Memphis Vendor Library

Original data · first edition · 2026-09-01

Memphis Wedding Cost by Guest Count, 2026 Edition

Nobody publishes rigorous Memphis-specific wedding pricing, so this publication collected it. 21 Memphis-area vendors publish 70 prices on their own websites; this page records all of them, derives what they imply about cost by guest count, and states plainly what the sample does not cover.

What this page recommends

Budget the fixed vendors first and the per-guest vendors second: in this sample the fixed block does not move with guest count at all, so the cost per guest falls steeply as the list grows, and cutting the guest list saves far less than people expect.

Method, sample and limits

Sample: 21 Memphis-area wedding and event vendors, 70 individual published prices.

Collection window: 2026-09-01 to 2026-09-01. Every price was read from the vendor's own website on that date.

Method: Every candidate vendor's own website was fetched over HTTP and read as text. A vendor entered the dataset only if a numeric price appeared on a page the vendor controls. Marketplace listings (The Knot, WeddingWire, Zola, Thumbtack, Peerspace, Wedding Spot, Eventective) were used to find candidates and were never used as a price source, because the price shown there is a range the platform assembles rather than the vendor's published rate.

Coverage: Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area, including Germantown and Bartlett, TN and the north Mississippi tri-state area vendors serve from Memphis.

What this is not: not a survey, not an average of what couples paid, and not a ranking. It is a record of what these vendors publish.

What this data does not cover

Stated before the numbers rather than after them, because the gaps decide what the numbers can honestly be used for.

Cost by guest count, from published Memphis prices

Guest count is the largest single cost driver in this category, and it is the thing national wedding sites answer worst: they publish a national average and apply a city multiplier, which is not a measurement of Memphis. The table below is arithmetic on the published per-person and per-item prices in this dataset, plus a fixed block of vendors whose price does not vary with guest count. Every input is listed underneath it.

GuestsPer-guest variable costFixed vendor blockTotalAll-in per guest
50$25.26 – $42.10$9,550 – $26,900$10,813 – $29,005$216.26 – $580.10
75$25.26 – $42.10$9,550 – $26,900$11,444.50 – $30,057.50$152.59 – $400.77
100$23.96 – $41.35$9,550 – $26,900$11,946 – $31,035$119.46 – $310.35
125$23.96 – $41.35$9,550 – $26,900$12,545 – $32,068.75$100.36 – $256.55
150$23.51 – $41.05$9,550 – $26,900$13,076.50 – $33,057.50$87.18 – $220.38
200$23.51 – $41.05$9,550 – $26,900$14,252 – $35,110$71.26 – $175.55

The shape is the finding. The all-in figure per guest falls from $216.26–$580.10 at 50 guests to $71.26–$175.55 at 200, because most of what these vendors publish is a fixed cost being divided across more people. Read the other way: trimming the guest list saves only the per-guest column, which is the smaller half of the bill at every count in this table.

These totals are lower than the national per-guest figures for a reason stated above and worth repeating here: this dataset contains no alcohol, attire, rings, stationery, videography, transport or beauty costs, because no vendor in the sample publishes a price for them. It is a narrower measurement, not a cheaper city.

The per-guest inputs

Each line is a published Memphis price. Where a component comes from one vendor, the sample size says so.

ComponentLowHighBasisVendors
Catering, one plate$11.50$22The Commissary full-service catering, BBQ Shoulder Plate (low) to Rib Plate (high), at the guest-count band the vendor itself publishes.1
Non-alcoholic beverage$1.25$1.50The Commissary, iced tea or lemonade (low) to soft drinks (high).1
Cake, one serving$2.75$5Crave Sweet Shop starting price per serving (low) to Sweet LaLa's starting price per serving (high).2
Chair, share of table, and linen$4.41$6.80Affordable Party Rentals. Low: white metal-leg chair $1.75 + 60in round table $9.75 divided by 8 seats + 120in linen $11.50 divided by 8 seats. High: padded banquet chair $3.85 + 72in round table $14.00 divided by 10 seats + 132in linen $15.50 divided by 10 seats.1
Service staff$3.60$6.80Off The Square Catering. Low: one server at $15.00 per hour, one server per 25 guests, over a 6-hour reception, gratuity excluded, which is $3.60 per guest. High: the same server line plus one bartender at $18.00 per hour per 50 guests over 6 hours ($2.16 per guest), with the 18% gratuity the vendor publishes applied to both, which is $6.80 per guest. The staffing ratios are this publication's assumption and are stated so a reader can change them; the hourly rates and the gratuity are the vendor's published figures.1

The fixed inputs

ComponentLowHighBasisVendors
Photography$2,700$8,000Lowest published full-wedding package across the seven photographers in the sample (Shelby Renee Photo, The Glass Slipper) to the highest entry-level figure among them (Elizabeth Hoard Photography's stated range floor).7
Reception DJ$750$1,150DJ Mark Anderson's published reception range. SAMPLE OF ONE: this is one Memphis DJ's published range, not a market estimate.1
Day-of coordination$1,400$3,250The Hardin House, Wedding Weekend (day-of) package to the Two Month Planning package. SAMPLE OF ONE.1
Venue rental$4,700$14,500Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum, Carriage House + Garden, to The Kent, Front Street Friday-Saturday. SAMPLE OF TWO venues that publish a rental fee. The low figure is a venue whose published maximum capacity is 150. At 200 guests it is not an available option, so the low end of the 200-guest total is not achievable at that venue and the venue line would have to be replaced.2

The underlying table

Every price in this dataset, with the page it is printed on and the date it was read. The vendor links are ordinary editorial citations: nothing was paid for a listing here, no vendor is ranked, and no vendor was told it would appear. Prices change; check the source before relying on a figure.

Download the full dataset as CSV — 70 rows, the same data as the tables below.

Cake — 7 published price(s) from 3 vendor(s)

Wedding cake, priced per serving.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
Sweet LaLa's BakeryWedding cake, starting price per serving$5per servingBase cake; 50% non-refundable deposit at booking; 4-6 week lead timeSweet LaLa's Bakery: Wedding cake, starting price per serving2026-09-01
Sweet LaLa's BakeryFilling$0.50per servingStrawberry, raspberry or lemon curdSweet LaLa's Bakery: Filling2026-09-01
Sweet LaLa's BakeryCake tasting$25flat fee30-minute consult, credited back if you bookSweet LaLa's Bakery: Cake tasting2026-09-01
Sweet LaLa's BakeryDelivery, starting price$150flat feeDelivery and setup; $1.75 per mile beyond a 20 mile radiusSweet LaLa's Bakery: Delivery, starting price2026-09-01
Crave Sweet ShopWedding cake, starting price per serving$2.75per servingBase cake; price increases with design complexityCrave Sweet Shop: Wedding cake, starting price per serving2026-09-01
Crave Sweet ShopStandard cupcake$2.25per servingOne standard cupcakeCrave Sweet Shop: Standard cupcake2026-09-01
J's CakesCustom cake, stated average minimum spend$140vendor's stated averageWhole custom cake, not per servingJ's Cakes: Custom cake, stated average minimum spend2026-09-01

Catering — 19 published price(s) from 4 vendor(s)

Food service, per person or per order.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ Shoulder Plate, 50 to 99 guests$13.25per personChopped BBQ, beans, slaw, potato salad or spaghetti, deviled egg, bread, plates and utensilsThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ Shoulder Plate, 50 to 99 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ Shoulder Plate, 100 to 149 guests$11.95per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ Shoulder Plate, 100 to 149 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ Shoulder Plate, 150 or more guests$11.50per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ Shoulder Plate, 150 or more guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 50 to 99 guests$13.50per personChicken, beans, slaw, potato salad or spaghetti, deviled egg, bread, plates and utensilsThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 50 to 99 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 100 to 149 guests$12.50per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 100 to 149 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 150 or more guests$12.25per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): BBQ or Fried Chicken Plate, 150 or more guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 50 to 99 guests$22per personFull order of ribs, beans, slaw, potato salad or spaghetti, deviled egg, bread, plates and utensilsThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 50 to 99 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 100 to 149 guests$21.25per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 100 to 149 guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 150 or more guests$20.95per personAs aboveThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Rib Plate (6-8 bones), 150 or more guests2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Iced tea or lemonade$1.25per personFresh brewed, sugar, sweetener, real lemonThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Iced tea or lemonade2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Soft drinks$1.50per personSoft drinks added to the plate priceThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Soft drinks2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Cakes and pies$3.75per personDessert added to the plate priceThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Cakes and pies2026-09-01
The Commissary (Germantown Commissary)Homemade banana pudding or brownie$1.75per personDessert added to the plate priceThe Commissary (Germantown Commissary): Homemade banana pudding or brownie2026-09-01
Corky's BBQPrivate party room, stated average per person$15.99per personGroup reservation in a private party room for up to 40 people; 48 hours notice requiredCorky's BBQ: Private party room, stated average per person2026-09-01
Bain Barbecue & BakeryMinimum catering order$150order minimum10-person minimum, $150 total order minimumBain Barbecue & Bakery: Minimum catering order2026-09-01
Bain Barbecue & BakeryBBQ package with sides, bread and sauces$240packageComes with Sweet BBQ Baked Beans, Jalapeno Lime Slaw, Martin's Potato Bread, and saucesBain Barbecue & Bakery: BBQ package with sides, bread and sauces2026-09-01
Off The Square CateringServer$15per hourOne server, per hour; an 18% gratuity is addedOff The Square Catering: Server2026-09-01
Off The Square CateringBartender (ABC certified)$18per hourOne bartender, per hour; an 18% gratuity is addedOff The Square Catering: Bartender (ABC certified)2026-09-01
Off The Square CateringDrop-off delivery and pick up$25flat feeSet up of the food and a return trip to clean upOff The Square Catering: Drop-off delivery and pick up2026-09-01

Dj — 1 published price(s) from 1 vendor(s)

Reception and ceremony disc jockey services.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
DJ Mark AndersonReception DJ service$750 – $1,150vendor's stated rangeEquipment delivery, load in and set up, reception performance, take down and load outDJ Mark Anderson: Reception DJ service2026-09-01

Florals — 1 published price(s) from 1 vendor(s)

Wedding florals and installations.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
TCB & CoFull-service wedding florals, minimum$8,500minimumFull-service florals including arches and large-scale installations; an a la carte collection is offered below the minimumTCB & Co: Full-service wedding florals, minimum2026-09-01

Photography — 18 published price(s) from 7 vendor(s)

Wedding photography coverage packages.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
Bella Luca PhotographyPhoto Luca 2$3,500packageAll day wedding coverage, engagement session, online galleries, fine art wedding album, 16x24 session prints, image discs with print licence, 21-day deliveryBella Luca Photography: Photo Luca 22026-09-01
Bella Luca PhotographyPhoto Bella$3,800packageAs Photo Luca 2 plus fine art parent albumsBella Luca Photography: Photo Bella2026-09-01
Bella Luca PhotographyPhoto Bella 2$4,550packageAdds bridal session with book, art box album, 20x30 prints, 14-day deliveryBella Luca Photography: Photo Bella 22026-09-01
Bella Luca PhotographyPhoto Bella 3$5,650packageAdds engagement guest book, 7-day deliveryBella Luca Photography: Photo Bella 32026-09-01
Shelby Renee PhotoThe Glass Slipper$2,700package6 hours on wedding day, 500+ edited images, online gallery, one photographerShelby Renee Photo: The Glass Slipper2026-09-01
Shelby Renee PhotoThe Wish Upon A Star$3,450package8 hours, complimentary engagement session, 750+ edited images, $50 print creditShelby Renee Photo: The Wish Upon A Star2026-09-01
Shelby Renee PhotoThe Happily Ever After$3,975package10 hours, engagement and bridal sessions, 900+ edited images, 24x30 canvas, two photographers, $100 print creditShelby Renee Photo: The Happily Ever After2026-09-01
Tracye Pulliam Photography & WeddingsWedding collections, starting price$3,300starting priceNot itemised on the pageTracye Pulliam Photography & Weddings: Wedding collections, starting price2026-09-01
For the Love Birds PhotographyWeddings, starting price$4,000starting priceHourly coverage, second photographer and engagement session in standard packages, high-resolution print releaseFor the Love Birds Photography: Weddings, starting price2026-09-01
For the Love Birds PhotographyElopements, starting price$1,600starting priceNot itemised on the pageFor the Love Birds Photography: Elopements, starting price2026-09-01
Sonum May PhotographyElopement Coverage$2,000package2 hours coverage, fewer than 20 guests, online gallery, print releaseSonum May Photography: Elopement Coverage2026-09-01
Sonum May PhotographyHalf Day Coverage$5,000packageUp to 5 hours, one venue, typically fewer than 50 guestsSonum May Photography: Half Day Coverage2026-09-01
Sonum May PhotographyFull Day Coverage$8,000packageUp to 10 hours, second photographer, online gallery, print releaseSonum May Photography: Full Day Coverage2026-09-01
Sonum May PhotographyWeekend Coverage$10,000packageDay-before and full-day coverage, second photographerSonum May Photography: Weekend Coverage2026-09-01
Sonum May PhotographyAll-In Collection$12,000packageDay-before plus full day, second photographer, 35mm film stills and Super 8 highlightsSonum May Photography: All-In Collection2026-09-01
Elizabeth Hoard PhotographyStated average investment range$8,000 – $15,000vendor's stated rangeThe photographer's stated typical range across a wedding weekend; not a package priceElizabeth Hoard Photography: Stated average investment range2026-09-01
Emily Holmes WeddingsTraditional wedding day, stated average$4,700vendor's stated averageFull-day coverage through the exitEmily Holmes Weddings: Traditional wedding day, stated average2026-09-01
Emily Holmes WeddingsIntimate celebration, stated average$3,900vendor's stated averageSmaller, slower-paced wedding dayEmily Holmes Weddings: Intimate celebration, stated average2026-09-01

Planning — 5 published price(s) from 1 vendor(s)

Wedding planning and day-of coordination.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
The Hardin HouseFull service planning, starting price$7,500starting priceCustomisable full-service planningThe Hardin House: Full service planning, starting price2026-09-01
The Hardin HouseTwo Month Planning Package$3,250packageTwo planning meetings, details and task listsThe Hardin House: Two Month Planning Package2026-09-01
The Hardin HouseWedding Weekend Planning (day-of coordination)$1,400packageTimeline creation and distribution to vendors, coordination of event rentals, delivery and pick upThe Hardin House: Wedding Weekend Planning (day-of coordination)2026-09-01
The Hardin HouseConsultation$100per hourHourly consulting rateThe Hardin House: Consultation2026-09-01
The Hardin HouseBridal assistant$350flat feeAssistant with the bridal party from the morning of the wedding, in contact with the lead coordinatorThe Hardin House: Bridal assistant2026-09-01

Rentals — 10 published price(s) from 1 vendor(s)

Tables, chairs, linens and event equipment.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
Affordable Party RentalsWhite folding chair with metal leg$1.75per itemOne chair; page states prices subject to change, last updated 06/24/24Affordable Party Rentals: White folding chair with metal leg2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsWhite wood folding chair$3.35per itemOne chairAffordable Party Rentals: White wood folding chair2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsPadded black banquet chair$3.85per itemOne chairAffordable Party Rentals: Padded black banquet chair2026-09-01
Affordable Party Rentals60 inch round table$9.75per itemOne table, seats eightAffordable Party Rentals: 60 inch round table2026-09-01
Affordable Party Rentals72 inch round table$14per itemOne table, seats tenAffordable Party Rentals: 72 inch round table2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsPoly linen, 120 inch round$11.50per itemOne linen, fits a 60 inch round to the floorAffordable Party Rentals: Poly linen, 120 inch round2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsPoly linen, 132 inch round$15.50per itemOne linen, fits a 72 inch round to the floorAffordable Party Rentals: Poly linen, 132 inch round2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsDance floor section, 3ft by 4ft$20per itemOne wood-grain section, indoor or under a commercial tentAffordable Party Rentals: Dance floor section, 3ft by 4ft2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsPortable bar$75per itemOne portable barAffordable Party Rentals: Portable bar2026-09-01
Affordable Party RentalsStaging section, 4ft by 4ft$37per itemOne stage sectionAffordable Party Rentals: Staging section, 4ft by 4ft2026-09-01

Venue — 9 published price(s) from 3 vendor(s)

Ceremony and reception space rental.

VendorItemPriceUnitWhat the price coversSourceObserved
Woodruff-Fontaine House MuseumCarriage House + Front Lawn + Garden$5,000venue rental12-hour event rental, scheduled rehearsal, indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception space, onsite tables and chairs, restrooms and kitchen, event clean-up, 6 hours event security, mansion photography session, wedding party suiteWoodruff-Fontaine House Museum: Carriage House + Front Lawn + Garden2026-09-01
Woodruff-Fontaine House MuseumCarriage House + Garden$4,700venue rentalAs above, without the front lawnWoodruff-Fontaine House Museum: Carriage House + Garden2026-09-01
The KentKeel Avenue rental fee, Monday to Thursday$7,000venue rentalVenue rental only; caterer must be chosen from the approved vendor list; all vendors must carry $1M liability insuranceThe Kent: Keel Avenue rental fee, Monday to Thursday2026-09-01
The KentKeel Avenue rental fee, Sunday$8,500venue rentalVenue rental onlyThe Kent: Keel Avenue rental fee, Sunday2026-09-01
The KentKeel Avenue rental fee, Friday to Saturday$9,500venue rentalVenue rental onlyThe Kent: Keel Avenue rental fee, Friday to Saturday2026-09-01
The KentFront Street rental fee, Friday to Saturday$14,500venue rentalVenue rental only, premier spaceThe Kent: Front Street rental fee, Friday to Saturday2026-09-01
The KentAdditional rental hour$350per hourOne extra hour beyond the packageThe Kent: Additional rental hour2026-09-01
The KentGetting-ready suite beverages and light lunch$25per personBeverages and light lunch in the getting ready suitesThe Kent: Getting-ready suite beverages and light lunch2026-09-01
Memphis Botanic GardenAdditional venue hour beyond the included two$150per hourOne extra hour of venue or space rentalMemphis Botanic Garden: Additional venue hour beyond the included two2026-09-01

These vendors are independent. None is affiliated with this publication, none paid to be included, and inclusion depended only on whether the vendor publishes a price.

How to check or reproduce this

  1. Open any source link in the table. The figure quoted here should appear on that page.
  2. If it has changed, the price moved after the observation date shown in the row. That is expected, and it is why the date is published next to every figure.
  3. To rebuild the guest-count table, take the per-guest inputs, multiply by the guest count, and add the fixed block. There is no weighting, no smoothing and no adjustment factor.
  4. If you find an error, the corrections address is on the corrections page and a correction will be logged there rather than quietly edited.

This dataset is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0). Reuse it, including commercially, with attribution to Memphis Vendor Library and a link to this page.

The next edition will be published at a new URL with its own year, so this one stays citable rather than being overwritten.

Questions about this dataset

How many vendors is this based on?

21 Memphis-area vendors, and 70 individual published prices, all read from the vendors' own websites on 2026-09-01. Some categories are a sample of one. Where that is true it is labelled on the table rather than presented as an average.

Why is the per-guest figure lower than the national numbers?

Because this dataset covers less. National per-guest figures of roughly $235 to $400 include alcohol, attire, rings, stationery, videography, transport and hair and makeup. None of those are in this sample, because no vendor in it publishes a price for them. The figures here are not a smaller version of the national number; they are a different, narrower measurement.

Why does the cost per guest fall as the guest count rises?

Two published effects, both visible in the table. Most of what Memphis vendors publish is fixed: a photographer, a DJ, a coordinator and a venue cost the same for 50 guests as for 200, so the fixed block is divided across more people. On top of that, the one caterer in this sample that publishes banded pricing charges less per person at higher counts.

Can I use these numbers?

Yes. The table and the CSV are published so they can be quoted, and every figure names the vendor page it came from and the date it was read. Please cite the source URL for the figure rather than this page alone, and note that published prices change.

Why are most Memphis vendors missing?

Because most do not publish a price. A vendor that answers pricing only by email cannot be in a desk-researched dataset without inventing something, so it is not here. That is a selection bias with a knowable direction: vendors who post a starting price are more likely to be competing on transparency or price, so this sample probably sits below the market it is drawn from.

Editorial boundary

This is a record of prices Memphis-area vendors publish, not a quote, a recommendation, a ranking or a negotiation position. No vendor paid to appear and no vendor was excluded for any reason other than not publishing a price. It is not tax advice and it does not price any specific event.

This page is informational. It is not legal, medical, mental-health, immigration, financial, or professional advice.