Weddings are big business: it's an industry worth billions in the UK and is only growing with each year.
Legally, getting married is relatively cheap - £119 for the paperwork and registry. But how much are we spending on weddings, and what are the ways to keep the costs down?
How much do weddings cost?
According to Bridebook, the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £20,775. With a ring and honeymoon, this average shoots up to £25,952.
How much you spend on your wedding depends entirely on the type of day you want, whether that’s a weekend in a country house or simply gathering your family and friends in your local pub.
Bridebook also calculated the average cost of different parts of a wedding:
- Venue: £9,877
- Professional catering: £5,732
- Florist: £1,182
- Dress: £1,424
- Photographer: £1,464
- Videographer: £1,439
- Cakemaker: £405
- Music: £1,768
- Decor: £1,149
This list isn't exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of the kind of costs you could be looking at.
Where do people spend the most on weddings?
According to Bridebook, the biggest spenders are, unsurprisingly, in London.
Almost everything costs more in the capital, from venues to photographers. The average wedding bill comes to £36,778 for Londoners.
Where do people spend the least on weddings?
According to Bridebook’s report, the average cost of weddings in Wales is the lowest in the UK, sitting at £15,529.
When is it cheapest to get married?
It's cheapest to get married when nobody else wants to.
Out of all the days of the week, it’s cheapest to get married on a Tuesday or Wednesday (according to the same Bridebook study), with Friday and Saturday being the most expensive.
Most people want to get married when the weather is good, generally from late spring until early autumn.
January is the cheapest month in which to get married, with May being the most expensive.
There are also spikes in bookings around February (because of Valentine's Day) and Christmas/New Year. That leaves January, March, October and November - but be wary of school half-terms.
What is the most expensive part of a wedding?
The priciest parts of weddings are usually the venue and catering. But prices can also soar in other areas depending on your preferences.
Honeymoons can also be expensive, though they’re technically not part of the wedding event.
Saving on the reception
The traditional mid-afternoon ceremony leads into a sit-down meal, speeches, music, a disco and then a late-night taxi back to a hotel. It can easily turn into a long and expensive day for everyone involved, including the guests.
Some venues might try to insist you use their caterers, DJ, photographer and so on - and they'll take a commission on all of it - so make sure you know everything up front before booking.
You can save a lot by booking a non-wedding venue for the reception, if you're planning on having the ceremony at a church or registry office.
Try your local town or village hall, a museum or art gallery.
You could also consider getting a non-wedding-themed cake made for your big day, and then making some small additions (such as bridge and groom figurines) yourself.
Wedding cakes often are much more expensive than regular cakes, even though the ingredients don’t differ massively.
Dresses
When it comes to the bride, most of the time wedding dresses are very expensive (on average, around £1,424 according to Bridebook).
But it's always worth looking out for sample sales where shops sell designer dresses at a fraction of the price. Be sure to follow wedding dress boutiques on social media to find out if your favourite shop has a sale on.
You can save on bridesmaids' dresses too. Chances are your bridesmaids will have different body shapes and tastes, so let them choose their own dresses from the high street (perhaps in matching colours). Not only will it save you cash, but it'll help them feel more comfortable too.
Food and drink
Catering is often the single biggest cost for couples getting married. Most guests will now understand if you ask them to pay for their own alcohol, especially if it's a larger reception where the potential bar bill would be extremely high.
If you don't want to skimp on the quality of your food, think outside of the box in order to save money.
Book your ceremony for a later slot and have a cocktail party-style reception serving hors d'oeuvres, or (for larger functions) an antipasti-style buffet.
This makes self-catering your own wedding easy and affordable, especially if you can negotiate a good deal with your local delicatessens and cheesemongers.
You could also consider swapping the traditional three courses for afternoon tea with sandwiches and cake. This works especially well on a warm summer day.
Guests
While your wedding is an exciting time and you may want as many people there as possible, every additional guest will lead to an additional cost.
According to Bridebook, UK weddings with 50 guests or less cost an average of £12,006, while weddings with over 151 guests cost an average of £37,431.
So, by being a little more selective with your guest list, you could save thousands on your big day.
Can I get a loan for a wedding?
If you don’t want to cut costs too much on your big day but don’t have much money set aside, another option is to borrow money to help with the costs.
It's not a great idea to plan a wedding with a totally unrealistic budget, but a small loan could help you make some of those final payments.
In our experience, couples who take out a wedding loan with Admiral to help pay for their big day, borrow on average £9,900.
Interest rates are subject to your individual circumstances and will be explained clearly when you get a quote.
