Weddings and Relationships Money Guide UK 2026 — Planning, Costs and Finance

Cost of a Wedding UK — Full Budget Breakdown

Complete UK wedding cost breakdown for 2025. Average prices for venue, catering, dress, and every expense plus money-saving tips.

· · 4 min read

Start here: Weddings and Relationships Hub.

Understanding what weddings really cost helps you plan a realistic budget.

Average UK Wedding Cost

Overall Figures

TypeTypical Cost
Budget wedding£5,000-10,000
Average wedding£18,000-20,000
Above average£25,000-35,000
Luxury wedding£50,000+

Regional Variation

RegionAveragePremium
London£25,000++25-40%
South East£22,000+10-20%
National average£18,000-20,000Baseline
North£15,000-18,000-10-20%
Scotland/Wales£16,000-19,000Varies

Full Cost Breakdown

Major Expenses

CategoryAverageBudgetPremium
Venue hire£5,000-6,000£500-2,000£10,000+
Catering/drinks£4,000-5,000£1,500-2,500£10,000+
Photography£1,500-2,000£500-1,000£3,000+
Wedding dress£1,200-1,500£200-500£3,000+
Entertainment/DJ£500-800£200-400£1,500+

Secondary Expenses

CategoryAverageBudgetPremium
Flowers£500-1,000£100-300£2,000+
Wedding cake£300-500£100-200£1,000+
Rings£1,500-2,500£500-1,000£5,000+
Stationery£200-400£50-100£800+
Hair & makeup£200-400£100-150£600+

Often Forgotten

CategoryAverageBudgetNotes
Transport£500-700£0-200Own cars/family
Favours£100-250£50-100Or skip
Décor/extras£500-1,000£100-300DIY saves
Tips/service£200-500£100+Often overlooked
Marriage licence£50-100£50Required

Clothing/Appearance Subtotal

ItemAverageBudget
Wedding dress£1,300£300
Alterations£200£100
Shoes/accessories£200£50
Groom’s outfit£300-500£100
Hair & makeup£300£100
Subtotal£2,300£650

Percentage Budget Split

Typical Allocation

CategoryPercentage
Venue30-35%
Catering & drinks20-25%
Photography/video8-12%
Attire8-10%
Entertainment5-8%
Flowers & décor5-8%
Everything else10-15%

Sample Budgets

£10,000 BudgetAllocation
Venue£3,000
Catering£2,500
Photography£1,000
Attire£800
Entertainment£500
Flowers£400
Other£1,800
£20,000 BudgetAllocation
Venue£6,500
Catering£5,000
Photography£2,000
Attire£1,800
Entertainment£800
Flowers£1,000
Other£2,900

Venue Options

By Type

Venue TypeTypical CostIncludes
Registry office£50-100Ceremony only
Hotel (all-inclusive)£6,000-15,000Venue + catering
Country house£4,000-12,000Venue hire
Barn venue£3,000-8,000Venue hire
Restaurant£2,000-6,000Often all-in
Village hall£200-500DIY everything
Garden/marquee£2,000-8,000Hire + setup

Savings Tips

ApproachSavings
Weekday wedding20-40% off
Winter wedding20-30% off
Sunday wedding10-20% off
Off-peak month15-25% off
Dry hire venueControl caterers

Catering Costs

Per Person Estimates

LevelPer Person
Basic buffet£30-40
Good buffet£50-70
3-course sit-down£60-80
Premium menu£80-120
Fine dining£120+

For 80 Guests

Catering LevelTotal
Basic£2,400-3,200
Mid-range£4,800-6,400
Premium£7,000-10,000

Drinks Costs

Drinks PackagePer Person
Welcome drink only£5-10
Wine with meal£15-25
Full bar tab£40-60
Limited bar£25-35

Savings Tips

ApproachSavings
Dry hire + catererOften cheaper
Corkage (bring own drinks)£200-800 total
Buffet vs sit-down20-30%
Fewer coursesProportional

Photography & Video

Photography Costs

CoverageTypical Cost
4-6 hours£800-1,500
Full day£1,500-2,500
Premium/established£2,500-4,000
Budget/new photographer£500-800

Video Costs

CoverageTypical Cost
Highlights only£500-1,000
Full day£1,500-2,500
Cinematic£2,500-4,500

Savings Tips

ApproachSavings
Partial day coverage30-40%
New photographer40-60%
Skip video£1,500+
Digital only (no album)£200-400

Entertainment

Music Options

OptionCost
Spotify playlist + speakers£0-100
DJ£400-800
Live band (3-4 piece)£1,000-2,000
Both DJ + band£1,500-3,000
Acoustic during ceremony£150-400

Guest Numbers Impact

Cost Scaling

GuestsBudgetAveragePremium
30£3,000£8,000£15,000
50£5,000£12,000£22,000
80£8,000£18,000£35,000
100£10,000£22,000£45,000
150£15,000£32,000£60,000

Cost Per Head

Wedding TypePer Person
Budget£75-125
Average£180-250
Premium£300-500

Hidden Costs

Often Overlooked

ItemCost Range
Marriage licence/notice£50-100
Pre-wedding events£500-2,000
Wedding insurance£50-150
Guest accommodationVariable
Thank you gifts£100-300
Post-wedding dress cleaning£100-200
Name change fees£50-100

Service Charges/Tips

Typically TipAmount
Photographer£50-100
DJ/band£50-100
Hair/makeup10-15%
Venue staffOptional

Money-Saving Strategies

High Impact Savings

StrategyPotential Savings
Reduce guest list£150-250 per person
Off-peak date20-40% of venue
Non-traditional venue40-60%
DIY flowers50-70%
Preloved dress50-80%

DIY Options

ElementDIY CostPro Cost
Invitations£50-100£300-500
Table décor£100-200£500-1,000
Favours£50-100£200-400
Cake (amateur baker family)£100-150£400-700

Budget Wedding Formula

ElementBudget Option
VenueRegistry office + pub/hall
FoodBuffet or family help
DressHigh street/secondhand
PhotosNew/student photographer
MusicPlaylist
DécorDIY/minimal
FlowersDIY/supermarket
Total£3,000-7,000

Summary

ExpenseBudgetAveragePremium
Venue£1,000£5,500£12,000
Catering£1,500£4,500£10,000
Photography£600£1,800£3,500
Attire£500£1,500£4,000
Entertainment£200£700£2,000
Flowers/décor£200£800£2,500
Other£1,000£2,200£5,000
Total£5,000£17,000£39,000
To Reduce Costs
Fewer guestsBiggest impact
Off-peak date20-40% savings
DIY where skilledFlowers, décor
Prioritise2-3 things that matter most

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Sources

  1. MoneyHelper — Budget planner
  2. GOV.UK — Marriage and civil partnership