# Marriage Planning Calculator: Wedding Budget India > Marriage planning calculator: build an Indian wedding budget from guests, per-plate cost, venue, outfits and jewellery, and the monthly saving needed. Source: https://trykosh.com/tools/wedding-cost-planner Free tool - Budgeting and planning # Marriage planning calculator: budget and monthly saving Build a wedding budget line by line, from catering for every function to jewellery and guest travel. The planner adds a buffer for overruns, projects the cost to the wedding date and shows what to save each month. Rules checked 25 October 2026Free - no sign-upRuns in your browser Save every month INR 1,23,034 Wedding budget INR 37,52,982 in 2 years (INR 32.78 lakh at today's prices) Budget today**INR 32.78 lakh** Cost per guest**INR 10,927** Your savings cover**15%** Catering **INR 10,80,000**Venue and decor **INR 5,00,000**Outfits for the couple and family **INR 3,00,000**Jewellery and gold **INR 5,00,000**Photography and video **INR 2,00,000**Travel and stay for guests **INR 1,50,000**Gifts and return gifts **INR 1,50,000**Everything else **INR 1,00,000**Buffer **INR 2,98,000** Budget at today's prices Item Amount Share Catering INR 10,80,000 32.9% Venue and decor INR 5,00,000 15.3% Jewellery and gold INR 5,00,000 15.3% Outfits for the couple and family INR 3,00,000 9.2% Photography and video INR 2,00,000 6.1% Travel and stay for guests INR 1,50,000 4.6% Gifts and return gifts INR 1,50,000 4.6% Everything else INR 1,00,000 3.1% Buffer for overruns INR 2,98,000 9.1% Total INR 32,78,000 100% Catering is INR 10,80,000: 300 guests x INR 1,200 a plate x 3 functions. Trimming the guest list moves the budget more than anything else. ## Upload your statement and Kosh does this for you. Upload a bank statement and Kosh builds this from your real spending: every UPI payment, EMI and subscription, sorted and priced. [Start free](/signup?via=tool-wedding-cost-planner) ## How the wedding cost planner works Catering is usually the largest single cost of an Indian wedding, so the planner works it out separately: average guests per function x cost per plate x number of catered functions. A 300-guest wedding with three functions at INR 1,200 a plate is INR 10.8 lakh before anything else. Then add the other heads: venue and decor, outfits for the couple and family, jewellery and gold, photography and video, travel and stay for out-of-town guests, gifts and return gifts, and everything else (invitations, music, makeup and mehendi artists, priest, transport). A buffer, 10% by default, covers the overruns nearly every family reports. If the wedding is some time away, the total is grown at wedding-cost inflation (7% by default) to the date. Your existing savings grow at the return you expect and the gap becomes a monthly saving figure. Gold jewellery tracks the gold price rather than general inflation, so revisit that line if prices move sharply. Because the wedding date is fixed and usually within a few years, the money should sit somewhere stable. The 7% default return reflects deposits and debt funds, not equity. Budget = (guests x per-plate cost x functions + other heads) x (1 + buffer) - Future cost = budget x (1 + inflation)^years Buffer allowance for overruns, 10% by default ## Worked example: Meera's wedding in Jaipur, 18 months away Meera's family expects 450 guests across three functions at INR 1,500 a plate, so catering alone is INR 20,25,000. With a INR 9 lakh venue, INR 8 lakh of jewellery, outfits, photography, guest stays and gifts, plus a 10% buffer, the budget is INR 55.27 lakh at today's prices. In 18 months that becomes INR 61,17,929. Their INR 15 lakh of savings covers 27%, leaving INR 2,33,950 to save each month; cutting 100 guests would save INR 4.5 lakh on catering alone, before the buffer. Save every month INR 2,33,950 Wedding budget INR 61,17,929 in 1 year 6 months (INR 55.27 lakh at today's prices) Budget today**INR 55.27 lakh** Cost per guest**INR 12,283** Your savings cover**27%** Catering **INR 20,25,000**Venue and decor **INR 9,00,000**Outfits for the couple and family **INR 4,00,000**Jewellery and gold **INR 8,00,000**Photography and video **INR 2,50,000**Travel and stay for guests **INR 3,00,000**Gifts and return gifts **INR 2,00,000**Everything else **INR 1,50,000**Buffer **INR 5,02,500** Catering is INR 20,25,000: 450 guests x INR 1,500 a plate x 3 functions. Trimming the guest list moves the budget more than anything else. [Load this example into the calculator ->](?guests=450&plate=1500&venue=900000&outfits=400000&jewellery=800000&photo=250000&travel=300000&gifts=200000&other=150000&years=1.5&existing=1500000#calculator) ## Good to know - Gifts a bride or groom receives on the occasion of their own marriage are not taxed, whatever the amount and whoever gives them. Keep a record of large gifts in case questions come up later. - Under income-tax law no one may receive INR 2 lakh or more in cash for a single event, so vendors should be paid by bank transfer or UPI for big bills. - Giving or taking dowry is a criminal offence under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. Gifts given voluntarily to the couple are different, but keep it to that. - Book venues and caterers for off-season dates if you can. The same hall can cost far less outside the peak winter muhurat weeks. - Avoid funding a wedding with a personal loan. At 11-16% interest, a INR 10 lakh loan over five years costs INR 3-4.5 lakh in interest alone. ## Frequently asked questions How much does an average Indian wedding cost? It varies enormously: from a few lakh for a small ceremony to well over a crore for large, multi-day events. For a middle-class family in a big city, INR 20-50 lakh is a common range. Catering and venue together usually make up half or more of the bill. How do I plan finances for marriage? Fix the guest count and number of functions first, since they drive catering and venue costs. Then price each head, add a 10% buffer, and work out the monthly saving to the date. Keep the money in deposits or debt funds, not equity, because the date can't move. Are wedding gifts taxable in India? No, not for the couple. Gifts received on the occasion of one's own marriage are exempt from income tax regardless of value or giver. Gifts to other family members, such as the parents, don't get this exemption beyond the usual rules for relatives. Should I take a loan for my wedding? It is better avoided. Personal loans charge high interest and the EMIs start just as a new household's expenses rise. If some borrowing is unavoidable, keep it small and plan to repay it within a year or two. How can I reduce wedding costs? Cut the guest list, combine functions, choose an off-season date and a venue that includes decor, and set a firm cap on jewellery. Small changes to the per-plate cost add up quickly when multiplied across hundreds of guests and several meals. ## Sources and assumptions - [Income Tax Department](https://www.incometax.gov.in/) Rules and rates last checked on 25 October 2026. Results are estimates for planning and education, not tax, legal or investment advice. Kosh is an educational financial planning tool by Primedepth Labs. It is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser and does not offer personalised investment advice, hold your money or execute trades. Markets carry risk; read scheme documents carefully and consult a registered adviser before acting.