Thirty guests, $1,500, and it still needs to feel special. Here is the split professional planners use, adapted for a Sydney home or hired-space party.
The 40/18/17/15/10 rule
- Catering — $600 (40%): a grazing table or food truck-style drop-off beats plated everything.
- Cake — $270 (18%): one showpiece drip cake serving 30.
- Decorations — $255 (17%): a balloon garland install photographs better than $255 of scattered bits.
- Music — $225 (15%): two hours of an acoustic soloist, or skip it below $1,000 total.
- Photography — $150 (10%): a 90-minute mini session covers cake cutting and golden hour.
Where people blow the budget
Ordering each thing separately, from suppliers who each charge delivery, on different days. Booking everything for the same date in one place (DadsOrder's Event Blueprint does this split automatically and checks every supplier's availability for your date) keeps the total visible the whole time.