Independent tool and publishing project

About Dan. Liu and Wedding Budget Planner

I built this site to make wedding costs easier to see, compare, and update without requiring visitors to create an account or begin with a complicated spreadsheet.

Who runs this site

Wedding Budget Planner is created and maintained by Dan. Liu. I am an independent tool builder and publisher with a practical engineering and operations mindset: define the inputs, make assumptions visible, compare complete costs, and avoid hiding important numbers behind a simple headline price.

I am not a wedding agency, certified wedding planner, financial adviser, lawyer, venue operator, or vendor marketplace. The site does not claim professional authority that it does not have.

Why the project exists

Many wedding budgets become difficult to control because deposits are confused with total cost, guest-count changes are not recalculated, and fees or logistics appear late. The calculator and guides are designed around those practical failure points.

The objective is not to tell every couple what a wedding should cost. It is to help readers build a plan from their own spending ceiling, guest count, priorities, contracts, and local quotes.

Editorial standards

Every guide is written to be useful before it is written to attract search traffic. The site follows the standards below when articles are created or substantially updated.

Examples are labeledFictional budgets, vendor names, percentages, and comparison scenarios are identified as examples rather than market averages or promises.
Current claims are sourcedTime-sensitive survey figures, official rules, safety guidance, and consumer information are linked to the organization that published them.
Scope comes before priceTables compare hours, deliverables, staffing, inclusions, fees, and restrictions before declaring one option cheaper.
Limitations stay visibleLegal, tax, accessibility, licensing, contract, and safety requirements are described as location-dependent when they are not universal.
Arithmetic is checkedWorked totals are recalculated before publication and tied back to the same category assumptions used by the calculator.
Updates are datedSubstantial revisions show an updated month and year so readers can distinguish current pages from older versions.

How a guide is prepared

StepWhat happensWhat the reader should see
1. Define the decisionIdentify the real budgeting question, such as full venue cost, catering fees, or the effect of guest count.A direct answer near the top of the article.
2. Separate assumptionsDistinguish fixed, per-guest, variable, and location-dependent costs.Clear labels instead of one unexplained total.
3. Build a worked exampleUse fictional numbers to demonstrate the method without presenting them as universal prices.Arithmetic that can be checked line by line.
4. Verify external factsUse primary or authoritative sources for current data and official guidance.Source links placed near the relevant explanation.
5. Connect to the toolShow how the same decision can be tested in the calculator.A practical workflow rather than a generic button.
6. Review and correctCheck calculations, links, mobile layout, dates, and wording before publication.A page that remains usable on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Corrections policy: factual corrections are made when an error is identified. A material correction or substantial rewrite updates the visible review date. Questions, corrections, and broken-link reports can be sent to liubigcow@yahoo.com.

Independence and commercial relationships

Privacy and tool limitations

The calculator is designed to be usable without creating an account. The site avoids asking visitors for unnecessary personal details. For information about analytics, cookies, advertising technology, and data handling, read the Privacy Policy.

The calculator, examples, checklists, and articles provide general informational and educational material. They do not replace a signed contract, local legal guidance, tax advice, financial advice, accessibility assessment, safety inspection, or professional wedding-planning service.

Start with the core guides

These pages show the site's approach most clearly: