How much does each guest cost at a wedding? It’s one of the most useful numbers to have when wedding planning. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest to find.
A national number does exist. Per the 2025 Real Weddings Study conducted by The Knot, the average cost of a guest at a U.S. wedding in 2024 was $284. Of course, this number can vary greatly based on when and where the wedding is happening.
So I decided to go local. Using proposals and contracts I have on file as a wedding consultant and coordinator in Portland, Oregon, I broke down the cost per guest for clients who got married in Oregon in 2023 and 2024.
A few notes about the average cost of an Oregon wedding guest:
This data is imperfect. The main reason for this is because vendor proposals are not standardized so different vendors categorize different things under the same heading. The information may also be an estimate, not include beverage, and/or include refundable deposits.
I focused on the two biggest line items at most weddings: venue and menu. This means the number may not account for every vendor or expense you have, but the intention of this article is to give you something to work with when building a budget for a wedding in Oregon.
I’ve removed any identifying information for the clients or the vendors. This is to respect the privacy of the former and the autonomy of the latter (i.e. I don’t want anyone to hold a vendor to an outdated price just because they read about it in this article).
The following information is ranked by month and year.
The average cost of an Oregon wedding guest in 2023:
A June 2023 wedding of 70 guests on a Saturday:
Catering: $12,674.60
Rentals: $5,027.81
Venue: $4,800
Cost per guest: $321.46
A July 2023 wedding of 60 guests on a Sunday:
Catering: $11,323.20
Rentals: $2,593.72
Venue: $2,250
Cost per guest: $269.45
A September 2023 wedding of 120 guests on a Saturday:
Catering: $23,071
Rentals: $1,740
Venue: $8,828.30
Cost per guest: $265.83
An October 2023 wedding of 130 guests on a Friday:
Catering: $17,637.27
Rentals: $5,255.66
Venue: $3,850
Cost per guest: $205.71
Want even more real budget numbers? Rent my brain for an hour.
The average cost of an Oregon wedding guest in 2024:
A September 2024 wedding of 80 people on a Saturday:
Catering: $16,525.20
Rentals: $7,900.60
Venue: $6,800
Cost per guest: $390.32
An October 2024 wedding of 60 people on a Saturday:
Catering: $3,997.50
Rentals: $3,594.60
Venue: $6,800
Cost per guest: $239.86