Master the practical side of your celebration with our essential planning guides—from calculating quantities and logistics to understanding etiquette and financial responsibilities.
Beyond setting a budget and choosing vendors, successful wedding planning requires mastering the practical details that can make or break your celebration. How much alcohol should you order for your reception? How many servers will you need for a smooth dining experience? Who traditionally pays for the rehearsal dinner? These questions represent just a fraction of the logistical and etiquette considerations that couples must navigate during the planning process.
Our wedding planning guides address the mathematics and social conventions that underpin every successful celebration. We have compiled industry standards, consulted with experienced caterers and event professionals, and researched traditional and modern etiquette to provide comprehensive answers to the most common planning questions. Whether you are organizing an intimate gathering or a large-scale celebration, these resources will help you make confident decisions backed by data and experience.
The guides in this section fall into two main categories: Planning Math covers the quantitative aspects of wedding logistics—calculating alcohol quantities, food portions, staffing needs, and more. These numbers-driven guides help you order the right amounts and hire appropriate staff, avoiding both waste and shortages. The Who Pays section addresses the etiquette of wedding finances, explaining traditional customs and modern approaches to sharing costs among couples and families.
Each guide provides clear formulas, adjustable variables, and practical tips gathered from real weddings. Use these resources alongside our interactive calculators to ensure every aspect of your celebration is properly planned and appropriately funded.
Whether it is food, beverages, or favors, ordering slightly more than calculated ensures you do not run short.
Adjust calculations based on your specific guests. A younger crowd drinks differently than older relatives.
Discuss who pays for what before making any commitments. Clear expectations prevent awkward situations later.
Your caterer and venue have hosted many weddings. Ask for their quantity and staffing recommendations.
Precise calculations for the essential logistics of your celebration. These data-driven guides help you order the right quantities, hire appropriate staff, and plan every detail with confidence.
The logistics of a wedding reception involve numerous calculations that directly impact guest experience and your budget. Order too little alcohol and guests may leave disappointed; order too much and you waste money on unopened bottles. Hire too few servers and your elegant dinner becomes a frustrating experience; hire too many and you overspend on labor. Our planning math guides provide industry-standard formulas and practical adjustments to help you strike the perfect balance for your specific celebration.
Industry-standard formula for calculating beer, wine, and liquor quantities. Adjust for your crowd type, reception length, and bar style with our proven methodology. Includes specific breakdowns for cocktail hour versus dinner service, seasonal considerations, and guidance on popular drink ratios.
CalculationPrecise food quantities based on reception format, time of day, and menu type. Learn the difference between cocktail hours, buffet service, and plated dinners with specific portion sizes for proteins, starches, vegetables, and appetizers. Includes guidance on dietary accommodations and avoiding food waste.
CalculationDetermine ideal photography coverage for your day. From getting-ready photos through the last dance, coverage recommendations for every budget and vision. Includes hour-by-hour breakdown of typical wedding day coverage and guidance on when to add a second photographer.
CalculationCalculate table quantities based on guest count and seating capacity. Includes guidance on sweetheart tables, cocktail rounds, and specialty table arrangements. Learn about round versus rectangular tables, head table configurations, and room layout optimization.
CalculationStaff requirements based on guest count, menu complexity, and service style. Industry standards for captains, servers, bussers, and bartenders at various event sizes. Includes guidance on upscale versus casual service expectations and when to increase staffing ratios.
Navigate wedding etiquette and financial responsibilities across all aspects of your celebration. These guides explain traditional customs, modern approaches, and how to have productive conversations about money.
Wedding financial etiquette has evolved significantly over the past few decades. While traditional customs assigned specific expenses to the bride's family, groom's family, and the couple, modern weddings often involve more flexible arrangements. Today, approximately 60% of couples share costs in some combination with their families, and many couples fund their weddings entirely themselves. Our guides explain both traditional expectations and contemporary approaches, helping you navigate potentially sensitive financial conversations with tact and clarity. The key is open communication early in the planning process to ensure everyone understands and agrees to their financial role.
Traditional customs and modern approaches to wedding expenses. Understand historical family contributions, how to split costs fairly, and strategies for navigating financial conversations with tact and clarity. Includes guidance on handling situations when contributions do not meet expectations and how to gracefully decline unwanted financial strings.
EtiquetteClarify financial responsibility for the rehearsal dinner. Traditional roles assign this to the groom's family, but modern variations are common. Learn about expected costs, who to invite, and how to handle scenarios when contributions do not align with expectations or when families have different budget levels.
EtiquetteBridal shower financial responsibilities and planning guidelines. Learn what bridesmaids and hosts typically cover, when the bride or her family might contribute, and how to plan a lovely shower that stays within reasonable budgets. Includes tips on co-hosting arrangements and managing bridesmaid financial disparities.
EtiquetteHoneymoon expense responsibility and funding approaches. From traditional family contributions to modern couples funding their own trip, explore what is reasonable and common. Includes guidance on honeymoon registries, requesting cash contributions, and managing family gift expectations.
The industry standard is 1 drink per guest per hour of reception, adjusting for your specific crowd. For a 5-hour reception with 100 guests, expect roughly 500 drinks. The typical breakdown is 50% wine, 20% beer, and 30% spirits for mixed drinks. Consider that cocktail hour typically sees heavier consumption while drinking slows after dinner. Adjust upward for younger crowds or heavy-drinking families, and downward for afternoon events or predominantly non-drinking guests.
For cocktail hour, plan 4-6 pieces per person for a 1-hour event followed by dinner, or 12-15 pieces if heavy appetizers serve as the main meal. For plated dinners, expect 6-8 oz of protein, 4-5 oz of starch, and 4-5 oz of vegetables per person. Buffet-style service requires approximately 1.5x the food of plated service to account for guest variation in portion sizes. Always order 10% extra to accommodate bigger appetites and prevent running short.
Traditionally, the bride's family paid for most wedding expenses including the ceremony venue, reception, flowers, photography, and the bride's attire. The groom's family traditionally covered the rehearsal dinner, officiant fee, marriage license, honeymoon, and the bride's bouquet. Today, however, these traditions have largely evolved. Many couples share costs between both families or fund the wedding entirely themselves. The key is having open conversations early in the planning process about expectations and contributions from all parties.
Most weddings require 8-10 hours of photography coverage to capture everything from getting ready through key reception moments. Smaller or more casual weddings may work with 6 hours. A typical breakdown includes: getting ready (1-2 hours), first look and couple portraits (1-1.5 hours), ceremony (30-60 minutes), family formals (30 minutes), cocktail hour (1 hour), and reception through cake cutting or first dances (3-4 hours). Add time for travel between locations.
The industry standard is 1 server per 20-25 guests for plated service, or 1 server per 30-40 guests for buffet style. Cocktail-style events typically need 1 server per 50 guests. For a 150-guest plated dinner, plan for 6-8 servers plus a captain or event manager. Add bartenders at a ratio of 1 per 50-75 guests depending on bar complexity. Higher-end events with more complex service may require additional staff.
Use our comprehensive calculators and guides to make informed decisions with confidence.
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