Budget Tool
Class Reunion Cost Calculator (With Per-Person Math)
The treasurer's guide to building a class reunion budget from scratch. Six real cost categories with 2026 dollar ranges for classes of 50, 100, 200, and 300 — the exact formula for calculating per-person ticket price — and a complete sample budget for a 100-person 30th reunion you can copy line by line.
Build the budget
The Six Cost Categories Every Class Reunion Has
Every reunion — large or small, formal or casual — has the same six cost buckets. Get a real quote for each based on your headcount and your venue type, then total them up. If the all-in number divided by expected paying attendance is more than your class will pay, cut from the biggest bucket first (food and bev), not the smallest.
| Category | Class of 50 | Class of 100 | Class of 200 | Class of 300 | Per Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | $500 – $1,500 | $1,200 – $3,500 | $2,500 – $7,500 | $4,000 – $12,000 | $10 – $40 |
| Food | $2,000 – $4,000 | $4,000 – $8,500 | $8,000 – $17,000 | $12,000 – $25,500 | $40 – $85 |
| Beverage | $750 – $2,000 | $1,500 – $4,000 | $3,000 – $8,000 | $4,500 – $12,000 | $15 – $40 |
| Décor & Signage | $200 – $500 | $300 – $800 | $500 – $1,400 | $700 – $2,000 | $3 – $8 |
| Entertainment | $600 – $1,500 | $900 – $2,500 | $1,200 – $3,500 | $1,500 – $4,500 | $8 – $25 |
| Supplies & Admin | $300 – $700 | $500 – $1,200 | $800 – $2,000 | $1,200 – $3,000 | $5 – $12 |
Ranges reflect 2026 quotes from venues, caterers, and vendors across U.S. metro markets. Coastal cities run high; small towns and rural venues run low. Tax and gratuity not included in venue line — see catering for those.
Venue
Hotel ballroom, country club, restaurant private room, brewery, school gym
Per-head guideline: $10 – $40
Food
Plated dinner, buffet, heavy hors d'oeuvres, or stations
Per-head guideline: $40 – $85
Beverage
Open bar (2 hrs), drink tickets (2 per guest), or cash bar + welcome drink
Per-head guideline: $15 – $40
Décor & Signage
Centerpieces, school-color linens, welcome sign, name tags, photo wall
Per-head guideline: $3 – $8
Entertainment
DJ, photographer, slideshow tech, photo booth rental
Per-head guideline: $8 – $25
Supplies & Admin
Invitations/postage, website, ticketing fees, name-tag printing, insurance, gift bags
Per-head guideline: $5 – $12
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The math
The Per-Person Ticket Formula
The treasurer's formula. Memorize it. Every other pricing question — early-bird, couples discount, sponsorship offset — is just a variation on this.
Ticket Price =
( Total Expenses − Sponsorships − Class Treasury Contribution ) ÷ Expected Paying Attendance × 1.15
Step 1 — Total expenses
Add the six categories. Include tax (7–10%) and service/gratuity (18–22%) on food and bev. Add an 8–10% contingency line on top.
Step 2 — Subtract sponsorships
Local banks, realtors, alumni-owned businesses. A typical 100-person reunion lands $500–$2,500 in sponsorships. See our sponsorship ideas guide for outreach templates.
Step 3 — Subtract class treasury
If your class has money sitting from the last reunion or a Venmo savings pool, decide upfront how much to apply. Most committees burn down 30–60% of the treasury and keep the rest as next reunion's seed.
Step 4 — Divide by expected paying attendance
Not invites. Not RSVPs at the optimistic end. Use the realistic count: 25–40% of your graduating class. For a milestone year (25th, 50th), use the higher end.
Step 5 — Multiply by 1.15
Covers the 10–15% no-show rate (people who buy then cancel) and gives a small surplus. Round up to a clean number ($185 not $182).
Worked example
100-person 30th reunion, hotel ballroom, plated dinner, beer/wine open bar.
- Total expenses: $18,551
- Sponsorships secured (2 × $500, 1 × $1,000): −$2,000
- Class treasury applied: −$1,000
- Net to recoup: $15,551
- Expected paying attendance: 95
- $15,551 ÷ 95 = $163.69 × 1.15 = $188.24
Round to: $189 standard ticket, $169 early-bird, $359 couples
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Sample Budget — 100-Person 30th Reunion
A real working budget for a 100-person 30th class reunion at a mid-tier hotel ballroom in a mid-sized U.S. city. Saturday evening, 5 hours, plated dinner, 2-hour open beer/wine bar, DJ, photographer, photo booth. This is the line-item version of the formula above.
| Line Item | Notes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Venue rental — hotel ballroom (5 hrs, Sat evening) | Includes tables, chairs, linens, basic AV | $2,400 |
| Catering — plated 3-course dinner @ $62/pp | 100 guests × $62 (food + service) | $6,200 |
| Catering tax & gratuity (22%) | Applied to food + bev pre-tax | $1,881 |
| Bar — 2-hour open beer/wine package | $22/pp × 100 | $2,200 |
| DJ (5 hrs, includes lighting + wireless mic) | Local pro w/ class playlist | $1,100 |
| Photographer (4 hrs + edited gallery) | Group shot + candids | $950 |
| Photo booth rental (3 hrs, prints + digital) | Branded backdrop optional add-on | $700 |
| Décor — school-color linens, centerpieces, welcome sign | DIY with $80 for printing | $480 |
| Name tags (printed yearbook photo + name) | $1.20 × 100, lanyards included | $120 |
| Invitations + postage (save-the-date + invite) | Hybrid: email primary, mail for 40 holdouts | $220 |
| Reunion website + ticketing platform fees | Reunly handles this for $0 base + processing | $240 |
| Slideshow — software + USB delivery | Class submits photos via shared link | $0 |
| Memorial display materials (frames, printing, candles) | Honoring classmates we've lost | $95 |
| Welcome gift bags — koozie + program + class roster | $3.50 × 100 | $350 |
| Insurance — 1-day event liability policy | Required by many venues | $165 |
| Contingency (8%) | Standard buffer for last-minute surprises | $1,450 |
| TOTAL | $18,551 |
What this means at the ticket window
With $2,000 in sponsorships and a $1,000 class treasury contribution, you need to recoup $15551. At an expected 95 paying attendees with a 15% no-show buffer, that's a standard ticket price of $189.
Tiered pricing: $169 early-bird (closes 8 weeks out) · $189 standard · $209 at-the-door · $359 couples · $129 unaccompanied teacher/staff invitee.
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If the Per-Ticket Number Is Too High — Where to Cut First
Cut from the biggest bucket. Cutting $200 from décor doesn't move the per-head number. Cutting $20 from the dinner spec moves it by 10%+ instantly.
✂ Switch plated dinner to buffet or stations
Saves $15–$25/headPlated service is the single most expensive food format because of staffing. A buffet with two entrées and three sides delivers the same calories at 30–40% less labor cost. Heavy hors d'oeuvres save even more if a full dinner isn't expected.
✂ Move open bar to drink tickets (2 per guest) + cash bar
Saves $10–$20/headDrink tickets cap your exposure. Two drink tickets per guest covers the social opening hours, after which guests buy their own. Cuts your bar exposure roughly in half without making the event feel cheap.
✂ Pick a restaurant private room instead of a hotel ballroom
Saves $1,000–$3,000 totalRestaurants usually waive the room rental if you hit a food and bev minimum. Hotel ballrooms always charge a separate venue fee. Same crowd, same vibe, lower total — and the food often arrives hotter.
✂ DIY photography (designate two willing classmates)
Saves $900–$1,500If your class has two committed amateur photographers, lean on them for candids. Hire a pro for ONLY the group photo and the formal portrait wall — 60 minutes of paid coverage runs $250–$400.
✂ Drop the photo booth
Saves $600–$900Photo booths are fun but redundant when everyone has a phone. Replace with a backdrop wall + ring light + a couple of props on a table. Costs $80 in props. Guests still take the photos.
✂ Move to Friday or Sunday
Saves 15–25% on venueSaturday is venue prime time. Friday evening and Sunday brunch slots discount 15–25%. Many venues will also throw in extras (AV, parking) on off-peak nights.
“
The reunions that go over budget are almost always the ones that forgot tax-and-gratuity. The reunions that come in under budget are the ones that secured sponsorships early.
- Recurring observation from class treasurers
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Six Calculator Mistakes That Blow Up Budgets
⚠ Forgetting the 25–32% catering uplift
Sales tax (7–10%) + service charge or gratuity (18–22%) compounds on every food and bev line. A $50/pp dinner quote is really $65+. Always ask for an 'all-in per-person' estimate before signing.
⚠ Pricing based on invites, not realistic attendance
A class of 300 doesn't mean 300 people at the door. Realistic turnout is 25–40%, higher for milestone reunions. Pricing against the invite list always under-prices the ticket.
⚠ Skipping the contingency line
An 8–10% contingency line is the difference between breaking even and losing $1,500 on something unexpected. Bake it in before dividing by headcount.
⚠ No payment deadline enforcement
If everyone can pay at the door, half will. You'll over-order food for no-shows and under-order for last-minute yeses. Lock in a hard payment deadline 3 weeks out.
⚠ Counting committee labor as $0 forever
Committee members will burn out by year 3 if every expense lands on them personally. Build a small honorarium or thank-you dinner into the budget — $200–$400 well spent.
⚠ Forgetting AV until the last week
DJs don't always bring a wireless mic. Slideshows need a projector. Speeches need a podium mic. Ask the venue what's included and rent the gap — $150–$300 typically.
💰 With Reunly
Skip the spreadsheet. Run the whole budget in Reunly.
Built-in cost categories, ticket tiers, Stripe payments, and a per-head dashboard that updates live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the easiest way to calculate a class reunion budget?
Start with venue + food + beverage — those three categories are 70–80% of every reunion budget. Get one real quote for each based on your expected headcount, then add 30% for everything else (décor, entertainment, supplies, contingency). That gives you the all-in number. Divide by your expected paying attendance (not your invite list) to get the per-person ticket price. Most treasurers underestimate by skipping the 'everything else' bucket — don't.
How do you calculate per-person ticket price for a class reunion?
Formula: (Total Expenses − Sponsorships − Class Treasury) ÷ Expected Paying Attendance × 1.15 = Ticket Price. The 1.15 multiplier covers the 10–20% no-show rate and a small surplus. If your all-in cost is $18,000, you have $2,000 in sponsorships, and you expect 100 paying guests, then ($18,000 − $2,000) ÷ 100 × 1.15 = $184 per ticket. Round up to $185 or $195 to give yourself a margin.
Should I assume everyone I invite will come?
No. Plan for 25–40% of your graduating class to attend a typical reunion (higher for milestone years like 25th and 50th, lower for 5th and 15th). A class of 300 graduates usually nets 75–120 paying attendees. Budget against that realistic number, not the invite list. Overbuying food and undersizing the venue are the two most common cost mistakes — both come from confusing 'invited' with 'attending'.
What percentage of a class reunion budget goes to food and drink?
Food + beverage typically eats 55–65% of a sit-down reunion budget. For a 100-person reunion with a $62/pp dinner and a 2-hour open beer/wine bar, that's roughly $10,200 in food and bev costs (with tax/gratuity), out of a $16,000–$20,000 total. If you need to cut costs, the biggest lever is moving from plated dinner to heavy appetizers or a buffet — that alone saves $15–$25 per head.
How much should I budget for venue rental?
Venue runs $10–$40 per head depending on city and venue type. Hotel ballrooms in major metros (NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, SF) run $25–$50/head. Suburban country clubs are typically $15–$30/head. Restaurant private rooms in mid-size cities run $10–$20/head and often waive the rental fee if your food + bev minimum is met. The cheapest venue is almost always a restaurant private room with a food/beverage minimum that you'll hit anyway.
Do I need to add tax and gratuity to catering quotes?
Yes — and this is where budgets blow up. Sales tax (7–10%) plus a service charge or gratuity (18–22%) adds 25–32% to every food and beverage quote. A $50/pp dinner quote becomes $65–$67/pp all-in. Always ask the venue for an 'all-in per-person estimate including tax and service' before signing — don't compare bare numbers across venues.
Should ticket prices include a contingency buffer?
Yes — bake 8–10% into the total budget before dividing by headcount. Something always costs more than the quote: an extra hour of DJ time, a last-minute AV rental, more invitations than planned, or shipping for out-of-town décor. A 10% contingency is the difference between breaking even and dipping into the class treasury.
What's a realistic all-in ticket price for a 30th class reunion?
For a 100-person 30th reunion at a hotel ballroom with plated dinner, open beer/wine bar, DJ, photographer, and photo booth, expect $175–$225 per ticket. Early-bird ($165), couples discount ($315/pair), and one or two $500 local-business sponsorships can keep the door-price down. A casual-format 30th (brewery, heavy apps, cash bar) can hit $85–$120/head and still feel like an event.
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