TL;DR: A 100-guest wedding in Los Angeles typically runs $55,000 – $95,000 all-in, with most couples landing near $72,000 — driven by venue minimums in the $12K–$25K range and catering at $185–$285 per person. Expect to spend roughly half your budget on venue and food before any other line item.
Useful summary
Los Angeles is one of the three most expensive U.S. wedding markets, alongside New York and the Bay Area. For 100 guests, your two biggest cost drivers are venue rental or food-and-beverage minimums and per-person catering. Together they usually consume 50–60% of your total budget.
A realistic working number for most LA couples planning a 100-guest wedding:
- Lean / budget-conscious: $45,000 – $58,000
- Typical / mid-range: $65,000 – $85,000
- Elevated / full-service: $95,000 – $140,000+
"Lean" assumes a weekday or off-season date, a venue with no rental fee (restaurant buyout, public park, family backyard), and a single photographer. "Elevated" assumes a Saturday in peak season (May–October), a name venue in Malibu or DTLA, and a 9-piece band.
Variable data table
Allocations below assume a $72,000 mid-range budget for 100 guests in the LA metro. Adjust line items proportionally if your total is higher or lower.
| Category | % of Budget | Typical LA Spend (100 guests) |
|---|---|---|
| Venue (rental + fees) | 18% | $11,000 – $16,000 |
| Catering (food + staff) | 28% | $18,500 – $26,000 |
| Bar & beverage | 8% | $5,000 – $8,000 |
| Photography | 8% | $4,500 – $8,500 |
| Videography | 5% | $3,500 – $6,500 |
| Florals & decor | 9% | $5,500 – $9,500 |
| Music (DJ or band) | 6% | $1,800 (DJ) – $9,000 (band) |
| Attire (both partners) | 5% | $3,000 – $7,000 |
| Hair & makeup | 2% | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Stationery & signage | 2% | $800 – $2,000 |
| Planner / coordinator | 7% | $3,500 – $9,000 |
| Rentals (chairs, linens, lighting) | 4% | $2,500 – $5,500 |
| Officiant, license, gratuities | 2% | $1,500 – $2,500 |
| Buffer (10% recommended) | — | $6,500 – $8,500 |
Per-guest math check: at $72,000 total, you're spending $720 per guest. Cutting from 100 to 80 guests typically saves $9,000–$14,000; going to 120 adds roughly the same.
Local context
A few things specific to planning an LA wedding that affect your budget:
- Venue type drives everything. Hotel ballrooms (Beverly Hilton, InterContinental DTLA) carry $25K–$45K F&B minimums on Saturdays. Restaurant buyouts in Silver Lake, Echo Park, or West Hollywood often run $15K–$25K minimums. Outdoor estates in Malibu, Calabasas, and Topanga charge $8K–$20K for site fee alone, then you bring in everything.
- You will pay for parking and shuttles. Most LA venues require valet ($1,500–$4,000 for 100 guests) or a shuttle from a remote lot, especially in Malibu, Pasadena, and the hills.
- Permits add up for outdoor and public-space weddings. Beach ceremonies (El Matador, Leo Carrillo) require LA County or State Parks permits — usually $300–$700, plus insurance.
- Vendor travel fees are real. If your venue is in Malibu or Ojai-adjacent, expect $150–$500 travel surcharges from photographers, florists, and rental companies based in central LA.
- Season matters less here than in other cities, but Saturdays in May, June, September, and October are peak — venues quote 15–25% above their off-season rates.
- Sales tax is 9.5% in LA and applies to catering, rentals, and bar. Service charges of 20–24% are standard and not optional.
Realistic neighborhoods to know: DTLA (industrial-loft venues, $$–$$$), Malibu (estates and beach clubs, $$$$), Pasadena (historic venues like the Castle Green, $$$), Calabasas / Hidden Hills (private estates, $$$$), and the Eastside (Silver Lake, Highland Park — restaurant and small-venue options, $$).
Internal links
If you're sizing up other guest counts or markets to compare, these are useful:
- The full Wedding Budget Guide walks through how to allocate any total budget across categories.
- Use the Wedding Budget Calculator to plug in your guest count and city for an instant breakdown.
- For lower-cost market comparisons at smaller guest counts, see Houston wedding budget for 25 guests, 50 guests, and 75 guests.
- Once your budget is set, the Wedding Checklist Guide gives you the timeline to spend it on.
Tool CTA
The fastest way to pressure-test these numbers against your actual venue, date, and priorities is to run them through our calculator. It pulls LA-specific vendor ranges and flags categories where you're under- or over-allocating.
FAQ
Is $50,000 enough for a 100-person wedding in Los Angeles?
It's possible but tight. You'd need to choose a restaurant buyout or all-inclusive venue (around $30K–$35K for venue + catering + bar), use a DJ instead of a band, keep florals minimal, and book in the off-season (January–March or weekday dates). Most couples at this budget end up cutting the guest list to 70–80 instead.
What's the average cost per guest at an LA wedding?
For a mid-range 100-guest wedding, expect $650–$850 per guest all-in. Catering and bar alone usually run $230–$340 per person once you include service charges and tax. Per-guest cost drops slightly as guest count rises because fixed costs (photography, music, planner) spread across more people.
How much should I budget for the venue alone?
Plan for $11,000–$25,000 for venue rental or food-and-beverage minimum in LA for 100 guests. Hotel and resort venues quote F&B minimums (you owe that amount in food and drink regardless). Estates and raw-space venues charge a flat site fee, then you bring in catering separately — often more expensive overall once you add rentals.
Do I need a wedding planner in LA?
Strongly recommended, even if just a month-of coordinator ($2,000–$4,000). LA vendor logistics — permits, parking, traffic, vendor travel windows, multiple venue contacts — are harder to manage solo than in smaller markets. Full-service planners run $8,000–$18,000 for a 100-guest wedding and typically save you 5–10% through vendor relationships.
What's the cheapest month to get married in Los Angeles?
January, February, and early December are the lowest-cost months, with venue rates 15–30% below peak. Sundays and Fridays year-round also save 10–20%. Avoid late September through October and May through June if budget is the priority — those are LA's most-booked months.
How much should I set aside for a buffer?
Add 10% of your total budget as a contingency line. For a $72,000 wedding, that's about $7,000. It covers the things that always come up: gratuities you forgot to account for, a few extra guests who RSVP'd late, alterations, day-of last-minute rentals, and the bar tab going over.
Are gratuities included in vendor pricing?
Usually no. Service charges (often 20–24%) on catering and venue contracts are not the same as tips to individual staff. Budget an additional $1,500–$3,000 in cash gratuities for servers, bartenders, valets, hair/makeup, delivery drivers, and your planner or coordinator.
Sources
- The Knot 2024 Real Weddings Study (regional cost data for Los Angeles metro)
- WeddingWire 2024 Newlywed Report (per-guest and category averages)
- Zola 2024 First Look Report (vendor pricing and booking trends)
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (sales tax rates)
Related
- Wedding Budget Calculator
- Wedding Budget Guide
- Houston Wedding Budget for 25 Guests
- Houston Wedding Budget for 50 Guests
- Houston Wedding Budget for 75 Guests
- Wedding Checklist Guide
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