What is in the file
An .xlsx workbook with two sheets and live formulas. It opens in Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets and LibreOffice, and nothing in it is locked.
| Sheet | What it does |
|---|---|
| Budget | Category allocations against your total, using the same percentage split as the calculator on this site — venue, food and drink 48%, photo and video 11%, attire 9%, flowers and decor 9%, music 8%, transport 4%, stationery 3%, contingency 8%. Change the total and every category recalculates. |
| Payments | One row per supplier: quoted, contracted, deposit paid, balance outstanding and due date. The balance is a formula, so it cannot drift from what you have entered. |
Why two sheets and not one
Because they answer different questions. The budget sheet tells you whether the plan fits. The payments sheet tells you whether the money is available when it is asked for — and those fail independently. A budget that balances perfectly can still leave you short in a single month, because most suppliers want their balance in the same final four weeks.
Sort the payments sheet by due date rather than by category. It is the view you will actually use.
How to use it
- Put your total in the budget sheet and let the categories populate.
- As each quote arrives, enter it against the category and watch the drift.
- On the day you pay a deposit, add the row to the payments sheet — amount, date, balance, due date, refund deadline.
- Once a quarter, sort by due date and check no single month is unaffordable.
Check the numbers first
The calculator uses the same percentages, so the sheet and the site will not disagree.
Common questions
What is in the wedding budget spreadsheet?
An .xlsx workbook with two sheets: a budget sheet that splits your total across the standard categories with live formulas, and a payments sheet holding each supplier's quote, deposit, balance and due date.
What format is the wedding budget spreadsheet?
.xlsx, which opens in Excel, Numbers, Google Sheets and LibreOffice. The formulas are live and nothing is locked or protected.
Why does the spreadsheet have a separate payments sheet?
Because a budget that balances can still fail on timing. Most suppliers want their balance in the same final month, so the payments sheet sorts by due date to show you what actually leaves the account and when.