TL;DR: A 75-guest wedding in Burbank, CA typically runs $38,000 – $62,000, with a realistic midpoint around $48,000 — that's roughly $640 per guest. Venue and catering will eat about 55% of your budget, driven by LA-area minimums and Burbank's proximity to Hollywood-adjacent pricing.
Useful summary
Burbank sits inside the Los Angeles market, so your per-guest costs track closer to LA than to inland California. For 75 guests — a mid-sized wedding that still fits most restaurant buyouts, boutique venues, and backyard-style events — you have more pricing flexibility than a 150-guest event, but you'll still pay LA-county rates for catering, photography, and rentals.
Here's what you're realistically looking at:
- Bare-bones (restaurant buyout or community venue, DIY flowers): $28,000 – $36,000
- Mid-range (boutique venue, full-service catering, pro photo/video): $42,000 – $55,000
- Elevated (Griffith Park–adjacent estate, designer florals, premium bar): $60,000 – $85,000+
Variable data table
Typical allocation for a $48,000 budget at 75 guests in Burbank:
| Category | % of Budget | Typical Spend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | 22% | $10,560 | $4k–$15k for Burbank/Glendale spaces; higher in Toluca Lake |
| Catering + bar | 33% | $15,840 | ~$150–$225/person all-in with bar |
| Photography | 11% | $5,280 | $3.5k–$8k for 8 hours in LA county |
| Videography | 7% | $3,360 | Often booked with photo as a package |
| Flowers + decor | 9% | $4,320 | Trader Joe's DIY brings this to ~$1,500 |
| Attire (both partners) | 6% | $2,880 | Dress, suit, alterations, accessories |
| Music/DJ | 5% | $2,400 | DJ $1.5k–$3.5k; live band starts at $5k |
| Stationery + signage | 2% | $960 | Save-the-dates, invites, day-of signage |
| Officiant, license, misc. | 2% | $960 | Marriage license in LA County is $91 |
| Buffer (highly recommended) | 3% | $1,440 | Tips, day-of surprises, overtime |
Add 8–10% gratuity on top if your caterer and venue don't include service charges.
Local context
Burbank is a practical wedding market — you're near DTLA, Pasadena, and the studios without Beverly Hills pricing. A few things that shape the budget here:
- Venue types: Castaway (now closed and redeveloping), The Castaway's successors, The Smoke House, Lakeside Golf Club (Toluca Lake), Brand Library in Glendale, and Walt Disney Concert Hall–adjacent spaces. Restaurant buyouts along Magnolia Park and private estates in the Burbank Hills are popular at the 75-guest size.
- Climate: Dry, warm summers (June–October) make outdoor ceremonies easy, but August/September heat in the Valley regularly hits 95°F+. Budget for shade, fans, or tent sidewalls.
- Parking and permits: Many Burbank residential streets require permits for parties, and hillside venues near Griffith Park often need shuttle logistics (add $800–$1,500).
- Vendor access: You have the full LA vendor pool — which is a pricing blessing and curse. Peak Saturday dates (May, June, September, October) command 15–25% premiums.
- Sales tax: LA County sales tax is 9.5%, which applies to rentals, bar, and food minimums — factor this in, not around it.
Internal links
If you haven't locked your guest count yet, comparing budgets side-by-side helps:
- Smaller weddings scale down faster than people expect — see the Houston 25-guest budget for a microwedding benchmark.
- The Houston 50-guest budget shows the pricing inflection point most couples hit.
- The Houston 75-guest comparison is useful if you're weighing a destination wedding against a home-market Burbank event.
For how to allocate by priority (not just by average), read the full Wedding Budget Guide and pair it with the Wedding Checklist Guide.
Tool CTA
Want your own number instead of the average? The Wedding Budget Calculator takes your guest count, zip code, and top three priorities and outputs a personalized allocation in about 90 seconds.
FAQ
Is $48,000 actually realistic for 75 guests in Burbank?
Yes, if you choose one splurge (venue, food, or photography) and stay mid-market on the rest. Couples who try to go premium on all categories in the LA market typically land at $70,000+ for 75 guests, so pick your priorities early.
What's the cheapest way to do 75 guests in Burbank without it feeling cheap?
Book a restaurant buyout on a Friday or Sunday, use their in-house food and bar, skip the videographer, and hire a DJ instead of a band. That path comes in around $28,000–$34,000 and still feels full-service because the venue handles setup, service, and cleanup.
How much should I budget for the bar specifically?
For 75 guests in Burbank, expect $3,000–$5,500 for a five-hour open bar with beer, wine, and two signature cocktails. A full premium open bar runs $6,000–$9,000. Beer-and-wine only drops it to roughly $2,200.
Are weekday weddings really cheaper in Burbank?
Noticeably so. Thursday and Sunday dates typically save 15–25% on venue and photography, and Monday–Wednesday can save 30%+. The tradeoff is guest attendance — plan on a 10–15% RSVP drop for non-Saturday dates.
Do I need a wedding planner for a 75-guest wedding?
A full-service planner ($6,000–$12,000 in LA) is optional at this size, but a month-of coordinator ($1,500–$2,800) is worth it. They handle vendor timelines and day-of logistics so you're not managing your own wedding.
What does the marriage license cost in Burbank?
A public marriage license in Los Angeles County is $91, and a confidential license is $85. You can get it at the LA County Registrar-Recorder office in Norwalk or at satellite offices — appointments book 1–2 weeks out in peak season.
How much buffer should I actually hold back?
Keep 5–8% of your total budget unspent until two weeks before the wedding. Overtime fees, last-minute rental adds, tips, and guest count changes almost always pop up, and couples without a buffer end up putting these on credit cards.
Sources
- The Knot 2024 Real Weddings Study (regional cost data for Los Angeles metro)
- WeddingWire Cost Guide 2024 (Burbank and LA County vendor pricing)
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (marriage license fees)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA)
Related
- Wedding Budget Calculator
- Wedding Budget Guide
- Houston 25-Guest Wedding Budget
- Houston 50-Guest Wedding Budget
- Houston 75-Guest Wedding Budget
- Wedding Checklist Guide
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