Let’s talk event budgets – the elephant in the room every time someone starts planning an event. It might feel uncomfortable to share a number right away, but knowing your event budget is critical to creating an experience that’s realistic, enjoyable, and most importantly, achievable.
Think about it like this:
Would you walk into a real estate office and ask for a five-bedroom house without giving any indication of your budget?
Of course not. Why? Because that agent might show you everything from a $1 million family home to a $10 million luxury mansion.
Deep down, you likely already have a range. And if $10 million is out of the question, falling in love with that dream house only to realise it’s way out of reach is disheartening.
Events work the same way.
When we don’t have a clear event budget from the start, we’re guessing and that guess could result in a lavish proposal filled with premium features you simply can’t justify spending on. Or worse, a bare-bones setup that leaves you thinking, “Is this it?”
Why your event budget matters
Your event budget acts as the foundation for every decision we make. It helps us strike the right balance between creating impact and staying practical. With a clear budget range, we know whether we’re pulling out all the stops or scaling it back for a more intimate, minimal vibe.
It doesn’t mean you need to have every cent accounted for from the get-go but having a ballpark figure gives us a starting point to build something incredible that doesn’t break the bank.
How much should I spend on an event?
We get it, it’s hard to know how much an event costs if you’ve never organised one before. You may be imagining an incredible gala, but have no idea if it’ll cost $20,000 or $200,000. That’s completely normal.
The short answer: Talk to us!
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer because event budgets depend on so many variables but that doesn’t mean we can’t guide you.
We’re here to help you prioritise what matters most. We can scale back areas that don’t need the spotlight and invest in the elements that make the biggest impact on your guests.
Key factors that impact your event budget
To help narrow things down, here are a few major factors that influence your event budget:
Guest Count: A 20-person event will cost significantly less than a 200-person one. Think catering, venue size, staffing — it all scales with numbers.
Event Type: A breakfast seminar at a hotel is very different to hiring out an entire stadium for a product launch.
Production Needs: Do you need AV, staging, entertainment, styling, branding, or high-end catering? All of these contribute to the overall cost.
Rather than thinking “how much does an event cost?”, a better question is “how much are we willing to spend to create the experience we want?”
Take a look at our portfolio for an idea of the kind of event you can put on with different budgets.
Set realistic expectations
We love getting creative and finding ways to maximise what you have but we’re not miracle workers.
If you’re picturing a five-course dining experience, custom installations, and an A-list entertainer for 150 guests… we probably can’t deliver that on a $1,000 budget.
To put it in perspective: a nice dinner out for a family of four might cost anywhere from $200–$500. Multiply that by 25 to 100 guests and that’s before we even get into styling, venue hire, or entertainment.
What if I still don’t know my event budget?
That’s okay! Start with the vision.
We can help guide you based on the information you do know: your guest count, date, style of event, and any must-haves. From there, we can share examples of past events, including what they cost, so you can get a feel for what your dream event might realistically require.
Often, this initial conversation becomes something you take back to your team internally for further discussion and refinement.
At the end of the day, there’s no such thing as a silly question or a wrong number your event budget simply helps us understand how to create the best possible outcome for your investment.
So reach out, let’s chat, and start shaping your event around what matters most to you. You might be surprised at just how much we can do, no matter your budget.