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The short answerHold back 10% for tax, service charges and tips. Then give the most to the five lines that shape the night: the venue, the food, the bar, the music and the photographer. Split the rest the way couples spent in 2025, with food, drinks and rentals growing with your guest list. Built by Elevate Entertainment, a wedding DJ and entertainment company: 4,000+ events and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.
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Photo: Olive and Oak, 2026, Seth T Photography
Sample plan
A sample plan for 117 guests, the average wedding in 2025, split evenly between the look and the experience. Answer the questions above and it becomes yours.
Hover over or tap a part of the bar to see that line.
Your plan sits under most of these averages on purpose. Each average is what couples spend when they hire that vendor, and most couples skip a few, so together they add up to more than a whole wedding.
On a budget this size, the DJ takes a bigger share. Plenty of DJ companies can work with less. We start at $1,500, so this plan holds that much for music, and the other lines get a little less. A free Entertainment Design Session can still help you plan the whole night.
Say it in your own words. The plan moves the money, keeps the same total, and tells you what changed.
Where most of the money goes
The latest wedding studies point to five lines. Guests say they notice the food, the music, the room and the bar most, and couples name the photographer among the three things that matter most to them. The venue is also the biggest single line, $12,900 on average, and 82% of couples book it first. The Knot Real Weddings Studies 2025 and 2026, The Knot 2024 Guest Study
$17,20057.3% of this plan
Plan for $6,850
Couples who hire one spend $12,900 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Your venue sets the room for every photo and every moment, so it gets one of the biggest shares in your plan.
Plan for $5,000
Couples spend $80 a guest on average. Yours: about $43 a guest. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Food is the first thing guests notice, so it keeps a big share for your 117 guests. At about $43 a guest, food sits under the usual range of $60 to $130 a guest. Stations, a buffet or a shorter guest list are the usual ways to close that gap.
Plan for $1,500
Couples who hire one spend $2,800 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Half of guests notice the bar, so it keeps a solid share.
Plan for $2,250
Couples who hire one spend $1,800 on average. Our recommended share
Why it sits here. Guests name music second only to the food (The Knot 2024 Guest Study), and one person runs both the music and the mic, from your grand entrance to the last song. That is why this plan holds more here than the $1,800 couples spend on average.
Plan for $1,600
Couples who hire one spend $3,000 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Photos are how you will relive the day, so this keeps a full share.
The smaller lines
Guests noticed flowers and decor (38%) less than the food, the music, the room and the bar, and favors least (9%) (The Knot 2024 Guest Study). So if you need to trim, start with decor, favors, the cake and the paper.
$9,80032.7% of this plan
Plan for $1,250
Couples who hire one spend $2,300 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. A film keeps your vows and toasts in your own voices.
Plan for $900
Couples who hire entertainment beyond the music spend $1,500 on average. Our recommended share
Why it sits here. Room for one or two extras, like a photo booth or lighting.
Plan for $1,500
Couples who hire one spend $2,800 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Flowers are in every photo, so they keep their usual share.
Plan for $1,000
Couples spend $1,900 on decor and lighting, on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Candles and signs make the room feel like yours.
Plan for $1,050
Couples who hire one spend $2,000 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. For 117 guests you need a seat, a plate and a table for everyone, so this grows with your list.
Plan for $1,300
Couples spend $2,100 on the dress and $330 on the suit, on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. What you wear is in every photo, so it keeps its usual share.
Plan for $150
Couples who hire one spend $300 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. The morning of is when the photos start, so this keeps a small share.
Plan for $300
Couples who hire one spend $530 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. A sweet moment, sized to your guest list.
Plan for $250
Couples who hire one spend $510 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Your invitations are the first thing guests hold from your wedding, so this keeps a small share sized to your list.
Plan for $1,100
Couples who hire one spend $2,100 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Someone else watching the clock means you get to be in your own wedding.
Plan for $600
Couples who hire one spend $1,100 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Getting everyone there and home safely is the job here.
Plan for $250
Couples who hire one spend $480 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. Only 9% of guests named favors among what they noticed (The Knot), so this stays small.
Plan for $150
Couples who hire one spend $260 on average. Close to the usual share
Why it sits here. The person who says the words you will remember.
Hold back $3,000
Held back first, for sales tax, service charges and the tips you hand out at the end of the night.
Read every quote for what sits on top of the price before you sign.
| Line | Plan for | What it pays for | What couples spend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | $6,85022.8% | The room for your ceremony and reception, and the hours you hold it. | $3,500 to $24,800 |
| Food | $5,00016.7% | Dinner for every guest and the staff who serve it. About $43 a guest. | $60 to $130 a guest |
| Bar and drinks | $1,5005% | What your guests drink, from beer and wine to a full bar. | Average $2,800 |
| DJ and MC | $2,2507.5% | Your DJ and MC: the music from the first guest in to the last dance, the mic for the entrance and the toasts, and dance floor lighting. | $800 to $2,700 |
| Photographer | $1,6005.3% | The pictures you keep. Hours and a second shooter move this line: 40% of couples paid extra for a second shooter (The Knot). | $1,500 to $4,700 |
| Videographer | $1,2504.2% | The film of the day, with the vows and toasts in your own voices. | Average $2,300 |
| Event extras | $9003% | A photo booth, event lighting or special effects. | Average $1,500 |
| Flowers | $1,5005% | Bouquets, ceremony flowers and table arrangements. | $900 to $4,800 |
| Decor | $1,0003.3% | Signs, candles and the pieces on every table. | Average $1,900 |
| Rentals | $1,0503.5% | Tables, chairs, linens and anything the venue does not supply. | $1,100 to $3,200 |
| Attire | $1,3004.3% | The dress, the suit and the alterations. | Dress $1,200 to $3,200, suit $260 to $410 |
| Hair and makeup | $1500.5% | Hair and makeup for the morning of. | $200 to $400 |
| Cake and dessert | $3001% | The cake, or the dessert table instead of one. | $300 to $800 |
| Invitations and paper | $2500.8% | Save the dates, invitations, postage and day-of paper. | Average $510 |
| Planner or coordinator | $1,1003.7% | Someone who runs the day so you do not have to. | Average $2,100 |
| Transportation | $6002% | Getting you, and maybe your guests, from place to place. | Average $1,100 |
| Favors | $2500.8% | A small thank-you at each seat. | Average $480 |
| Officiant | $1500.5% | The person who marries you. | Average $260 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $3,00010% | Held back first, for sales tax, service charges and the tips you hand out at the end of the night. | We hold back 10% |
| Total | $30,000 | ||
What couples spend: The Knot Real Weddings Study 2026, US couples married in 2025. This is a plan to budget with, not a quote.
Elevate Entertainment
We are a wedding DJ and entertainment company, and we built this calculator. Pick your date, and your budget plan comes with you to the next step, so you only add your name and how to reach you.
Pick a date to see if it is still open.
Final availability depends on your city and your event, so let's check it properly. A real person will reach out within one business day.
Get my availabilityWhat guests remember
Because guests notice some lines far more than others. Asked what they noticed most at the weddings they went to in 2024, guests named the food first, then the music, the room and the bar. Flowers and decor came well behind, and favors last.
Couples feel it too. When The Knot asked 10,474 couples what mattered most while they planned, the top answer was that their guests were taken care of and had a good time.
So this calculator gives the most to the five lines that shape the night, and shows you where the smaller lines can give without your guests feeling it.
How it works
Budget breakdown
We recommend 7% to 15% across your DJ and your event extras, a little more on small budgets where the $1,500 floor applies. That is 6% to 10% for the DJ and MC, and 1% to 5% for extras like a photo booth or lighting. That is Elevate's recommendation, built into this calculator, not an industry average. Couples who hired a DJ spent $1,800 on average in 2025 (The Knot). On a $30,000 budget split evenly between the look and the experience, our recommendation is $2,250 for the DJ and $900 for extras.
Music is one line in five that shape the night, and it is the one guests notice second, after the food (The Knot 2024 Guest Study). An older study goes further:
St. Louis Bride and Groom, 2003
The table shows every line as a share of a $30,000 budget for 117 guests, the average guest count in 2025. Your own shares change with your guest count, the slider and your answers.
| Line | Share of budget |
|---|---|
| Venue | 22.8% |
| Food | 16.7% |
| Bar and drinks | 5% |
| DJ and MC | 7.5% |
| Photographer | 5.3% |
| Videographer | 4.2% |
| Event extras | 3% |
| Flowers | 5% |
| Decor | 3.3% |
| Rentals | 3.5% |
| Attire | 4.3% |
| Hair and makeup | 0.5% |
| Cake and dessert | 1% |
| Invitations and paper | 0.8% |
| Planner or coordinator | 3.7% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Favors | 0.8% |
| Officiant | 0.5% |
| Tax, service charges and tips | 10% |
Other calculators
| Calculator | DJ line | How it gets there |
|---|---|---|
| FMG Suite calculator, on many financial-adviser sites | $500 | A fixed $500 at any budget |
| Shutterfly budget calculator | $840 | 2.8% of your budget |
| WeddingWire budget tool | $900 | 3% of your budget |
| What couples spent on a DJ | $1,800 | The national average in 2025, from The Knot |
| This calculator, split evenly between the look and the experience | $2,250 | 7.5% of your budget, never below $1,500 |
Checked October 28, 2026.
Small budgets
Yes, for a smaller wedding. A quarter of couples spent about $12,000 or less in 2025, often with around 92 guests and a park or a family home as the venue (The Knot). At $10,000 for 80 guests, food is the line to watch: it comes to about $14 a guest in this plan.
On a budget this size, the DJ takes a bigger share. Plenty of DJ companies can work with less. We start at $1,500, so this plan holds that much for music, and the other lines get a little less. A free Entertainment Design Session can still help you plan the whole night.
| Venue | $2,350 |
|---|---|
| Food | $1,150 |
| Bar and drinks | $350 |
| DJ and MC | $1,500 |
| Photographer | $550 |
| Everything else | $3,100 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $1,000 |
A $10,000 plan for 80 guests, split evenly between the look and the experience.
The middle
Yes. It sits right at the middle. The median wedding in 2025 cost $24,000, so about half of couples spent less (The Knot). For 117 guests, $25,000 covers every line in this plan, with $2,500 held back for tax, service charges and tips.
| Venue | $5,600 |
|---|---|
| Food | $4,150 |
| Bar and drinks | $1,250 |
| DJ and MC | $1,900 |
| Photographer | $1,350 |
| Everything else | $8,250 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $2,500 |
A $25,000 plan for 117 guests, split evenly between the look and the experience.
Above the middle
It is a little under the national average of $34,200, and above the Missouri average of $26,000 (The Knot, 2025 weddings). Where you marry moves it a lot: the same study puts Kansas at $20,000 and New Jersey at $57,000.
| Venue | $6,850 |
|---|---|
| Food | $5,000 |
| Bar and drinks | $1,500 |
| DJ and MC | $2,250 |
| Photographer | $1,600 |
| Everything else | $9,800 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $3,000 |
A $30,000 plan for 117 guests, split evenly between the look and the experience.
By guest count
About $29,200 at the national average of $292 a guest. Closer to home, The Knot puts the average wedding at $27,050 in Kansas City and $14,290 in Springfield. Scaled to 100 guests, that is about $23,000 and $12,000. Here is a $23,000 plan for 100 guests.
| Venue | $5,450 |
|---|---|
| Food | $3,450 |
| Bar and drinks | $1,050 |
| DJ and MC | $1,750 |
| Photographer | $1,300 |
| Everything else | $7,700 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $2,300 |
A $23,000 plan for 100 guests, split evenly between the look and the experience.
This year
Most couples land between $12,000 and $41,000. That is the middle half of weddings in 2025. The average was $34,200 and the median $24,000 (The Knot). Start from the number you are comfortable with, then let the plan split it.
| Venue | $7,850 |
|---|---|
| Food | $5,700 |
| Bar and drinks | $1,700 |
| DJ and MC | $2,550 |
| Photographer | $1,800 |
| Everything else | $11,200 |
| Tax, service charges and tips | $3,400 |
A $34,200 plan for 117 guests, the 2025 average, split evenly between the look and the experience.
Quick answers
Guests remember the night. Asked what they noticed most at weddings in 2024, guests named the food (73%), the music (57%), the reception space (55%) and the bar (50%). Flowers and decor came to 38% and favors to 9% (The Knot 2024 Guest Study).
We recommend 7% to 15% across your DJ and your event extras: 6% to 10% for the DJ and MC, and 1% to 5% for extras like a photo booth or lighting. That is Elevate's recommendation, built into this calculator, not an industry average. Couples who hired a DJ spent $1,800 on average in 2025 (The Knot).
Yes, for a smaller wedding. A quarter of couples spent about $12,000 or less in 2025, often with around 92 guests and a park or a family home as the venue (The Knot). At $10,000 for 80 guests, food is the line to watch: it comes to about $14 a guest in this plan.
Yes. It sits right at the middle. The median wedding in 2025 cost $24,000, so about half of couples spent less (The Knot). For 117 guests, $25,000 covers every line in this plan, with $2,500 held back for tax, service charges and tips.
It is a little under the national average of $34,200, and above the Missouri average of $26,000 (The Knot, 2025 weddings). Where you marry moves it a lot: the same study puts Kansas at $20,000 and New Jersey at $57,000.
About $29,200 at the national average of $292 a guest. Closer to home, The Knot puts the average wedding at $27,050 in Kansas City and $14,290 in Springfield. Scaled to 100 guests, that is about $23,000 and $12,000. Here is a $23,000 plan for 100 guests.
Most couples land between $12,000 and $41,000. That is the middle half of weddings in 2025. The average was $34,200 and the median $24,000 (The Knot). Start from the number you are comfortable with, then let the plan split it.
Your wedding DJ
We are Elevate Entertainment, wedding DJs across Kansas City, Springfield, Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. Pick your date and your budget plan comes with you, so you only add your name and how to reach you.
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