Most couples have the total figure nailed down before the category-level split. The result is a single 8M HUF (or €20k) bucket that can eat half its weight in catering as easily as it can in florals, depending on who got their quotes in first. Here's a realistic starting point for a 100-guest wedding.
A realistic starting split
- Food and drink: 38-42% (the largest single line, rarely shrinks meaningfully)
- Venue: 12-18% (all-inclusive venues fold part of this into catering)
- Photo and video: 10-14% (the long-term memory, resist the urge to cut here)
- Decor and florals: 8-12% (the easiest line to negotiate without losing the look)
- Attire, hair, makeup: 7-10%
- Music, DJ, live band: 5-8%
- Other (paperwork, invites, transport for guests): 5-8%
- Reserve: 5-10% (not optional, mandatory)
Three places budgets quietly blow up
First, headcount drift. If you're planning for 100, plan for 100 plus 8% no-show, but also 100 plus 12% potential acceptances. The reserve has to absorb this, because every guest adds €60-80 to the bottom line, and that's just catering.
Second, surcharges: service fees, bar minimums, child pricing, post-midnight venue rates. These don't always show up in the quote, and they can add 8-12% in the final two months when you can't renegotiate.
Third, decor. The Pinterest vision can eat 18-22% of a normal budget, and your guests will look at it for about three hours. Write two lists, "essential" and "if budget allows", and know exactly which is which before you sign anything.
How Weddly handles this
The Budget module takes your guest count and total ceiling, and the six categories recalc live against this split. Each category can be locked ("we're done touching this one"), and every change goes into an audit log. Both of you see the same number, and there's no "but we agreed last week" debate.