Wedding & Major Life Event Budget & Savings Planner
Work out what to save each month to fund a wedding or big event on time.
Customize the percentage split below. Changes update the estimated dollar allocation in real time. Total weights must sum to 100%.
Big life events have a fixed date and a moving budget, which makes them stressful to save for. This planner turns a target amount into a clear monthly savings figure, checks whether your saving capacity can actually meet it in time, and splits the budget across the categories that matter for your kind of event. It covers weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and new babies with ready-made allocation templates, and it all runs in your browser.
From target to monthly savings
The core calculation finds the shortfall you still need to cover, then spreads it over the time remaining:
Monthly to save = (Target − Current savings − Outside contributions) ÷ Months to event
It compares that figure to the monthly capacity you enter and tells you whether you're on track, will build a surplus, or face a shortfall — and by how much. A milestone timeline marks the savings you should have reached at the quarter, halfway, and three-quarter points, so you can check your progress rather than discovering a gap at the last minute.
Splitting the budget sensibly
Choosing an event type loads a starting allocation across categories — for a wedding, venue and catering dominate at around 45%, with photography, attire, entertainment, and a small emergency buffer taking the rest. You can drag each category's slider to match your own priorities, and the planner shows the dollar amount for each and flags whether your percentages still add up to 100%. The category figures are planning guides drawn from typical spending patterns, not fixed rules, so adjust them to reflect what matters most to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the monthly savings figure include?
It's the amount you'd need to set aside each month to close the gap between your target budget and what you already have — after subtracting current savings and any outside contributions like family gifts — spread over the months until the event.
What happens if I'm short?
The planner flags a deficit and shows how much per month you're missing. The usual fixes are to save more each month, push the date back, or trim the total budget — any of which brings the plan back into balance.
Are the category percentages fixed?
No. Each event type loads a typical starting split, but every category has a slider you can adjust. The tool just checks that your allocations add up to 100% of the budget.
Is my financial information saved?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.