Live planning model
Normalize two wedding packages at the same attendance
Put both proposals on one guest count, expose required extras, and apply each service percentage to its own subtotal. The signed ledger shows whether fixed, guest-driven, extra, or service lines create the difference.
| Cost component | Package A | Package B | A minus B |
|---|
Current calculation process
Formula, default substitution, intermediate quantities, and check
T_j = (F_j + guests x q_j + extras_j) x (1 + serviceRate_j)
Each package has its own fixed fee, per-guest charge, extras, and service rate; both share one positive whole guest count. Taxes and gratuities belong in extras or the percentage only when the proposal defines them that way.
Five-step package review
Compare like with like
- Choose one realistic attendance that satisfies both proposals’ capacity and minimum rules.
- Separate each package’s fixed fee from charges that multiply by attending guests.
- Add every mandatory upgrade, rental, staffing, ceremony, delivery, and overtime item under extras.
- Apply the service percentage according to the proposal’s stated base and verify whether tax or gratuity is separate.
- Inspect the component differences, then retain proposals, clarifications, and the exported current-value report.
Five comparison concepts
Where package prices diverge
Common attendance
Different guest assumptions can make the lower proposal appear artificially cheap.
Fixed-versus-variable mix
A higher fixed fee can pair with a lower guest rate and become attractive only above a crossover attendance.
Mandatory extras
An excluded ceremony fee or rental package belongs in the arithmetic, not a footnote.
Percentage base
Service charges can apply to different subsets. This compact model applies the entered rate to the whole modeled subtotal.
Per-guest difference
Dividing the final gap by common attendance makes the scale easier to discuss without replacing the total decision.
Symbols and substitution
Build both all-in modeled totals
| Symbol | Meaning | Package A | Package B |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | Common guests | 135 | |
| F | Fixed package fee | $7,400 | $10,300 |
| q | Per-guest charge | $128 | $105 |
| E | Entered extras | $1,850 | $900 |
| s | Service charge | 22% | 18% |
Default substitution: A = (7,400 + 135 x 128 + 1,850) x 1.22. B = (10,300 + 135 x 105 + 900) x 1.18. The ledger reconciles the service amount and total for each package.
Three contract lenses
Look beyond the headline total
Inclusion matrix
Compare hours, spaces, rentals, staffing, menu, bar, setup, teardown, accessibility, and backup plans line by line.
Attendance sensitivity
Rerun at guaranteed minimum, expected attendance, and capacity. Fixed/variable mixes can reverse the ranking.
Payment and cancellation
Equal totals can carry different deposit schedules, refund rights, rescheduling terms, and financial exposure.
Two package cases
Normal and tie outcomes
Venue A versus all-inclusive B
The default comparison gives A a lower fixed fee but higher guest and service rates. The couple uses the component table to see whether the apparent base-price advantage survives.
Exact modeled tie
If both package totals are equal at the common attendance, the calculator reports a tie. Scope, quality, terms, and preference then control; it does not force a winner.
Terms
Vendor-comparison vocabulary
- Fixed package fee
- Entered charge that does not vary with guests.
- Per-guest charge
- Amount multiplied by common attendance.
- Extras
- Mandatory scoped costs outside fixed and guest lines.
- Subtotal
- Fixed fee plus guest charges plus extras.
- Service charge
- Percentage applied to the modeled subtotal here.
- Scope parity
- Equivalent inclusions, timing, attendance, and service boundary.
Package questions
Frequently asked questions
Why must both packages use the same guest count?
Guest-driven charges must share one attendance basis or the totals are not directly comparable.
Where should taxes and gratuities go?
Enter them in extras or the percentage only according to the written proposal. Do not assume a service charge includes gratuity or tax.
What if the service charge applies only to food and beverage?
This compact model applies it to the whole subtotal. Calculate the contract-specific service amount separately and enter an equivalent adjustment in extras, or use a more detailed contract model.
Can I compare packages with different included hours?
First price the additional hours or other scope needed to make the service boundary equivalent.
Why show a per-guest difference?
It scales the total gap for discussion at the common attendance; it is not the marginal saving from removing one guest.
What if one proposal has a minimum spend?
Set the fixed and extra lines so the modeled subtotal respects the minimum at your guest count, and document the treatment.
Limits and evidence
The model cannot read contract fine print
- It applies each service rate to the entire entered subtotal, which may differ from the contract base.
- Taxes, gratuities, minimums, overtime, and damage deposits appear only if entered.
- One guest count does not reveal attendance crossover behavior.
- Price does not measure vendor quality, fit, accessibility, reliability, or cancellation protection.
Evidence record: retain both proposals, inclusion matrix, attendance assumption, written clarification of percentages, payment terms, and exported comparison. This is planning analysis, not contract interpretation or legal advice.
Sources and related work
Keep the comparison attached to the budget
- CFPB: Budgeting guidance — compare planned spending with available resources.
- FTC Consumer Alert: Planning a wedding — consumer questions and vendor caution.