What is the average cost of a wedding?

It’s a well-known fact that weddings are expensive. Exactly how much a wedding costs, depends a lot on the individuals getting married. When you choose to invite a lot of people, and pick an incredible venue, then the costs of the wedding will be a lot higher than if you choose to have a small low-key wedding. For this reason, the research into the average costs of a wedding are very different. Some studies claim that on average a wedding costs about 15,000 pounds, whereas others talk about 25,000 pounds. The actual average will probably be somewhere between these two values, so around 20,000 pounds. An interesting find is that the average costs of a wedding have increased by about 20% over the past 5 years! Research has also shown that the parents of the bride and groom often pay towards the wedding.  

 

 

What is included in the costs of a wedding?

Below you can find an overview of the average costs included in a wedding. These are of course averages, so you can choose to make them cheaper or more expensive!

 Cost category   Cost in £ 
 Honeymoon  3,548
 Food  3,313
 Venue hire  2,763
 Engagement ring   2,095
 Drinks  1,328
 Wedding dress  1,119
 Photography  1,033
 Wedding ring bride   720
 Entertainment   692
 Video  619
 Wedding ring groom   500
 Registrar / church fees   443
 Engagement party  497
 Car  389
 Bridesmaid outfit  375
 Honeymoon wardrobe  353
 Groom's outfit  317

 

How can you make a wedding less expensive?

If you are trying to plan your wedding on a smaller budget, there are a couple of tips that might help you out:

- Get married on a Monday. In a lot of city halls you can get married on a Monday for free
- Ask a friend or family member to take the pictures
- Don’t choose an expensive wedding car, but hire an old Mini Cooper for example
- Have the reception at home instead of at an expensive venue
- Only invite family and close friends
- Buy 2nd hand wedding clothes (often only worn once anyway)

What was the most expensive wedding ever?

The most expensive wedding ever, was that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Their wedding cost 74 million pounds. Their son, William also knows how to arrange an expensive wedding. His wedding with Kate cost 23 million pounds, making it the 3rd most expensive wedding ever.
 

See besides average cost of a wedding also: 
Average Cost of a Funeral