The one we'd have wanted when we started: 13 real categories, planned vs. actual, a paid/unpaid column, "% of budget" so nothing quietly eats the whole pie, and totals that add up. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.
| Category | Item | Planned | Actual | Paid? | % of budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue & catering | Venue hire | $7,000 | $0.00 | no | 35.0% |
| Venue & catering | Food & drink | $5,000 | $0.00 | no | 25.0% |
| Photo & video | Photographer | $2,500 | $0.00 | no | 12.5% |
| Flowers & decor | Flowers | $1,200 | $0.00 | no | 6.0% |
| Music | Band / DJ | $1,500 | $0.00 | no | 7.5% |
| Other | Contingency (10%) | $2,000 | $0.00 | no | 10.0% |
| … 7 more lines (attire, rings, stationery, beauty, transport, gifts, decorations) + 3 blank rows for your own | |||||
| Total | $19,200 | $0.00 | 96.0% | ||
Illustration of the layout — the numbers are an example; every line in the file starts at $0.
The spreadsheet handles the budget. What a spreadsheet can't do is ask 80 people chicken-or-fish and write down the answers. That's what Vowlist does — one RSVP link your guests tap, a dashboard that fills itself in — for $79 once, no subscription. If you never need that, keep the spreadsheet with our blessing.