Updated: 23 August 2026
A majlis budget starts with one number: your guest count. Catering is priced per head, so it is almost always the biggest expense — usually more than half the cost of the event. This guide breaks down the main cost categories, shows how to build your own estimate, and lists savings that do not hurt the guest experience.
The most accurate way to build a budget is to start with the guest list. Multiply your guest count by the per-head catering price quoted in your area, and you already have more than half the picture. The rest are fixed costs — pelamin, attire, photography — which barely change whether you host 300 or 500 guests.
That is why trimming the guest list is the most effective saving: every 100 guests removed saves thousands of ringgit, while trimming fixed costs only saves hundreds.
The rows below reflect typical patterns in the Malaysian market — they vary by state, menu, and scale. Use them as the structure of your budget, then fill in real quotes from your own vendors.
| Category | Cost type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Catering | Per head | The biggest expense; ask for per-pax price and minimum pax |
| Venue / canopy | Fixed | Community halls cost far less than hotels |
| Pelamin & decor | Fixed | Scales with size and fresh flowers |
| Attire & makeup | Fixed | Rental is far cheaper than tailoring |
| Photo & video | Fixed | Packages by the hour; outdoor sessions add cost |
| Invitations | Per unit or one-off | Printed cards are per piece + postage; a digital card is one payment for all guests |
| Door gifts & bunga telur | Per head | Small per unit but multiplied by guest count |
| Hantaran & mas kahwin | Fixed | Mas kahwin follows state rates; hantaran by family agreement |
Invitations are one of the easiest categories to control. Printed cards are priced per piece and grow with postage, misprints, and last-minute guests. A digital card is one price for everyone — at MajlisKenduri, from RM10 paid once — and its built-in RSVP helps you lock the catering pax count more accurately, which is where the real savings live in the biggest cost category of the majlis.
There is no single number — costs depend on guest count, state, and venue type. A small home kenduri with a limited guest list can come in at a few thousand ringgit, while a hall event with hundreds of guests commonly reaches tens of thousands. Build your own estimate starting from local per-pax catering quotes.
Catering, almost without exception — it is priced per head and multiplied by your guest count. That makes the size of your guest list the most important budget decision you will make.
With a digital card, invitations become one of the smallest categories in the budget — a single payment from RM10 covers every guest. Printed cards must be costed per piece including postage, plus a buffer for misprints and last-minute invites.
The advice most commonly given by financial planners is to set the budget from existing savings, not from a dream-event target. The majlis lasts a day; the monthly commitments that follow — housing, transport, family — run for years.
A digital wedding card for all your guests — pay once, from RM10, no per-piece cost.
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