Venue hire
Hire fee only, before catering. Bridebook records GBP 6,040 national venue spend excluding catering, with average hire near GBP 4,674.
£3,500 – £12,000
Browse venue hireWedYesDay
United Kingdom
How much does a wedding really cost?
Simpler days start around
£19,000
Most couples land near
£27,500
Premium celebrations reach
£42,000
GBP for around 100 guests, before VAT — scaled from surveys that measured smaller weddings · reviewed 2026-07
Where the money goes
Typical the United Kingdom price ranges by vendor category — and the verified vendors behind them.
Catering and bar
Bridebook records GBP 5,406 for reception catering plus GBP 2,002 for evening catering on about 74 guests — roughly GBP 100 a head combined. Scale that to your own numbers, and add VAT.
£6,000 – £14,000
Browse catering and barPhotography
Bridebook's 2026 national average is GBP 1,484, with videography a separate GBP 1,514. GBP 900 buys a shorter day or a newer photographer.
£900 – £3,500
Browse photographyFlowers and styling
National florist average GBP 1,187, with decor a further GBP 1,404. Published guidance starts around GBP 400 and runs past GBP 2,000 with scale and season.
£500 – £3,000
Browse flowers and stylingRegistrar and legal fees
England and Wales: notice is about GBP 35-46.50 each (GBP 63 each if either party is subject to immigration control) and a register office ceremony roughly GBP 57-62. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate systems with their own fees.
£150 – £900
Browse registrar and legal feesTurn the ranges into your budget
Step 1
Set a working budget
Agree the total you're comfortable spending before you fall in love with anything. Wedyesday's budget tracker splits it across categories for you.
Step 2
Pick your top three priorities
Choose the two or three things that matter most — venue, photography, food — and let them take a bigger share. Trim what you won't remember in five years.
Step 3
Get real quotes from verified vendors
Published starting prices beat guesswork. Shortlist verified vendors, request pricing with your date and guest count, and compare like for like.
Step 4
Track deposits and payments as you book
Log every quote, deposit, and due date as it happens so the running total never surprises you.
Your cost questions, answered
How much does the average UK wedding cost?
Hitched's 2026 survey put it at GBP 21,990 across all wedding sizes, with weddings of 101+ guests averaging GBP 35,591. For a 100-guest wedding most couples land between GBP 19,000 and GBP 42,000 before VAT.
Why do UK wedding quotes end up higher than expected?
VAT is quoted inconsistently. A GBP 95 per head catering quote for 100 guests reads as GBP 9,500 and invoices at GBP 11,400 once 20% VAT is added — and many venues then apply a 10-15% service charge to the post-VAT total. Assume every quote is exclusive until told otherwise.
Which UK region is cheapest to marry in?
The North West. Bridebook puts it at GBP 17,342 across all wedding sizes, roughly 16% below the UK average. London and Scotland sit at the top, with Scotland recording the highest per-guest spend in the country.
Planning somewhere else?
Melbourne · VICSydney · NSWBrisbane · QLDPerth · WAAdelaide · SAYarra Valley · VICByron Bay · NSWGold Coast · QLDHunter Valley · NSWNew York City · NYChicago · ILLos Angeles · CAAtlanta · GAthe United StatesLondon · Greater LondonManchester · North West EnglandEdinburgh · ScotlandAuckland · North IslandWellington · North IslandQueenstown · South IslandNew ZealandMumbai · MaharashtraDelhi NCR · Delhi, Haryana and Uttar PradeshBangalore · KarnatakaIndia
Ranges are directional market figures — your quotes will vary with date, guest count, and season. The surest numbers come from verified vendors with published pricing.