GTA Event & Wedding Budget Calculator (2026)
South Asian weddings are multi-event celebrations — a single “average” number is useless. Pick your events, set guest counts per function, and choose a style tier.
What are you planning?
Usually at home or a small hall — catering, mehndi artists, backdrop decor.
Guests: 75
Hall, dinner, DJ or dhol, stage and lighting.
Guests: 200
Religious ceremony costs, mandap or stage decor, baraat, lunch for guests.
Guests: 250
Banquet hall package or hall + outside catering, bar, stage decor, entertainment.
Guests: 300
Your estimated 2026 total
$71,500 – $183,500
Editorial planning ranges for the GTA, not quotes — venue catering policy alone can move this 20–30%.
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Mehndi / Haldi night (75 guests) | $3,000 | $9,500 |
| Sangeet / Garba / Jaago night (200 guests) | $14,000 | $34,000 |
| Ceremony (gurdwara / mandap / nikah + lunch) (250 guests) | $10,500 | $30,000 |
| Reception / Walima (300 guests) | $30,000 | $66,000 |
| Photography + videography (all events) | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| Attire, jewellery & makeup | $6,000 | $20,000 |
| Invitations & stationery | $500 | $3,000 |
| Transport & misc. | $1,500 | $6,000 |
Want vendor quotes that match this budget?
How this calculator works
Pick your event type, then each component combines a per-guest range (venue and catering for that format) with a fixed range (decor, entertainment, extras). Whole-event costs — photography, attire or AV, stationery and the like — are added on top. The style tier scales every range: budget-smart assumes off-peak dates, outside catering where allowed, and selective decor; premium assumes peak Saturdays, full florals, and top-tier teams. Full breakdowns live in our GTA wedding cost guide and the cost guides linked below.
Budget FAQs
How much does an event cost in the GTA in 2026?
It depends on the event and guest count. A milestone birthday, baby shower or engagement party for 50–100 guests typically runs CA$2,000–$18,000; a non-cultural wedding CA$25,000–$75,000; and a multi-event South Asian wedding CA$60,000–$150,000+. Guest count and venue are the two biggest levers for every event type — this calculator sizes the estimate to both.
How accurate is this calculator?
The ranges are 2026 editorial estimates for the GTA market, consistent with our published cost guides and reviewed against real vendor pricing. Treat the output as a planning envelope, not a quote — your venue's catering policy (in-house vs outside caterers) alone can swing the total by 20–30%.
What's the single best way to reduce the total?
Trim the guest list before trimming anything else — catering and venue costs scale linearly with guests across every event type. After that: book a venue that allows outside catering, move the date to a Friday/Sunday or the off-season, and simplify the categories your guests won't notice.