Free — no sign-up, no watermark

Event Planning Estimate Template

Planning fee, per-head costs and vendor estimates held for a date somebody else also wants. Free PDF.

An event estimate is a budget built out of other people's prices for a date they have not yet been paid to hold. Caterers quote per head against a number nobody knows until a fortnight out; the venue's hold expires; the florist's stems are priced at a market rate two seasons away. The planner's own fee is the only firm figure on the page — so the estimate has to show which lines are theirs, which are held, which are per head, and what the whole thing does when twenty more people say yes.

Issued by

Alder & Vine Events

1631 North Damen Avenue

60622 Chicago, IL

United States

studio@alderandvine.example

Bill to

Cassius Delaney

2400 Lakeshore Drive

60201 Evanston, IL

United States

c.delaney@example.com

Estimated total

$47,020.00

Valid for 30 more days · Sep 5, 2026

This is an estimate, not a bill. Prices may change.

What is held and what is not

The venue is on a courtesy hold only. Catering, florals and rentals are vendor estimates at today's pricing and are not contracted until each deposit is paid.

Description	Qty	Rate	Tax	Amount
Planning and management fee Design, vendor selection, run sheet and on-the-day management	1	$9,500.00	—	$9,500.00
Catering — per head, estimated at 140 guests Vendor estimate; guarantee due 10 days before the date	140	$128.00	—	$17,920.00
Venue hire and staffing Date held on a courtesy hold that expires in 14 days	1	$8,200.00	—	$8,200.00
Florals, rentals and lighting Estimated at current season pricing; contracted in the client's name	1	$11,400.00	—	$11,400.00

Subtotal	$47,020.00
Total	$47,020.00

Terms

Retainer on signing. Vendor deposits are paid by the client directly against each vendor's own contract and schedule.

Estimate #EST-9917 · Alder & Vine Events · Page 1 of 1

What this estimate commits you to

How long it stands: Thirty days, and never past the venue's hold — every figure here rests on rates vendors are holding for a date other clients are also asking about.
What it does not cover: What lands on the night and afterwards: gratuities and the venue's own service charge, guest transport and accommodation, site permits and the licence for the bar, event insurance, and whatever a vendor bills once it is over — breakages, an open tab run past its limit, and rentals returned short.
What would change the price: The guest count, which every per-head line follows and which the caterer needs guaranteed before we do. Overtime past the contracted hours, a contingency plan called at the venue's deadline, and any vendor's own increase between the hold and the signed contract do the same.
How the client accepts it: This estimate is not a booking. The date is yours when the signed planning agreement and the retainer are both in, and not before — a courtesy hold released to another enquiry cannot be recovered, and a new date means every figure above is estimated again from that date's rates.

Edit this template Free, no account, no watermark — download the PDF when you are done.

When the work is done, invoice it →

What to put on an event planning estimate

The planning fee separated from the event budget it manages, and what the fee covers by phase
Per-head lines shown with the headcount they were calculated at, so the arithmetic is visible
Which vendors have quoted, which have merely held a date, and when each hold expires
Service charge, gratuity and venue administration fees, which are percentages on top rather than inside
Overtime rates for the venue, the band and the crew, since events end later than they are planned to
The weather or contingency plan and its cost, and the date by which it must be called

Questions

How do I estimate an event before the guest count is final?

Estimate at a stated count and show the per-head rate beside it. Then the client can do the arithmetic themselves when the RSVPs land, and the caterer's guarantee deadline — usually a week or two before the date — becomes a diary entry rather than a surprise.

Should vendor costs go through the planner or straight to the client?

Whichever you choose, say which on the estimate. Contracting in the client's name keeps their deposits their own and your liability contained; billing through you is simpler for them and makes your estimate look several times larger than your fee. Both work. Silence does not.

What does a venue hold actually guarantee?

Usually nothing beyond a courtesy period. A hold is released the moment somebody else signs and pays, which is why an event estimate should carry the expiry date of every hold it depends on — the price is only real while the date is.

Ready to send it?

The template opens in the editor with these lines already on it. Change what you like, download the PDF.

Edit this template

Other trades

Browse all 23 estimate templates