Sauntera Weddings · Ideas
What a 100-Guest Wedding Costs in Ontario
Totals by guest count and tier — and the per-guest math behind them
Guest count is the single biggest driver of a wedding budget — every seat carries food, bar, rentals and stationery with it. Here's what 2026 Ontario totals look like at each guest count, and the per-guest math that produces them, so you can size your budget before you fall in love with a venue.
Totals by guest count
50 guests: Budget $15,000 · Average $25,000 · Upscale $45,000
80 guests: Budget $20,000 · Average $35,000 · Upscale $60,000
100 guests: Budget $25,000 · Average $40,000 · Upscale $75,000
150 guests: Budget $35,000 · Average $55,000 · Upscale $100,000+
Notice the shape: going from 100 to 150 guests adds roughly $10,000–$25,000 — mostly food and bar.
The per-guest math
For 100 guests, the food-and-drink block alone:
Buffet catering: $60–$90 per guest → $6,000–$9,000
Plated dinner: $90–$180 per guest → $9,000–$18,000
Premium open bar: $35–$70 per guest → $3,500–$7,000
Add venue rental ($5,000–$30,000 depending on the venue type) and you can see why venue + catering + bar is 40–50% of every wedding budget — before a single flower.
What doesn't scale with guests
Photography, your outfits, hair and makeup, and the officiant cost the same at 50 guests as at 150. That's why smaller weddings feel disproportionately premium: the fixed costs spread across fewer seats, so the same total buys noticeably more per guest — better food, bigger florals, longer coverage.
A worked example: 100 guests, average tier
Total around $40,000:
Venue, catering & bar — $16,000–$20,000
Photography — $4,000–$6,000
Flowers & decor — $3,000–$5,000
DJ or band — $2,000–$4,000
Attire — $2,500–$4,000
Hair & makeup — $800–$1,500
Cake, stationery, transport — $1,200–$3,700
Contingency — $2,000
Then add 5–10% for the hidden lines: HST, gratuities, vendor meals, alterations, late-night food.