Wedding budget template for Nigeria, in naira: every line, by event, with deposits and who pays
· comtev
A Nigerian wedding budget works best split by event, not by category, because the introduction, the traditional and the white wedding are often paid for by different people. Give every line five columns: the estimate, the written quote, the deposit paid, the balance and its due date, and who pays. Build it from real quotes rather than from a total you picked first, keep a contingency line, and remember that the guest count drives most of the big lines. The template below has every line we would expect on a large Nigerian wedding. Copy it into Google Sheets or Excel and fill in your own naira amounts.
How to use the template
- Fill the guest count for each event first. Catering, drinks, souvenirs, chairs, ushers and invitations all scale with it.
- Put an estimate on each line, then replace it with the written quote as each vendor confirms.
- Record deposits as you pay them, and the date each balance is due.
- Fill "who pays" as the families agree it. Disagreements about money usually come from lines nobody assigned.
- Keep a contingency line. Prices move between the quote and the event, and the guest list grows.
The template
Columns: Line · Estimate (₦) · Quote (₦) · Deposit paid (₦) · Balance (₦) · Balance due · Who pays
Introduction
| Line | Estimate | Quote | Deposit | Balance | Due | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue or family house costs | ||||||
| Food and drinks for both families | ||||||
| Gifts for the bride's family | ||||||
| Transport for the groom's family |
Traditional wedding
| Line | Estimate | Quote | Deposit | Balance | Due | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue or canopies and chairs | ||||||
| Catering (guest count x price per head) | ||||||
| Drinks | ||||||
| List items (from the bride's family's list) | ||||||
| Cash gifts and bride price | ||||||
| Alaga or MC | ||||||
| Decor | ||||||
| Music (DJ, band, talking drummers) | ||||||
| Photography and video | ||||||
| Aso oke and attire | ||||||
| Makeup and gele |
White wedding (church and reception)
| Line | Estimate | Quote | Deposit | Balance | Due | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church or registry fees | ||||||
| Reception venue | ||||||
| Catering (guest count x price per head) | ||||||
| Drinks | ||||||
| Cake | ||||||
| Decor and flowers | ||||||
| MC | ||||||
| DJ or band | ||||||
| Photography and video | ||||||
| Wedding dress, suit and accessories | ||||||
| Rings | ||||||
| Makeup and hair | ||||||
| Bridal train outfits (if the couple pays) | ||||||
| Cars and transport |
Across all events
| Line | Estimate | Quote | Deposit | Balance | Due | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planner fee | ||||||
| Guest list collection | ||||||
| Invitations and access passes | ||||||
| RSVP tracking and thank-you messages | ||||||
| Ushers and gate team | ||||||
| Souvenirs (guest count x unit price) | ||||||
| Programs and printing | ||||||
| Hotel rooms for out-of-town family | ||||||
| Contingency | ||||||
| Total |
The lines that grow when the guest list grows
Every line marked "guest count x" moves when someone adds names. So do drinks, chairs, ushers and the gate. When the families ask for "just twenty more", the budget is the place to show what twenty more costs, line by line. That conversation is easier with a number in front of everyone than in a voice note. We wrote about the guest list that would not stop growing, and about how many souvenirs to order.
Deposits and balances
Most vendors ask for a deposit to hold the date and the balance before the event. Put the balance dates in the template and pay them before the event week, so nothing is being negotiated in the hall. Keep every receipt against its line. If you are a planner managing the budget for a client, invoice the client's payments in lines too; the free invoice generator makes naira invoices in your browser, and Paystack for event planners explains fees and settlement.
What the template leaves to you
The template does not give prices, because naira prices for venues, food and vendors move from month to month and from city to city. Put in your own quotes. For the planner's own fee, published 2026 ranges with their sources are in how much do event planners charge in Nigeria.
On Comtev, the guest-side lines in this budget, guest list collection, invitations and access passes, and RSVP tracking, are what a planner resells. An AI assistant collects the guest list on WhatsApp, invitations and QR access passes go out in one tap, and you set your own client price for them. See pricing for a worked example and how it works.
FAQs
How do I make a wedding budget in Nigeria?
Split it by event (introduction, traditional, white wedding), list every line, set the guest count for each event, and fill each line with an estimate and then a written quote. Track deposits, balances, due dates and who pays, and keep a contingency line.
What should be in a Nigerian wedding budget?
Venue, catering, drinks, list items and cash gifts, MC or alaga, decor, music, photography, attire and aso oke, makeup, cake, rings, transport, the planner, guest list collection, invitations and access passes, ushers, souvenirs, printing, accommodation and contingency.
Who pays for what at a Nigerian wedding?
It varies by family. Some split costs by event, others by line. Agree it early and write it in the "who pays" column so every line has an owner.
Why does the guest count matter so much?
Catering, drinks, souvenirs, chairs, ushers, invitations and the gate all scale with the number of guests, so each extra guest adds to several lines at once.
Is there a free wedding budget template in Excel?
Yes. Copy the tables on this page into Google Sheets or Excel; each table becomes a sheet, and the totals can be summed per column.