Per-table or per-guest wedding pricing: how to compare quotes in either format
A per-table quote and a per-guest quote are not the same kind of number, and the headline price of each leaves something out. To compare them fairly, turn every quote into one total for your own guest count, including every compulsory fee and percentage charge, then divide by the guests who will attend. Four published 2026 price lists, from Taipei, Singapore, a venue priced in pounds and a venue priced in US dollars, show how far the headline can sit from that total.
The short answer
- A per-table price divided by the seats at the table gives a per-guest figure, but the total rises in whole tables. A guest count that leaves a table partly empty costs the same as a full table unless the venue says otherwise.
- A per-guest price scales one guest at a time, but it often sits beside a separate venue or site fee and a minimum guest count, so the all-in cost per guest is higher than the headline.
- A percentage added after the price, such as service charge and then tax, is applied to the whole of the above. Add it last, after every fixed fee.
The examples below use list prices the venues published, not what any couple paid. Each figure is in the venue's own currency and nothing has been converted between currencies.
Per-table pricing: the total moves in steps
Two of the four venues publish a price per table of ten guests. ILLUME Taipei's 2026 wedding banquet package is NT$19,800 per table on weekdays, plus 10%, and bookings can start at six tables. Amara Singapore's 2026/27 weekday package is S$1,888++ per table, with a minimum of 20 tables in its ballroom. In Singapore pricing, the ++ means a 10% service charge is added first and prevailing government taxes after it; the Amara document names no tax rate, so its true total is higher than the figures here.
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Venue | Published price | Guests per table | Floor | Added on top | Not stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILLUME Taipei (NT$) | NT$19,800 per table, weekday | 10 | Bookings can start at 6 tables | 10%, not described on the page | Weekend price, offer end date, taxes |
| Amara Singapore (S$) | S$1,888++ per table, Monday to Friday, 8-course Chinese menu | 10 | 20 tables in the ballroom | 10% service charge, then government taxes | Weekend price, validity dates, tax rate |
Because the unit is a table, the effective cost per guest depends on how well your guest list fills tables. This worked table uses only the ILLUME published rate, assuming ten guests per table and that a partly filled table is charged in full. The venue has not said that, so confirm it before relying on it.
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Guests | Tables needed | Before the 10% | With the 10% | Per guest, with the 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 6 | NT$118,800 | NT$130,680 | NT$2,178.00 |
| 95 | 10 | NT$198,000 | NT$217,800 | NT$2,292.63 |
| 100 | 10 | NT$198,000 | NT$217,800 | NT$2,178.00 |
| 101 | 11 | NT$217,800 | NT$239,580 | NT$2,372.08 |
The published rate works out to NT$2,178 per guest with the 10% only when every seat is filled. At 95 guests the same ten tables cost NT$2,292.63 per guest, and one extra guest beyond 100 adds a whole table, NT$21,780. If the venue allows a smaller final table at a lower charge, the steps flatten; if it does not, trimming five guests may save nothing.
The floor matters as much as the rate. Amara's 20-table minimum means 200 guests at ten per table: 20 tables at S$1,888 is S$37,760, S$41,536 with the 10% service charge, or S$207.68 per guest before taxes. A couple expecting 120 guests would have to ask whether a smaller room or a different package applies, because the published price does not cover that case.
Per-guest pricing: the headline leaves out the room
The other two venues price per guest, and in both the venue itself is charged separately. Falcon Manor's 2026 to 2028 pricing sheet lists per-person packages: Classic is £105 in 2026 (Deluxe £120, Exquisite £140), rising to £115 and £125 in 2027 and 2028. Venue hire is added on top and depends on the day and season: Sunday to Thursday is £500 from October to March and £1,250 from April to September, and Saturday is £1,750 or £3,000. Minimums are 50 guests from Sunday to Friday and 70 on Saturday. A Garden Room ceremony is £750 in 2026, and the packages must include all 16 bedrooms at £150 to £305 depending on room type and year. The sheet does not say which season the per-person prices assume, nor whether a service charge or tax applies.
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Guests and day | Season | Guests at £105 | Venue hire | Total before rooms and ceremony | Per guest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50, Sunday to Thursday | October to March | £5,250 | £500 | £5,750 | £115.00 |
| 50, Sunday to Thursday | April to September | £5,250 | £1,250 | £6,500 | £130.00 |
| 70, Saturday | October to March | £7,350 | £1,750 | £9,100 | £130.00 |
| 70, Saturday | April to September | £7,350 | £3,000 | £10,350 | £147.86 |
The £105 headline becomes between £115 and £147.86 per guest once venue hire is added, and that is before the £750 ceremony fee and the bedrooms the package must include. Moving the same 70 guests from a winter to a summer Saturday adds £1,250 without changing a single menu choice.
Sun Mountain Lodge's 2026 pricing sheet shows a third pattern: a flat site package by month and day, with food and drink left for you to budget. The Signature Saturday package is $8,000 in September and $5,000 in October. Saturday minimums are 100 guests from July to September and 80 in May and October. The sheet advises budgeting $120 to $150 or more per guest for a social hour and dinner, and says alcohol must come from the venue. It does not state service charge, tax or gratuity.
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Scenario | Guests | Food and drink at $120 to $150 | Site package | Total | Per guest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday in September | 100 | $12,000 to $15,000 | $8,000 | $20,000 to $23,000 | $200.00 to $230.00 |
| Saturday in October | 80 | $9,600 to $12,000 | $5,000 | $14,600 to $17,000 | $182.50 to $212.50 |
The $120 to $150 figure is the venue's advice, not a menu price, and "or more" means these totals are floors. A quote with real menu prices would replace it.
Four published examples side by side
On a small screen, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Venue | How the headline is priced | What sits outside the headline | Floor to plan around |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILLUME Taipei | NT$19,800 per table of 10, weekday | 10% on top; weekend price not published | 6 tables |
| Amara Singapore | S$1,888++ per table of 10, weekday | 10% service charge, then taxes at a rate the document does not give | 20 tables |
| Falcon Manor | £105 per person (Classic, 2026) | Venue hire £500 to £3,000, ceremony £750, 16 bedrooms | 50 guests, or 70 on Saturday |
| Sun Mountain Lodge | $5,000 to $8,000 site package, food budgeted separately | Food and drink at the venue's own $120 to $150 or more per guest; tax and gratuity not stated | 80 or 100 guests on Saturdays |
None of these figures can be compared across currencies as printed, and the four venues are not a sample of any market. They were chosen because each publishes its price list online. What they share is the pattern: the headline is a unit price, and the floor, the fixed fees and the percentage charges decide the total.
The CSV lists every scenario above with its inputs, arithmetic and what the source does not state. It is a reference worksheet, not a Planner backup to restore.
A like-for-like method for any two quotes
- Name the pricing unit. Is it per table (and how many seats), per guest, or a flat fee plus a per-guest amount?
- Fix one scenario. Use the same guest count, day type and season for every quote. For a per-table quote, round up to whole tables.
- Add everything compulsory. Include venue or site fees, room blocks, ceremony fees, minimum guests or minimum spend, and anything the venue says must be bought from it, such as alcohol.
- Apply percentage charges last. Add service charge to the subtotal, then taxes where the quote says they follow. If a rate is missing, mark the total as a minimum.
- Divide by attending guests. Compare per-guest totals only after steps one to four, and write down what each quote excludes.
As a formula: total = (rate × units + fixed fees) × (1 + percentage charges), and per guest = total ÷ guests. Once you have a like-for-like total for each venue, you can enter it as a quote in the Planner's Vendors section so the comparison sits beside the rest of your budget.
Questions to put in writing before you compare
- Is the price per table of ten, or per table as seated, and is a partly filled table charged in full?
- What are the minimum tables or guests, and what happens if fewer people attend?
- What does the percentage on top cover, and are taxes added after it?
- Do weekend, eve-of-holiday and seasonal dates have different prices?
- Are drinks, the ceremony, a tasting, parking and rooms inside the price or extra?
- Until what date is this price valid, and can the venue change it?
What these examples cannot tell you
They are published list prices, not negotiated or paid prices. Venues often change packages without notice, and the Amara, Falcon Manor and Sun Mountain documents carry no printed document date, so treat them as examples of the format and confirm any figure with the venue. ILLUME's page shows it was last modified on August 19, 2026, but it gives no end date for the offer and no weekend price. This guide describes no personal quotes or events, and it is general information, not financial advice.
Sources
Each page was read on November 6, 2026. Dates are those the documents show.
- ILLUME Taipei wedding packages: NT$19,800 per table of 10 plus 10%, weekday; six-table start; page metadata shows first published September 1, 2023 and last modified August 19, 2026.
- Amara Singapore Wedding Packages 2026/27 (PDF): S$1,888++ per table of 10, 20-table minimum; no document date or validity dates printed.
- Falcon Manor 2026 to 2028 pricing (PDF): per-person packages, venue hire, ceremony fee and minimums; no document date printed.
- Sun Mountain Lodge 2026 wedding pricing (PDF): site packages by month, guest minimums and the $120 to $150 or more per-guest budget guide; no document date printed.