How Much Does a Wedding Cost? The 2025 UK Average Revealed
Curious about how much the average wedding costs? We surveyed over 3,000 couples to find out what couples are spending on and how much you need to save
Ever wondered how much the average wedding costs? Our National Wedding Survey revealed the average cost of a wedding in the UK in 2025, so if you want to know how much you need to start saving, read on!
Our study revealed some fascinating data - as well as how much the average wedding cost in 2024, we can also tell you what the spend breakdown was, how many couples turned to the bank of mum and dad, and what couples prioritised as they paid for their wedding.
In addition to this, we also have the full scoop on which wedding traditions are trending, and which ones are falling out of favour. Call us biased, but it’s a FASCINATING read - breaking down the average wedding cost in the UK, plus what the average UK wedding looks like now.
Better get ready to make your wedding budget...
Here’s our breakdown of the UK’s average wedding cost and how and what it's being spent on, based on data from over 3,000 couples who married in 2024*.
- The average wedding cost in the UK
- Wedding budget breakdown: how people are spending
- Average wedding 2025: what weddings look like
- Average wedding costs in previous years
Average Wedding Cost UK: 2025
So, here it is - drum roll please! The average wedding in the UK in 2024 cost £23,250.
This is 12% up on the average cost of a wedding in 2023, which was £20,700. The average cost of a wedding in 2022 was £18,400, and in 2021, the average wedding cost £17,300.
The average spend has increased by over £3,000, but this isn’t surprising when we’ve been living through a period of high inflation, and a cost of living crisis.
Nearly 1 in 2 couples who got married in 2024 said that the economy had impacted their wedding budget, which was a similar story when it came to wedding spend in 2023.
Couples dealt with the rising costs of living in a few different ways - a whopping 60% of couples increased their budget at least once whilst planning, and over half of couples (56%) included more DIY elements than they initially planned to.
40% of couples are now spending over £10,000 on their weddings - but you can still get married for £10,000 or less with our handy guide.
Average Wedding Cost Snapshot
So let’s look at that UK average wedding cost and how it’s broken down:
- Average wedding cost in the UK: £23,700
- Nearly 1 in 5 spend between between £10,000 - £15,000
- Almost 1 in 5 spend £15,000 or more
- 40% of couples spend £10,000 or more
- 25% of couples spend more than £30,000
- The average cost of a wedding guest is £261.24
How Are Couples Spending Their Wedding Budget?
The wedding budget is one of the top five considerations for couples when planning their weddings in 2024, but guest experience remains the most important thing to nearlyweds.
Last year, budget was the second most important consideration, but this year couples have a few other priorities they rank higher:
- Guests are well taken care of and have a good time
- Personalisation & planning a wedding that reflects who they are as a couple
- Food & drink
- Cost & budget
- Overall look & vibe of the wedding
Over half of all couples (51%) admitted to going over budget when it comes to their wedding spends - but this is actually a decrease from the previous year.
Nearly a third of couples (31%) stayed on target when it came to their spends, and 14% didn’t have a budget - lucky ducks!
The average honeymoon costs £4,255 - with 1 in 10 couples spending over £9,000 on their holiday of a lifetime.
When it comes to wedding guests - even though we know the average cost of a wedding guest is a whopping £241 - we’ve seen guest lists get bigger this year. The average UK wedding now includes 89 guests, which is up from 80 in 2024.
63% of couples were gifted money from friends or family to pay for their wedding - and this has actually declined from the previous year, when 70% relied on financial gifts to fund their big day. 1 in 20 couples used a buy now, pay later model such as Klarna when it came to wedding spends.
When it comes to other financial priorities, nearly two thirds (64%) of couples were saving for a honeymoon too, and a further third (31%) were saving for a house.
Other financial considerations included:
- Paying off a credit card or debt - 29%
- Saving for family planning - 27%
- Maintaining an ‘emergency fund’ - 22%
- Paying off student loans - 16%
- Saving for retirement - 10%
So there you have it - the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £23,250 for 2024 - £3,050 up from 2023. Curious about how to break down a £20,000 wedding spend? We break it down for you.
*Data from 3,015 U.K. individuals married in 2024. Survey distributed via email and Hitched social channels. Survey conducted between January and December 2024.
The Average Wedding in 2025: What Does it Look Like?
Want more information about the average UK wedding, aside from what it cost? We’ve got you. Here is some key data about UK weddings…
How Couples Met
The internet is the most common way to find a spouse these days - over a third of couples (36%) met online, with 33% meeting through dating apps and 3% meeting on social media.
14% of couples meet through mutual friends, and a further 14 percent meet at work, however nearly one in five couples (19%) meet at school, college or university - sweet!
Getting Engaged
The average age of newlyweds in the UK is now 35 years old, and they’re spending 14 months planning the wedding of their dreams. Over two thirds of couples start their wedding planning over a year in advance - it’s a big job, after all.
December remains the most popular month for engagements - we love those Christmas proposals! But over a quarter of engagements (28%) take place in the summer months too - holidays are popular proposal moments.
We’re seeing more couples ‘soft launch’ their engagements, with the amount of social media announcements declining nearly 10% year over year - 47% of couples chose not to have a social media moment around their engagement.
It might be because we are seeing lots of couples already have families together - a quarter of 2024’s newlyweds already had children prior to marriage, which is up from 19% in 2023.
Wedding Details
Hotels reclaimed their position as the most popular type of venue - barns were the top pick for 2023, but over a quarter (26%) of weddings took place in a hotel last year - barns were a close second with 22% of weddings.
A quarter of weddings lasted for two days in 2024, as the trend of wedding weekends continues to rise.
When it came to the details, we uncovered a few surprising things:
- Nearly 1 in 10 (9%) of weddings were alcohol-free in 2024
- 20% of weddings skipped the tradition of cutting the wedding cake
- Only 1 in 10 weddings had a bouquet toss
- More than 1 in 5 weddings (21%) didn’t have a wedding party - so no bridesmaids or groomsmen!
- 25% of weddings prioritised sustainable details
- 23% of nearlyweds changed outfits on the day
- 15% of weddings included pets in their reception or ceremony
- 1 in 5 weddings had a ‘first look’ moment
- 1 in 5 weddings served up signature cocktails
- 1 in 10 weddings had no speeches!
And speaking of speeches - 2024 was the year of women giving speeches. Over a quarter of all brides (28%) gave a speech at their wedding, and close to a quarter (24%) of all maids of honour gave one too. 1 in 10 bridesmaids also took the mic and gave a bridesmaid speech!
A third of brides’ fathers opted out of giving a speech, and 14% of best men also declined the honour.
Average Cost of a Wedding UK 2023
In 2023 the average cost of a wedding in the UK was £20,700, up 12.5% from the previous year.
Couples invested in 10 vendors on average for their weddings, and 65% of couples who married in 2023 spent over £15,000 on their big days.
Survey taken of 1,808 U.K. individuals married in 2023. Survey distributed via email and Hitched social channels. Survey conducted throughout 2023 and January 2024.
The Average Cost of a Wedding in 2022
The average wedding cost £18,400 in 2022**. This was a 6% rise from the previous year, and was the first year post-pandemic where weddings took place all year long with no disruption or restrictions.
2022 Average Wedding Cost Broken Down
Here are the key areas couples spent their wedding budget on in 2022:
- Venue hire - £8,400
- Wedding dress - £1,350
- Photography - £1,300
- Videography - £1,150
- Wedding band/DJ - £1,050
- Flowers - £1,050
- Invitations & paper goods - £300
- Catering per head - £70
- Wedding hair & makeup - £155
- Bridesmaid hair & makeup - £85
Couples also increased the number of suppliers they hired for their wedding, with the number rising by 20% compared to 2021, meaning 2022 weddings involved an average of 10 different vendors.
Shaking off the last of the pandemic restrictions, we also saw the average number of wedding guests rise to 81 - that’s almost 10 additional guests per wedding compared to 2021’s fairly modest guest list of 72. With an average wedding catering spend of £70pp, this racked up to £5,670 when catering for 81 guests. This is a 21% increase compared to 2021.
The cost of hiring a wedding venue increased by 10.5% compared to 2021, and wedding photography costs rose by 8% - this is likely down to couples needing to cater to larger wedding guest lists.
Nearly half of all couples (47%) went over their initial wedding budget in 2022. Whilst 59% of couples used savings to pay for their wedding, more than one in 10 (11%) took out a loan to cover the costs of their big day in 2022.
This could be down to the fact that couples have other financial priorities as they plan - 58% saved for a honeymoon too, and honeymoon spend rose by 23% as travel was back on the map.
Nearly a third of UK nearlyweds (32%) were also saving up for a house as they planned their wedding and honeymoon, and 29% were paying off credit card bills and debts. On top of this, a further 18% were also working on paying off their student loans.
***Survey taken of 2,457 U.K. individuals married in 2022. Survey distributed via email and Hitched social channels. Survey conducted throughout November and December 2022 and January 2023.
The Average Cost of a Wedding in 2021
The average wedding in the UK in 2021 cost £17,300**. This was 90% up on the average cost of a wedding in 2020, which was £9,100.
It’s a huge yearly increase, but it does make sense when you consider the limitations on weddings in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2021 Average Wedding Cost Broken Down
Here are the seven key areas couples were spending on in 2021:
- Venue hire - £7,600
- Wedding dress - £1,300
- Photography - £1,200
- Groom’s attire - £500
- Catering per head - £65
- Bridal hair - £80
- Bridal makeup - £70
Couples who married in 2021 paid £7,600 to hire their dream wedding venue - this was a 40% increase on the £5,406 couples were paying in 2019. It’s clear to see that after two years apart from everyone, with weddings on hold, the setting in which everyone celebrates together became even more important.
Photography spend also increased by 4% - your wedding photography is your lasting memento of your big day, so it makes sense to invest in it. Sharing special moments with loved ones has never been more appreciated, so you can understand why couples were willing to spend more to make sure these memories were captured.
Our survey also revealed that two thirds of couples (66%) were given money by family or friends to help them pay for their wedding - if you combine that with the 7% who borrowed money from a friend or family member, almost three quarters of couples (73%) had some financial help from a relative or friend to pay for their wedding. With 48% of couples going over budget in 2021 as they strived to create that perfect experience, you can see why support from friends and family was so popular.
We also learned that parents pay, on average, 61% of the total wedding cost. That’s right, in 2021, mum and dad paid for three fifths of the total wedding cost - that’s £10,553 of the total average £17,300 spend. They must really love you guys. You can read up on who pays for what traditionally at a wedding here.
**Hitched surveyed 2,060 couples who married in 2021 via an online survey conducted in November 2021-January 2022.
Average Wedding Cost in the UK: 2019
Here are the top 10 wedding spends for 2019:
- Venue hire – £5,406
- Honeymoon – £4,645
- Food – £3,887
- Engagement ring – £2,419
- Drink – £1,587
- Wedding dress/outfit – £1,313
- Photography – £1,155
- Mini-moon – £1,135
- Entertainment/music – £1,005
- Video – £968
Average Wedding Cost in the UK: 2018
Here are the 10 biggest costs of a wedding in 2018:
- Venue hire – £5,221
- Honeymoon – £4,545
- Food – £4,151
- Engagement ring – £2,657
- Drink – £1,739
- Wedding dress/outfit – £1,321
- Photography – £1,166
- Mini-moon – £1,051
- Video – £1,027
- Entertainment/music – £1,014
Average Wedding Cost in the UK: 2017
Here’s the breakdown of wedding spend in the UK in 2017:
- Venue hire – £4,354
- Honeymoon – £3,630
- Food – £3,353
- Engagement ring – £2,084
- Drink – £1,342
- Wedding dress/outfit – £1,209
- Photography – £993
- Mini-moon – £911
- Entertainment/music – £813
- Video – £801
Average Wedding Cost in the UK: 2016
Let’s see how the 2016 average wedding spend broke down:
- Venue hire – £3,738
- Honeymoon – £3,366
- Food – £3,072
- Engagement Ring – £1,742
- Mini-Moon – £1,082
- Wedding Dress – £1,055
- Hen Do – £1,041
- Drink – £965
- Photography – £905
- Accommodation – £747
It’s worth noting that this is an average cost - you don’t need to spend the same figure, as your wedding will be wonderful regardless of your budget. In fact, we can help you out with our guides to having a wedding whatever your budget may be:
