third of what is cited everywhere as the average wedding cost.
How money is distributed across cost factors, however, is consistent. Common market overviews cite similar percentages for each area. This calculator aligns with those for all cost points, with one exception.
The exception is event technology. It is rarely listed as a separate item in major overviews, even though every wedding reception needs sound for speeches and lighting for the evening. It is usually included in the DJ's fee or booked at short notice. That is exactly why it is listed here as a separate line item.
Between 210 € and 696 € per guest, depending on how many people attend. The larger the celebration, the less each individual costs. The reason is simple: the wedding dress, wedding rings, photographer, and ceremony cost the same whether there are 20 or 200 guests at the table. Only food, drinks, cake, and guest favors scale up.
Food and drink are always the biggest cost factor. For 80 guests, that’s 8,600 € for catering, drinks, and the cake combined, which is a good third of the entire budget. Only then come the venue, photographer, and wedding dress. Cutting back on decorations doesn't make much of a dent, but trimming the guest list makes a big difference immediately.
Drinks are the item couples most often miscalculate because no one knows how much 80 people will actually drink over the course of a long evening. The drinks calculator determines how many crates of beer, wine, and water you need based on your guest count and the duration of the event.
Because it includes three things that are missing from average statistics. The path from 17,006 euros to €23,285 can be traced step by step.
Stationery, equipment, tips, and registry office fees rarely appear in cost overviews, but they still have to be paid. A Saturday in peak season is the norm, not an exception. And a 10 percent buffer isn't just being cautious—it's experience. If you know these four points, you can put any figure you find online into perspective.
€2,583 for 80 guests. That is more than most couples ever save by cutting individual items. Venues, caterers, photographers, and DJs charge their highest prices for a Saturday in summer because that is when everyone wants to get married.
Other overviews cite savings of 3,000–5,000 euros for the off-season, which is more. The difference is explainable: those estimates usually assume a cheaper wedding venue as well. Here, the venue remains the same and only the date changes. If you change both, you end up in that range.
The calculator only applies the surcharge to items that are truly dependent on the date. A wedding dress, wedding rings, a suit, and stationery cost the same on a Friday in November as they do on a Saturday in July.
The civil ceremony is the cheapest part of the entire wedding. The Sparkasse estimates 100–350 euros for the registry office and documents, depending on the municipality, location, and time. A wedding officiant for a secular ceremony costs between 800 and 2,000 euros.
Important and often wrong in many calculators: A church or secular wedding ceremony does not replace the registry office; it is in addition to it. In Germany and Austria, the civil marriage ceremony is the only legally binding form. This calculator therefore always adds both.
In the same range as in Germany. There is no reliable study for Austria with the same quality as the Bridebook report, but available Austrian overviews cite 20,000–35,000 euros for 80 guests, or 100–400 euros per person. This aligns with the range this calculator provides for 80 guests.
There are two real differences. First, in Austria, every municipality sets its own marriage fees; checking the website of the relevant registry office is better than any estimate. Second, the music licensing organization is called AKM, not GEMA. If you are celebrating in a rented venue and playing music, you must register the event there. For a private family gathering, there is usually no fee, but for a rented hall with an open guest list, there is.
Four items are almost always missing from initial estimates. For 80 guests, these can quickly add up to a four-figure sum.
Five cost factors are switched off because they are not part of every wedding. They can be switched on with a single click, and you will immediately see an overview of what they add to the total.
Wedding planning is the largest of these items and also the most underestimated. A wedding planner costs money, but saves time and handles the surprises on the wedding day that would otherwise fall to the couple. If you don't need either, you can leave this item out.
Today, it is usually the couple themselves, often with a contribution from their parents. The old rule that the bride's family pays for the celebration hardly plays a role in Germany and Austria anymore. It is common for both sets of parents to make a fixed contribution or to cover specific cost items, such as the drinks or the wedding cake.
Do not include cash gifts in your calculations. They arrive after the celebration and usually cover a portion of the costs, but no one knows how much beforehand. If you rely on them in your budget, you are financing your wedding on a hunch.
Three sliders move more than all others combined. The biggest is the level of quality: if you switch all items from classic to budget, the total drops by €10,941. The second biggest is the number of guests; twenty fewer names saves €3,121. The third is the date; a Friday in the off-season saves €2,583. Everything else remains in the three-digit range. DIY decorations, stationery, cake, and guest favors combined come to €2,007—less than what removing twenty names from the guest list saves. How to pull these levers in practice without it looking like you're cutting corners is explained in our guide to a low-budget wedding.
When it comes to music, there is an intermediate option that many people don't know about. Instead of a DJ for €1,440, you can run your own playlist through a rented sound system; the calculator reduces the total by €891 for this. This works if someone from your circle of friends keeps an eye on the evening. Without that person, it will go wrong. You can find out what this really entails in our guide to a wedding without a DJ.
There are two areas where you shouldn't cut corners: the photographer, because the day only exists in pictures afterward, and the size of the venue. Everyone will notice if there is too little space all evening long. The space requirement calculator calculates how many square meters you need for your number of guests and your seating arrangement.
Budget planning begins with two details: the number of guests and the style of the wedding. That is why both are at the very top. Each item then has a market range for three levels of quality. The calculator uses the midpoint of this range. If you enter your own quote for an item, your figure will completely replace the range.
Market ranges are based on the 2026 Bridebook Report as analyzed by Sparkasse, the ING overview, and an Austrian market compilation. The ranges for event technology and photo booths are based on our own current rental prices. All amounts are gross prices. The calculator is an estimate and does not replace a formal quote.
Expect to pay €291 per guest for a classic standard, totaling €23,285 for 80 guests. Those planning on a budget can manage with €12,344 for the same number of guests. Set your budget before you write your guest list, not after.
Around €26,406 for a classic standard on a Saturday in peak season, which is €264 per guest. The realistic range is between €18,297 and €34,515, depending on the cost of the venue and local catering.
Around €18,603, or €372 per guest. Other sources cite about €15,000 for 50 guests. The difference accounts for the Saturday surcharge, the buffer, and four items missing from those figures. The cost per guest is higher than for 100 guests because the dress, rings, and photographer cost the same regardless of the guest count.
For a classic standard, the calculator estimates €72 per guest for food and €30 for drinks, totaling €102. The thrifty level is about half that, while the premium level is about double.
10–15 percent is considered a guideline; this calculator uses 10 percent, which is €2,117 for 80 guests. The buffer is not a safety margin for emergencies; it is almost always needed for dress alterations, postage, tips, and service providers who stay longer than booked.
A celebration where expensive items are deliberately cut or replaced rather than just reduced. In the calculator, this corresponds to the "thrifty" level on a Friday in the off-season: €10,835 for 80 guests. This is achieved by using a hall instead of a dedicated event venue, a buffet instead of a plated meal, a playlist via rented equipment instead of a DJ, and a shorter guest list.
Plan every detail of your event with our free calculators and configurators. All tools can be used without registration.
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