Free tool · Couples
South Asian wedding budget planner
One total, split across every ceremony and every category, so the family can talk about the same numbers.
Free toolNo account needed
By ceremony
- Mehndi200 guests£9,12023%
- Wedding ceremony250 guests£11,39028%
- Reception300 guests£17,09043%
Contingency (6%)£2,400
Total£40,000.00
By category
| Category | Amount | Guides say |
|---|---|---|
| Catering30% · guides say 30–35% | £12,00030% | 30–35% |
| Venues21% · guides say 20–25% | £8,40021% | 20–25% |
| Outfits and jewellery13% · guides say 12–16% | £5,20013% | 12–16% |
| Decor, lighting and flowers12% · guides say 10–15% | £4,80012% | 10–15% |
| Photography and video8% · guides say 7–12% | £3,2008% | 7–12% |
| Entertainment4% · guides say 4–6% | £1,6004% | 4–6% |
| Hair, makeup and mehndi artist3% · guides say 2–4% | £1,2003% | 2–4% |
| Transport2% · guides say 1–3% | £8002% | 1–3% |
| Invitations and stationery1% · guides say 1–2% | £4001% | 1–2% |
| Contingency | £2,400 | 5–10% |
Your catering share works out at about £16.00 per guest across all events (750 guest places). That's outside what most UK guides quote. Check it against real quotes.
An estimate for one scenario. Nothing is saved. Shares come from published UK guides, most of them written by businesses that sell wedding services, so treat them as rough guides, not survey results.
The method
How the planner works
Your total
Enter the amount the family has agreed to spend on everything, from the first event to the last.
Your ceremonies and guests
Choose the events you're planning, such as a dholki or jaggo, mehndi, sangeet, nikkah, anand karaj, baraat, walima or reception, and how many guests each one will have. Bigger events take a bigger share. An evening at home takes less than a hall for 400.
The split
The planner shares the total across your events by guest numbers and event type, and across categories using the ranges in the table below. It also shows what your catering share works out to per guest, so you can sanity-check it against real quotes.
What the guides say
Typical budget shares
These are the default shares the planner starts from. They come from published UK guides to South Asian wedding costs from 2025 and 2026. Most of those guides come from venues, directories and planning sites, so treat them as rough guides, not survey results.
| Category | Typical share | Planner default |
|---|---|---|
| Catering | 30–35% | 30% |
| Venues | 20–25% | 21% |
| Outfits and jewellery | 12–16% | 13% |
| Decor, lighting and flowers | 10–15% | 12% |
| Photography and video | 7–12% | 8% |
| Entertainment (DJ, dhol, live music) | 4–6% | 4% |
| Hair, makeup and mehndi artist | 2–4% | 3% |
| Transport | 1–3% | 2% |
| Invitations and stationery | 1–2% | 1% |
| Contingency | 5–10% | 6% |
For comparison, Bridebook's 2026 UK Wedding Report, based on around 7,000 couples across all UK weddings, found venue and catering made up 51% of spending, attire 19% and photography and video 10%.
Before you commit
What to watch
- Catering prices per head often exclude staff, crockery, linen and VAT. Ask for an itemised quote.
- A venue booked for three nights costs three times, plus setup time for the decorator.
- Guest lists grow. Each extra guest adds to catering, chairs and invitations at once.
- Outfits for several events add up faster than any other personal cost.
Questions
Published UK guides put catering at around 30 to 35% of the total, venues at 20 to 25%, decor at 10 to 15%, outfits and jewellery at 12 to 16% and photography and video at 7 to 12%. Keep 5 to 10% back for things nobody planned.
One UK guide puts the mehndi at 15 to 20% of the total, with the main ceremony and reception taking most of the rest. It depends on your guest numbers, so the planner works from those.
Catering, in every UK guide we checked. Large guest lists across two or three catered events make it the biggest single line, often ahead of the venue.
Not on this page. It gives one estimate and keeps nothing. The budget tracker in the Nodus app, which is coming, will save your budget and track it against real quotes and bookings.
They are rough guides from published UK sources, several of them written by businesses that sell wedding services. Costs vary by city and venue. Use the result to start the conversation, then check it against real quotes.
Save and track in the app
Create a free account to keep your plan in one place, message vendors and collect quotes against each ceremony. Nodus is free for couples, forever.
Save and track in the appKeep going
Where next
- The platformPlanning tools built for more than one ceremonyOne planning hub for every ceremony: budget tracker, South Asian task list, guest list and RSVPs, shortlist and moodboard. What's live and what's coming.
- JournalThe real cost of a South Asian wedding in 2026By our estimate, a South Asian wedding in the UK costs around £40,000, but the range is huge. Here's where the money goes, and where couples overspend.
- JournalAsian wedding catering cost per head in the UKWhat UK Asian wedding catering costs per head, by event and service style, what a quote should include and how to compare quotes. Sources are dated.
Also useful: How many guests at an Asian wedding · Asian wedding catering cost calculator · Free tools for South Asian weddings