It can be difficult to set realistic wedding budget when you don’t actually know how much suppliers tend to charge. There is so much variation in costs depending on your guest numbers, the time of year, the day of the week, the length of your day… so where do you start? Below I have set out a rough guide to how much certain suppliers may cost to help you start to plan your wedding budget.
The average cost of a UK wedding in 2019 was around £30,000. Later you should be able to see where all that money goes! This figure, of course, takes into account the entire spectrum of wedding budgets – the high with the lower – and so some surveys suggest that the 'actual' average wedding will cost anything upwards of around £15,000.
With that in mind, below are rough estimates of typical costs for a 'standard' wedding e.g. around 100 guests, getting married on a Saturday in summer. Those with a higher budget can typically accommodate more elements in their wedding than those with smaller budgets, so the list here only includes the most common expenses.
Legal Fees: £200+
Registrar - £50-£400 depending on the registry office and venue
Giving notice of marriage - £70
Wedding certificate - £11
Wedding insurance (which I always recommend you get!) – £60-£300
If you choose to have a celebrant-led ceremony, you also have to factor in their costs.Venue hire: £5,000 - £8,000
This figure is for non-exclusive use. If you want exclusive use, you’re looking at £8,000+. Church hire is usually cheaper than this at £200-£1,000. Catering: £5,000 - £10,000
Depending on the catering style you choose, you're looking at £50-£100 per person for a three course, "standard", wedding breakfast (your main meal).Photography: £1,000 - £3,000
Videography: £1,000 - £4,000
Flowers: £500 - £3,000
A bridal bouquet can be £75-£150+, bridesmaid’s bouquet £50-£120, flower crowns £50+, buttonholes £10-£50 each, ceremony flowers £150-£1000, and reception table flowers £50-£100 per table.Cake: £300 - £1,500
Bridal hair and makeup: £300 - £1,200
This figure includes a bridal trial for both hair and makeup, often charged separately, and can be around £100 each.Bridal outfit: £1,000 - £5,000
e.g. dress, shoes, accessories.Groom outfit: £500 - £2,000
e.g. suit, shoes, accessories.Rings: £1,000 - £3,000
Decorations and rentals: £200 - £3,000
Entertainment and music: £1,000 - £5,000
Stationery: £500 - £1,200
Gifts/Favours: £100 - £1,000
Transport: £500 - £1,000
Contingency: around £2,000
I always recommend you keep between 5-10% of your wedding budget allocated as a contingency fund to dip into as and when you need last-minute cash e.g. wedding dress alterations, emergency taxi pickup for a guest. If you don’t end up using your contingency, then you can use it as extra honeymoon cash!
I hope that has given you useful ball-park figures to start your budget planning off on the right foot! If you would like help with planning your budget and – most importantly - sticking to it, then do get in touch! I’d be happy to help.
