If you’re wedding planning, then you’ll know that your wedding venue takes up a large chunk of your wedding budget. However, how much exactly do wedding venues cost for the typical couple? We broke down the costs in our Wedding Report, which included data from over 18,000 couples who married in 2017 and 2018, and found out exactly how much to spend on a wedding venue…

How much do couples spend on their wedding venue? According to our statistics, which make up part of the biggest wedding study in the UK, couples typically spend an average of £6,000 on their wedding venue. However, it’s important to note that there are few separate elements you have to take into account when budgeting for your wedding venue.  Firstly, is your wedding venue offering you a package, or just dry hire cost? A wedding package tends to include the catering and drinks built in on top of hire costs, which can sometimes bring the overall cost down. We combined our brides’ data with information from venues on Guides for Brides to calculate the average cost of a wedding package for 80 day guests. Prices ranged between £4,723 and £11,660, for an average cost of £5,234.  However, if you’re hiring your wedding venue on a ‘dry hire’ basis, i.e. bringing in all the caterers and bar yourself, then your prices look a little different. The average starting cost of venue hire was £2,506, going up to £5,071 for an average hire cost of £3,788.

How much does a marquee wedding cost?  Marquees often need to be hired out for a flat fee and then catering and drinks supplied separately. Depending on the marquee size and style, costs ranged from £1,870 to £4,450, for an average cost of £2,980. Bear in mind that you also may have to supply extras such as seating, toilets and heaters! When it comes to catering, there are so many different styles of packages at various price points that it can be hard to calculate an average. Our catering suppliers range from afternoon tea at £6 a head to formal four-course meals at £150 a head! However, we calculated the typical costs of a catering package offered by a venue ranged from £65.53 to £104. This came to an average total of £84.77 per head. 

If you’re thinking of getting married in 2019 or beyond, then the big question you’re facing is likely to be: how much does a wedding cost? In our Annual Wedding Report of over 18,000 couples who got married during 2017 and 2018, we analysed how much the typical wedding costs in the UK – and the results may surprise you!  In our survey, we tallied up the total costs of both key and optional suppliers for weddings throughout the country. Some couples spent in excess of £100,000 on their big day, bringing the national average to around £16,500 for key suppliers.  but the majority of couples typically spent around £12,000. This should be great news for couples who are worried by surveys claiming that you’ll need in excess of £32,000 just to tie the knot! 

So, now you know the cost of a typical wedding, how should you split this between your wedding suppliers, and what are likely to be your top expenses? 

Top five expenses 

Unsurprisingly, the venue and food costs claims the top spot for wedding expenses, with the typical wedding venue and catering package coming out at around £5235. Venue hire costs tend to average at £3788, with in-house catering packages coming out at around £84 per head.  Next on the list is the honeymoon, which couples typically spend £3100 on. This is down from last year’s figure, with newlyweds choosing to enjoy gorgeous short-haul honeymoons rather than splashing out on long-haul flights.  Third on your list of expenses is bridalwear, which comes out at £1200. While this may surprise some, this figure includes alterations and accessories, so it’s a good ballpark to aim for.  Fourth on the list is wedding photography, which our couples typically spent £1100 on. We’re not surprised by this figure, as photography is an important wedding investment. After all, why spend thousands on decor and outfits if you have no photos to remember them by? Finally, the fifth highest expense for a typical wedding is live music. While a DJ might be a more budget-friendly alternative at £510 on average, a live band will cost around £800. If your budget doesn’t stretch to this but you still love live music, then individual musicians cost around £129 each. 

How much does a wedding ceremony cost?

These days you have lots of flexibility when it comes to how you tie the knot. Luckily the costs for a wedding ceremony tend to be around the same whatever you choose.  If you’re looking for a religious ceremony in a church, then the cost of a church wedding will typically come out at around £500. Be aware that you may need to spend more on musicians, bell-ringers, heating and decoration.  When marrying in a register office, the costs will vary largely depending on location, and the day of the week. On average, you can expect to pay around £540. This matches the cost of marrying at a licensed wedding venue, which also typically costs £540.  Celebrant ceremonies are becoming increasingly more popular with couples, and these will set you back around £500. However, you will still need to pay the costs of a register office if you want to be legally married in England and Wales. 

Typical cost of a wedding in 2018