How Much Does A Wedding Cost

Chances are, if you’re reading this, you might be planning a wedding?! Whether you’re engaged yet or not, planning your dream wedding is a super exciting journey. Celebrating your love and commitment to someone special in front of all your friends takes careful planning and preparation. It is easy for costs to mount up quickly so understanding how much weddings cost, what’s involved and where you might need to compromise is essential for ensuring your big day is everything you want, and more.

While some couples may prefer an intimate wedding with their nearest and dearest, others might want a grand affair with lots of guests, flair and drama. Realising the difference in cost between the two is key to ensuring your wedding day is affordable, without compromising on the elements most important to you as a couple.

Let us break down the average cost of a wedding to help understand the different wedding costs that make up your special day and answer that elusive question – ‘how much do weddings cost?!’.

How Much Does the Average Wedding Cost?

According to UK wedding planner website Bridebook, the average British wedding cost in 2025 was £20,822. This excludes rings and honeymoons but includes venue hire, attire, styling, entertainment, and all those other bits and pieces that are essential to your wedding day.

This figure is slightly up year-on-year from 2024 but has largely remained stable. Bridebook’s study of 7,000 married and engaged couples offers detailed breakdowns for different days of the week, months of the year, number of guests and regions across the UK.

Wedding Costs

The major determining factor for how much your wedding will cost is the number of guests you want to invite. An intimate wedding with 30 guests will invariably cost less than a large wedding with 150 plus guestlist.

Wedding venue hire will usually be the single highest wedding cost and venues either charge per head or by tiered wedding packages with predefined guest numbers dictating overall hire cost. Realistically, your wedding budget will determine your guestlist, or vice versa.

Let’s take a closer look at different wedding elements so you can see the expected cost of each. The wedding cost breakdown below shows approximate prices to give you an idea about the expected average cost of a wedding, but these will differ depending on your preferences.

Venue Hire

Average wedding venue cost £4,500 - £9,500 (approximately 50 guests)

The average wedding venue cost in the UK is around £6,000 without catering, going up to £9,000 and beyond with catering. Prices will be dictated by the number of guests you want to invite with larger guestlists costing more per head and what inclusions are offered. You can literally spend tens of thousands for luxury, exclusive wedding venues so the sky is the limit if your budget fits.

Wedding packages will typically include welcome drinks, the wedding breakfast, venue hire, and staging (seating, tables and linen, crockery and glassware etc). Optional extras range from evening food, styling, drinks packages, canapés, extra courses, accommodation and breakfasts the next morning.

Licensed wedding venues will charge differently to reception venues, so deciding if your ceremony will be at the venue or elsewhere needs to be factored into your budgeting. If you get married at a church, you’ll need to consider transport to and from, and plan your wedding day timings to include travel time.

A huge benefit of hotel weddings is that you can request exclusive access, get ready there before your wedding and stay overnight too. Whilst including accommodation cost may increase the venue hire cost, you’ll save in other areas and benefit from more streamlined logistics on the day.

Catering and Drinks

Average wedding catering cost £50 - £150 per person

Average wedding cake cost from £250

Separating out catering and drinks usually only really applies to wedding venues that don’t offer catering. Wedding barns, registry offices, self-catering properties, private homes, marquees and public buildings are just some examples of venues that don’t usually offer wedding catering. Typically referred to as dry venues, you’ll need to organise catering in addition to your venue, at additional cost.

On the one hand, this allows you the freedom to choose a caterer that matches your vibe, such as street food trucks, international cuisine, pizza vans or buffet banquets, for example. On the other hand, you’ll have to make sure the caterers have access to the resources they need, such as parking, space and shelter to prepare and serve, water and power, which all require further logistical planning and potential added costs.

Choosing a wedding venue that offers catering packages is a cost-effective way to plan a wedding, especially if you opt for days, weeks or months that are less popular where special prices may be offered.

Don’t forget to factor your wedding cake into your wedding cost spreadsheet either! While wedding cakes are not essential, most weddings will have some form of cake, desert table, traybake stack or cupcake stand to offer guests a sweet treat to take away with them.

Wedding Attire

Average wedding dress cost £1,000- £2,500

Average wedding suit cost £600 - £900

Wedding attire costs differ wildly depending on style, material and designer. Suits typically cost a lot less than wedding dresses, and the level of detail and finish you prefer will dictate the overall price tag. Buying off the rack or from high street brands, you’ll typically spend less than if you go to a specific bridal boutique or tailor.

If you want the whole experience of visiting a wedding boutique, where they’ll measure you, suggest styles, offer refreshments and give advice, make sure to check in advance if you need an appointment to visit. Go with a budget in mind and try to stick to it!

Décor and Styling

Average cost of wedding flowers £500 - £5,000

Cost of wedding decorations £500 +

Wedding flowers will be your main expense here, and as they’re such a personal element of your wedding, can range in price depending on how much or how little you want. A bridal bouquet costs anything from £100 usually, with bridesmaids starting from a little less, and buttonholes typically go from £10.

The cost of wedding florals for your venue will be dictated as to whether you want entrance flowers, table decorations, wedding arches, church flowers, petal confetti, thank you bouquets etc. There is endless scope to decorate your chosen wedding venue with flowers, and a British florist would usually suggest you spend around 10% of your wedding budget on floral elements to make the most impact.

Opting for seasonal flowers, florists’ choice options and local stems will help to keep costs down, as will repurposing arrangements such as using bridesmaid’s bouquets as table decorations and transporting church flowers to reception venues.

Wedding decorations refers to your venue styling usually, so candles, chairbacks, signage, wedding favours, bunting, backdrops, lighting and aisle décor, for example. Your wedding venue may include some of this in your wedding package, or you might enlist a wedding stylist and/or florist to arrange these elements. The scale of your vision here will dictate the overall cost of your wedding décor.

Photography and Videography

Wedding photographer cost £1,000 - £5,000

Wedding videographer cost £1,000 - £5,000

Wedding photography with wedding video cost from £2,500

As with all wedding elements, you can spend a little or a lot on wedding photography and videography. If having a detailed record of your day from start to finish is important to you, then look for a company who will produce both photos and video, or seek out professionals who work collaboratively.

You can expect to pay more for a full coverage wedding photography package, just as the cost will be higher for more experienced professionals offering premium footage. Equally, the format of your wedding photos and video content afterwards will also determine the overall cost, especially if you want stylised editing, drone footage or specialised services.

Wedding photography and videography is charged based on time, experience, portfolio and final products, therefore what you want covered will determine what you pay.

Remember to ask for recommendations from your venue and try to get three quotes for photographers with a style you like to ensure you get the most competitive price. Book well in advance to guarantee your chosen professional is available for your wedding date.

Wedding Entertainment

Live music cost from £700

Wedding DJ cost from £750

Fireworks from £800

Photo booths from £300

Bouncy castle hire from £100

The list of potential wedding entertainment options is vast. Essentially, the more you want, the more you’ll pay. Live music, bands and DJs are all fairly standard and will charge for the time they’re required. Expect to pay a higher cost for bands with more members, better reputations and a wider repertoire. Similarly, if you’d like musicians to play as you walk down the aisle, consider how long they’ll be needed for, and how many members they have, which will determine overall cost.

Fireworks, photo booths, ice cream vans, magicians, dancers and entertainers are all lovely touches that make your wedding a day to remember. If you’ve got the budget to spare, liaise with your wedding venue for local vendors and ask around for recommendations to get the best products and prices.

Wedding Extras

Wedding makeup cost from £70 per person

Wedding hair cost from £60 per person

Wedding rings £100 - £1,000

Wedding insurance cost from £100

Wedding planner costs from £2,500

Lancashire registrar cost £394 - £529

Wedding stationary cost £100 - £250

Listed above are some of the additional wedding costs you might expect to pay. While a few of these are optional, like wedding hair and makeup, others, such as booking a registrar to come to your venue, are essential.

Similarly to much of the wedding cost breakdown we’ve provided, your preferences as a couple will dictate the overall costs but it’s important to understand the individual elements that will make your wedding day unforgettable.

Why Hotels Make Wonderful Wedding Venues

Planning a wedding is such a thrilling journey and we’re here to help every step of the way. Hotel wedding venues, such as Springbank Manor, are an excellent choice for weddings of all shapes and sizes. Not only are there in-house catering options and accommodation on site, but licensed venues enable you to get married in the same place as your reception, saving you time, money and stress. Looking forward to your big day should be your priority and choosing a venue that will take care of all the details means you can do exactly that.

For a simply stunning wedding venue in Lancashire that is easily accessible, fully inclusive, and can cater for intimate weddings through to grand weddings, look no further than Springbank. Our dedicated wedding planners will guide you through the booking process, introduce you to the venue and assist with wedding plans, highlighting recommended local suppliers, and catering to your every request. As a cost-effective way to plan a wedding, choosing a dedicated wedding venue such as ours is an excellent idea and we can’t wait to hear from you soon!

Weddings at Springbank Manor