How Much Does a Wedding Cost UK 2026? Complete Breakdown

Wedding costs vary enormously. Here’s what couples actually spend and how to plan your budget.

Average Wedding Costs 2026

UK Average Breakdown

Category	Average Cost	Budget Option	Premium Option
Venue hire	£5,000	£500-2,000	£10,000+
Catering (per head)	£70-100	£30-50	£150+
Photography	£1,500	£500-800	£3,000+
Videography	£1,200	£500	£2,500+
Wedding dress	£1,500	£200-500	£5,000+
Groom’s outfit	£500	£150-300	£1,500+
Flowers	£800	£200-400	£2,000+
Music/DJ	£500	£200-300	£2,000+
Live band	£2,000	£1,000	£5,000+
Wedding cake	£400	£100-200	£1,000+
Stationery	£300	£50-100	£800+
Hair & makeup	£300	£100-150	£600+
Transport	£400	£0-100	£1,000+
Rings	£1,000	£200-400	£5,000+
Decorations	£500	£100-200	£2,000+
Honeymoon	£3,000	£500-1,500	£10,000+

Total Budget Ranges

Budget Tier	Typical Total
Budget	£5,000-10,000
Moderate	£15,000-25,000
Premium	£30,000-50,000
Luxury	£50,000+

Venue & Catering (40-50% of Budget)

Venue Types & Costs

Venue Type	Typical Cost	Includes
Village hall	£200-500	Hire only
Pub function room	£0-1,000	Often free with food min
Hotel	£3,000-10,000	Room, some coordination
Country house	£5,000-15,000	Exclusive use
Castle/stately home	£10,000-30,000	Prestige, grounds
Barn venue	£3,000-8,000	Character, blank canvas
Registry office	£50-500	Ceremony only

Catering Costs

Type	Per Head Cost
DIY/self-catered	£10-20
Buffet	£25-40
BBQ	£25-45
Two-course sit down	£40-60
Three-course sit down	£60-100
Fine dining	£100-150+

Evening Food

Option	Per Head
Pizza van	£10-15
Fish and chips	£8-12
Burger bar	£10-15
Buffet	£15-25
Hot fork buffet	£20-30

Drinks

Package	Per Head
Toast drinks only	£5-10
Arrival + toast	£15-25
Full package (arrival, wine, toast)	£30-50
Open bar	£50-100+
Cash bar (no cost to you)	£0

Photography & Videography

Photography Packages

Coverage	Typical Cost
4-5 hours	£500-1,000
Full day (8-10 hours)	£1,200-2,000
Full day + second shooter	£1,800-2,500
Premium/award-winning	£3,000-5,000+

What’s Usually Included

Feature	Standard	Premium
Hours coverage	6-8	10-12
Edited digital images	300-500	500-800+
Online gallery	✅	✅
Print rights	✅	✅
Engagement shoot	❌	Often ✅
Album	Often extra	May be included
Second photographer	❌	✅

Videography

Package	Typical Cost
Highlights film (3-5 min)	£800-1,200
Full ceremony + highlights	£1,200-1,800
Full day coverage	£1,800-3,000
Cinematic package	£3,000-5,000+

Attire

Wedding Dress

Type	Cost Range
Off-the-rack (high street)	£100-500
Bridal boutique	£800-2,000
Designer	£2,000-5,000
Couture/bespoke	£5,000-20,000+

Additional Dress Costs

Item	Typical Cost
Alterations	£100-400
Veil	£50-300
Accessories (jewellery, etc.)	£50-300
Shoes	£50-200
Underwear	£50-150

Groom & Groomsmen

Item	Cost
Suit purchase (high street)	£150-400
Suit purchase (tailored)	£500-1,500
Suit hire	£100-200
Shoes	£50-200
Accessories	£50-150

Flowers & Decorations

Flower Costs

Item	Typical Cost
Bridal bouquet	£80-200
Bridesmaid bouquets (each)	£40-80
Buttonholes (each)	£10-20
Table centrepieces (each)	£30-80
Ceremony flowers	£100-500
Top table arrangement	£100-300

Decoration Options

Item	Cost
Chair covers (hire)	£2-5 each
Table runners	£5-15 each
Fairy lights	£50-200
Candles/votives	£50-150
Signage	£20-100
Photo booth (hire)	£300-600

Entertainment

Music Options

Option	Cost
DIY playlist	£0
DJ (4-5 hours)	£400-700
DJ (full day)	£700-1,200
Live band (2 sets)	£1,500-3,000
Premium band	£3,000-7,000+
String quartet (ceremony)	£400-800

Other Entertainment

Option	Cost
Photo booth	£300-600
Magician	£300-600
Caricaturist	£200-400
Garden games hire	£100-300

Stationery & Admin

Stationery Costs

Item	Cost
Save the dates	£50-150
Invitations (printed)	£100-300
Invitations (DIY/digital)	£0-50
Order of service	£50-150
Table plan	£30-100
Place cards	£30-80
Menu cards	£30-100
Thank you cards	£50-150

Legal & Admin

Item	Cost
Marriage licence	£35-50
Registrar fees	£50-500
Church fees	£400-600
Name change (optional)	£0-200

Regional Variations

Average by Region

Region	Average Cost
London	£30,000-40,000
South East	£25,000-35,000
South West	£22,000-28,000
Midlands	£18,000-25,000
North	£17,000-23,000
Scotland	£20,000-27,000
Wales	£18,000-24,000
Northern Ireland	£17,000-22,000

Budget Wedding Tips

Where to Save

Area	Money-Saving Option
Date	Weekday, winter, off-peak
Venue	Pub, village hall, restaurant
Guests	Smaller numbers
Attire	Pre-owned, high street, hire
Flowers	Seasonal, DIY, silk
Cake	Supermarket, DIY, cheese tower
Stationery	Digital invites
Transport	Friends/family cars
Entertainment	DIY playlist
Honeymoon	Mini-moon, delayed

Sample £10,000 Budget

Category	Allocation
Venue + catering (40 guests)	£4,000
Photography	£800
Attire (both)	£1,000
Flowers	£300
Decorations	£200
Music (DJ)	£400
Cake	£150
Stationery	£100
Hair/makeup	£200
Rings	£500
Contingency	£1,350
Total	£10,000

Payment & Saving

Typical Payment Schedule

Timing	What’s Paid
Booking	Deposits (10-50%)
6 months before	Initial balances
3 months before	Remaining balances
1 month before	Final payments

Saving £20,000 in 18 Months

Method	Monthly Saving
Target	£1,111/month
With contributions from parents	May reduce needed savings

Summary

Budget Level	Total Cost
Budget	£5,000-10,000
Average	£20,000-25,000
Premium	£35,000-50,000

Biggest Costs	Typical %
Venue & catering	40-50%
Photography/video	10-12%
Attire	8-10%
Flowers/decor	5-8%
Entertainment	5-7%