Budget tool · Free to use
Wedding cancellation cost calculator
Enter the cancellation schedule from one vendor contract and the payments you have made. See which tier applies on a notice date, what the schedule says the vendor keeps, and the dates where that changes.
How much would it cost to cancel a wedding contract?
Count the days from the date of your written notice to the wedding, then find the tier of the contract’s cancellation schedule that covers that many days. It states what the vendor keeps: a fixed amount, a percentage of the contract total, the payments made or the full total. Compare that with what you have paid. The contract’s wording, notice method and state law decide the actual outcome.
Your entries are kept in this browser so they are here when you come back. They are not uploaded, Clear entries removes them, and no account is needed. This calculator uses USD and does not read your contract; enter its terms yourself.
Example values are filled in below. They are invented for illustration, not a real contract or a market figure. Replace them with the terms and payments from your own contract, or clear them.
What the schedule you entered states
Enter the notice date to see the result.
Arithmetic on the schedule you entered. The contract’s own wording, the notice method it requires and state law decide the actual outcome. Ask the vendor to confirm in writing.
The calendar holds an all-day entry on the last day of each tier from the notice date to the day before the wedding, with no automatic alerts. It is a snapshot; importing again may create duplicates.
The calculation, in plain sight
- Days before the wedding = wedding date − notice date, in calendar days. The wedding day itself is day 0.
- An “at least N days” tier applies when the days before the wedding are N or more. When several are met, the one with the largest N applies.
- A “within N days” tier applies when the days before the wedding are N or fewer. When several are met, the one with the smallest N applies.
- Amount kept = the fixed amount; or the contract total × the percentage, rounded once to the nearest cent; or the payments dated on or before the notice date; or the full contract total.
- If the amount kept is more than the payments made, the difference is the additional amount the schedule says would be owed. If it is less, the calculator shows the difference between payments made and the amount kept, which the schedule alone does not promise to return.
- A tier’s last day = wedding date − the fewest days before the wedding that the tier covers. The next tier starts the day after.
The example in the calculator is a $12,000 contract for a wedding on Saturday, October 16, 2027, with $2,000 paid on March 2, 2026 and $3,000 on September 1, 2026. Its schedule: at least 365 days before, the vendor keeps a fixed $2,000; at least 180 days, all payments made so far; at least 60 days, 50% of the contract total; within 59 days, the full contract total.
Set the notice date to June 1, 2027. That is 137 days before the wedding, so the at-least-60-days tier applies: 50% of $12,000 is $6,000, which is $1,000 more than the $5,000 paid. $1,000 is the additional amount that schedule says would be owed. The tier’s last day is August 17, 2027; from August 18, 2027 the full $12,000 is kept, $7,000 more than the payments made.
The other tier-change dates in the example: through October 16, 2026 the fixed $2,000 is kept, which is $3,000 less than the $5,000 paid; through April 19, 2027 all payments made so far are kept, so the $5,000 kept equals the $5,000 paid.
Where this model stops
It counts calendar days as the difference between two dates. A contract may count business days, count from the day notice is received rather than sent, require a particular notice method or address, or set a time of day. Any of those can move which tier applies, so check the wording before relying on a date near a tier change.
It models one schedule for one contract. It does not model “the greater of” or “the lesser of” formulas, a percentage of anything other than the contract total, credits toward a new date, rebooking or resale terms, separately stated non-refundable fees, taxes, card fees or event insurance. Where a contract states a percentage of another figure, work out the dollar amount and enter it as a fixed amount.
It does not decide whether a clause is enforceable, whether a cancellation by the vendor or an event outside anyone’s control changes the terms, or whether anything is owed to you. The contract’s own wording, the notice method it requires and state law decide the actual outcome, and rules vary by state. Ask the vendor to confirm in writing what they would keep and when. For your rights under the contract, speak with a qualified attorney licensed in your state.
Common questions
How much do I lose if I cancel my wedding?
This calculator cannot know that from the outside. It shows what the cancellation schedule you enter states for one notice date, compared with the payments you enter. The contract’s full wording, the notice method it requires and the law of your state decide the actual outcome, so ask the vendor to confirm the figure in writing.
If I have paid more than the amount kept, is the difference returned?
Not by itself. When payments made exceed the amount the schedule says is kept, the calculator shows the difference and nothing more. Whether any money comes back depends on the contract’s wording, including any clause that calls a deposit or retainer non-refundable, and on state law. Ask the vendor in writing how they read the clause.
What does “within 30 days” mean in this calculator?
Notice given 30 or fewer days before the wedding, counting the wedding day as 0. If you also enter an “at least 30 days” tier, both cover day 30, and the calculator flags the overlap instead of choosing one. Check the contract’s wording for that day, then change one tier’s day count to match it.
Why does the calculator flag a gap or an overlap?
A gap is a range of days that no tier covers. An overlap is a range that more than one tier covers. Picking terms for either would be a guess, so no amount is shown until the schedule you entered covers each day before the wedding once. If the contract itself leaves a gap, ask the vendor in writing which terms apply.
Which date counts as the notice date?
The one the contract’s wording points to. A contract may count the day written notice is sent or the day it is received, and may require a particular method or address. Enter that date, give notice the way the contract requires, and keep proof of when and how you gave it.
Can I use this for a postponement?
Only where the contract treats a date change as a cancellation. Date-change fees, credits toward a new date and rebooking terms are separate provisions that this calculator does not model. The postponement-clause guide covers what to check first.