You get engaged, spend a few blissful weeks admiring the ring and telling everyone the news, and then eventually someone asks the question that can bring even the most romantic couple crashing back to earth: how much is this wedding actually going to cost?
The answer is frustratingly simple. As much as you let it.
A beautiful wedding can be a registry ceremony followed by dinner with twenty people, a garden celebration at home, a long lunch at a restaurant, or a three-day destination wedding in Italy. There is no single amount that constitutes a “proper” wedding, and spending more does not automatically make the day more meaningful, stylish or memorable.
Still, weddings can become expensive remarkably quickly. Venue minimum spends, catering, photographers, flowers, clothing, entertainment, stationery, transport and dozens of smaller expenses can add thousands of dollars before you have even thought about the honeymoon.
As a useful Australian benchmark, Easy Weddings’ 2026 survey of more than 4,000 engaged and recently married couples found an average wedding spend of $38,252. More tellingly, couples reportedly started with an average budget of around $29,471 and ultimately spent about 23% more than they originally planned.
That gap is exactly why creating a realistic wedding budget at the beginning matters.
The aim of this guide is not to tell you what you should spend. It is to help you decide what your wedding is worth to you, where the money really goes, what is worth paying for, where you can comfortably save and how to avoid discovering three weeks before the wedding that you have somehow spent another $8,000.
If you are at the beginning of the planning process, it is also worth reading our Guide to the Wedding Planning Timeline alongside this article. Knowing when deposits, bookings and final payments typically arrive makes managing the financial side considerably easier.
First: Forget the Average Wedding Budget
Knowing what other couples spend is useful as a reference point, but it should never become your target.
An average is simply an average. It includes tiny weddings and enormous ones, regional celebrations and expensive capital-city venues, weekday lunches and Saturday-night black-tie receptions.
The right question is not, “What does an Australian wedding cost?”
It is:
What can we comfortably afford to spend on our wedding without compromising the things that matter more to us afterwards?
For one couple, spending $60,000 on a wedding may be perfectly manageable. For another, $15,000 may represent years of savings. Neither wedding is more legitimate than the other.
Think about what else is happening in your life. Are you trying to buy a home? Planning a long honeymoon? Starting a family? Paying down debt? Renovating? Taking time away from work? Moving overseas?
Your wedding exists within your wider financial life.
ASIC’s Moneysmart recommends building a budget around your actual income and expenditure so you understand how much money is genuinely available rather than simply deciding how much you would like to spend.
A wedding should leave you with wonderful memories, not financial stress every time the credit card statement arrives.
Work Out Your Real Number Before Looking at Venues
One of the easiest ways to blow a wedding budget is to start shopping before setting one.
You find a beautiful venue. You fall in love with it. You pay the deposit. Then you realise that after the venue and catering there is nowhere near enough left for photography, flowers, music and everything else you wanted.
Instead, decide on your maximum total first.
Sit down together and work out how much you currently have available, how much you can realistically save between now and the wedding, and whether anyone else has offered to contribute.
If family members are helping, clarify exactly what that means early. “We’d love to help with the wedding” can mean $2,000, $20,000 or “we’ll pay for the flowers.” Do not build vague promises into your budget.
Once you have a figure, subtract a contingency amount before allocating anything else.
If you have $40,000 available, for example, you might plan the actual wedding around $35,000 to $37,000 and hold the remainder back.
That buffer is not wasted money.
It is what protects you when alterations cost more than expected, you need extra chairs, postage increases, the venue requires another staff member, you decide to add transportation or twelve guests suddenly accept invitations you assumed they would decline.
Photo by Danik Prihodko
Always Build in a Wedding Contingency
Weddings have an extraordinary ability to generate small additional costs. None seems particularly serious on its own. Together they can destroy a budget.
Alterations. Delivery fees. Cake-cutting fees. Vendor meals. Postage. Corkage. Dress steaming. Accommodation the night before. Extra hair appointments. Transport between venues. Umbrellas. Heaters. Extra lighting. Place cards. Printing changes. Last-minute beauty appointments. Breakfast for the wedding party. Thank-you gifts.
This is why your wedding budget should never equal every dollar you have available.
A contingency of around 5 to 10 percent gives you breathing room.
The goal should be to reach the final week feeling financially calm, not searching your bank account for another $1,200 because you forgot that the photographer needs accommodation.
Your Guest List Is One of the Biggest Budget Decisions
Before obsessing over flowers or invitations, look at the guest list. Guest numbers affect almost everything.
Every additional person potentially means another meal, another drinks package, another chair, another place setting, another invitation, another favour and perhaps another table, floral arrangement or piece of furniture.
It can also push you into a larger venue.
This means cutting twenty guests can have a far greater impact on your total wedding cost than swapping expensive invitations for digital ones.
Do not underestimate this.
If you want a beautiful wedding but have a firm budget, one of the most effective strategies is often fewer guests, better experience.
A dinner for 50 people can allow you to spend more per person on beautiful food, wine and surroundings while still costing considerably less overall than a conventional 150-person reception.
The growth of intimate and micro weddings in Australia reflects this shift, with couples increasingly reconsidering whether a large traditional guest list is necessary. Recent reporting has also highlighted the growing popularity of smaller ceremonies and registry weddings as couples respond to rising wedding and living costs.
Invite the people you truly want around you rather than building a guest list out of obligation.
How Much of Your Budget Should Go to the Venue?
For many weddings, the venue is the biggest expense. Current Australian industry data puts the average venue cost at around $17,518, with the venue representing roughly 46% of the total wedding budget for many couples.
That does not mean you should automatically spend 46% of yours. What matters is understanding what the venue price actually includes.
A $15,000 venue that includes tables, chairs, crockery, glassware, staff, food, drinks and basic styling may ultimately be better value than a $5,000 blank space requiring you to hire virtually everything.
Ask for a complete breakdown.
Does the quoted price include food? Alcohol? Staff? Furniture? Linen? Glassware? Cleaning? Security? Cake cutting? Ceremony setup? Microphones? Lighting? Wet-weather alternatives?
Also look at minimum spends.
A venue might advertise a reasonable per-head price but require a $20,000 minimum on Saturday evenings. That completely changes the calculation for a smaller wedding.
This is also where being flexible about timing can make a significant difference. A Friday, Sunday, winter or lunchtime celebration may open up venues or packages that would otherwise be outside your budget.
If a daytime celebration appeals to you, our guide to Planning a Lunchtime Wedding explores how a lunch reception can create an elegant but more relaxed alternative to the traditional Saturday-night wedding.
Catering and Drinks: Spend Where Guests Notice It
Food and drinks are among the most memorable parts of a wedding for guests.
Current industry figures put average standalone wedding catering at around $6,177, although this varies enormously depending on guest numbers, service style and whether food is already incorporated into a venue package. This is an important distinction.
Do not add the average venue price and average catering price together and assume that is what every wedding costs. Many venues package food, drinks and space together, while others simply provide the room.
Think about the type of meal you actually want.
A three-course plated dinner is not automatically better than shared feasting, excellent pizza, a beautiful buffet or a long lunch.
The same applies to alcohol.
You might prefer good wine and beer with two excellent cocktails rather than offering every spirit imaginable for six hours.
Spend where it improves the experience rather than where tradition tells you the money should go.
Photography: One of the Costs That Remains After the Wedding
Photography is one category where many couples are reluctant to compromise.There is good reason for that. Flowers disappear, the food gets eaten and the dress eventually goes into storage, but photographs remain.
Current Australian survey data puts average professional wedding photography expenditure at around $3,567, with professional photography used by the overwhelming majority of couples surveyed.
Prices can vary dramatically depending on experience, hours of coverage, travel, second photographers, albums and editing.
Rather than automatically booking the longest package available, think about what you genuinely want documented.
Do you need photographs from 8am until midnight?
Would eight hours cover everything that matters?
Do you want extensive getting-ready photographs, or would you prefer the photographer arrive shortly before the ceremony and stay later into the reception?
Saving an hour or two of coverage can sometimes bring a photographer you really love within budget.
Photo by Jay Redelinghuys
Do You Really Need a Videographer?
Videography is one of those categories couples tend to feel strongly about. Some cannot imagine the wedding without it. Others know they will probably never sit down and watch a two-hour wedding film again.
Australian couples who choose professional videography are currently spending around $3,125 on average according to industry survey data.
If your budget is limited, decide whether video has genuine emotional value to you.
For some people, footage of parents, grandparents, speeches and vows becomes priceless with time.
For others, photography is enough.
There is no wrong answer.
You can also look for photographers and videographers who offer combined packages, or choose a shorter highlight film rather than full-day cinematic coverage.
Flowers Can Cost Almost Anything
Wedding flowers are difficult to give a universal price because the difference between a bridal bouquet and full-scale floral installations is enormous.
Current Australian averages sit around $2,639, but flowers are one of the easiest categories to take far beyond that number.
A bridal bouquet, buttonholes and modest table arrangements are one thing.
Covering ceilings in flowers, installing floral arches, dressing staircases and placing large arrangements on every table is another.
Start with the spaces guests will actually see.
The ceremony backdrop, bridal bouquet and dining tables generally create more visual impact than placing flowers in every corner.
Seasonal flowers can also help, and greenery, candles, fruit and interesting tableware can create atmosphere without relying entirely on florals.
If you are considering an outdoor celebration, our guide to Planning a Garden Wedding is a useful place to start. A naturally beautiful garden can significantly reduce how much decorative styling you need to create atmosphere.
Photo by Alexander Mass
Wedding Dresses: Set the Whole Clothing Budget, Not Just the Gown Budget
It is very easy to budget $3,000 for a wedding dress and think your clothing is sorted.
Then come alterations.
Shoes.
Underwear.
Veil.
Jewellery.
Hair accessories.
Getting-ready outfit.
Dry cleaning.
Perhaps a second reception look.
The current average Australian wedding dress budget is around $2,591, but that number does not necessarily include every accessory or alteration surrounding it. (Easy Weddings)
The smarter approach is to create one total clothing allowance and work backwards.
If your total bridal clothing budget is $4,000, for example, buying a $3,900 dress leaves virtually nothing for everything else.
And remember that there is no rule saying you need to buy a traditional bridal gown from a bridal boutique.
Designer ready-to-wear, vintage, rental and pre-loved dresses can all produce an incredible wedding look.
When choosing shoes, think beyond the ceremony itself. A pair you can genuinely wear again can be easier to justify than a highly embellished bridal shoe destined to live permanently in a box. The ele STYLED guide to 10 Timeless Shoes Every Elegant Woman Owns has plenty of inspiration, including slingbacks, minimalist sandals and classic evening heels that work beautifully for weddings without feeling overly bridal.
Do Not Forget the Other Half of the Clothing Budget
Suits, shirts, shoes, accessories and tailoring should be accounted for from the beginning too.
Current wedding-industry figures put formalwear expenditure at around $2,102 on average, although this can include clothing for members of the wider wedding party.
A beautifully tailored existing suit may only require a new shirt, tie and shoes.
Alternatively, a custom tuxedo could become one of the larger individual purchases.
Again, spend according to priorities rather than expectation.
Hair and Makeup
Professional hair and makeup can seem small next to a $15,000 venue, but it is another category that expands quickly once several people are involved.
Australian wedding hair and makeup expenditure currently averages around $992.
Ask whether your quote includes trials, travel, lashes, touch-ups and additional members of the bridal party.
If you are paying for bridesmaids, mothers or other family members, include every person in the original quote rather than adding them later.
Entertainment Can Change the Entire Reception
A great DJ or band can transform a wedding.
Australian couples currently spend around $2,142 on wedding music on average, although a large live band can cost substantially more.
Think about what actually matters to you.
Perhaps you want an acoustic musician during the ceremony but are perfectly happy with a DJ later.
Maybe you would rather skip live ceremony music and put the entire entertainment budget towards a brilliant band.
Or perhaps a carefully chosen playlist is enough for a tiny restaurant wedding.
Do not pay for entertainment simply because weddings are supposed to have it.
Invitations and Stationery
Physical invitations can be beautiful, but stationery is another category that can quietly grow.
Current averages put wedding invitations at around $1,001, before considering some postage and related stationery expenses.
Then come save-the-dates, menus, place cards, seating charts, welcome signs and thank-you cards.
Decide which physical pieces genuinely matter to you.
You could invest in beautiful invitations but keep reception signage minimal.
Or send digital save-the-dates and put the money towards luxurious menus at the reception.
There is no need for every piece of stationery to become an event of its own.
Wedding Cake
Traditional wedding cakes remain relatively modest compared with many other wedding expenses, with the current Australian average around $645.
However, elaborate multi-tier creations, sugar flowers and intricate decoration can quickly push the price higher. Ask your venue whether cake can replace dessert.
If guests are already receiving a three-course dinner plus dessert, you may discover that hardly anyone eats the cake. Alternatively, skip the formal dessert course and serve cake with coffee later.
And if neither of you particularly likes cake, do not order one simply because weddings traditionally have one.
Styling, Furniture and Decorations
This is where it can become expensive. Furniture hire currently averages around $2,203 among couples using it, while wedding decoration expenditure is around $2,849 on average.
But these are also categories you may barely need if your venue is already beautiful.
A restaurant with great chairs, tables, lighting and interiors could require little more than flowers and candles.
A blank warehouse might require furniture, tableware, lighting, linens and decorative elements before it begins to look like a reception.
This is another reason not to compare venues solely by their hire fee.
The cheapest empty room can eventually become the more expensive option.
Celebrant and Ceremony Costs
A marriage celebrant currently costs around $1,031 on average in Australia, although fees vary according to experience, location, travel and the complexity of the ceremony. (Easy Weddings)
Beyond the celebrant, think about ceremony chairs, sound equipment, flowers, permits and transport.
If your ceremony and reception are in the same location, you may eliminate several of those costs immediately.
That can also make the day much easier for guests.
Transport
Wedding transport currently averages around $1,223 among couples choosing professional vehicles, but this is an easy place to reconsider tradition.
A vintage Bentley is beautiful, but do you genuinely care about arriving in one?
If the answer is yes, keep it.
If not, a luxury rideshare, family car or standard transfer may do the job perfectly well.
Guest transport is a different consideration. If your wedding is somewhere remote or alcohol will be flowing freely, a bus may be worth every cent because it improves everyone’s experience.
The Hidden Wedding Costs People Forget
This is the category that usually causes the budget blowout.
There are the big costs everyone expects, and then there are dozens of expenses that appear around them.
Think about dress alterations, suit tailoring, vendor travel, supplier meals, postage, insurance, delivery fees, accommodation, beauty appointments, manicures, fake tan, haircuts, parking, marriage certificates, wedding-night accommodation, breakfast the next morning, recovery events, welcome drinks and airport transfers.
There may be extra charges for cutting the cake, moving ceremony chairs, staying beyond a venue’s contracted hours or bringing your own alcohol.
Then there are tips or supplier gifts if you choose to give them.
None of these individually destroys a $40,000 budget.
Fifteen of them might.
Keep a “miscellaneous” category from day one.
What Does a $20,000 Wedding Look Like?
A $20,000 wedding in Australia is absolutely possible, but it usually requires intentional decisions.
You might invite 30 to 60 people rather than 120.
Consider a restaurant, registry ceremony, community space, private property or less traditional venue.
Choose a Friday, Sunday or weekday.
Keep the wedding party small.
Use a photographer for part of the day rather than twelve hours.
Choose simple seasonal flowers.
Use digital save-the-dates.
Skip favours.
Wear ready-to-wear, vintage or pre-loved clothing.
Use a playlist or DJ rather than a full band.
Most importantly, decide which two or three things matter most and protect those.
A $20,000 wedding does not need to look “budget.”
It simply needs fewer competing priorities.
What Does a $40,000 Wedding Look Like?
Around the current Australian average, a $40,000 budget gives couples considerable choice but still requires discipline.
You might have 70 to 100 guests, a professionally catered venue, good photography, flowers, a DJ, professional hair and makeup, a traditional wedding dress and some personalised styling.
What it generally does not allow is the premium version of absolutely everything.
You may choose a beautiful venue but simplify flowers.
Book an excellent photographer but skip video.
Spend heavily on food and wine but use the venue’s existing furniture.
Have a designer dress but keep bridesmaid styling simple.
The key at this level is choosing where you want the wedding to feel luxurious.
What Does a $60,000-Plus Wedding Look Like?
A higher budget creates room for more guests, premium venues, elaborate styling, live entertainment, extensive photography and videography, designer clothing and multi-day celebrations.
It also creates a new problem.
When you technically can afford more, it becomes very easy to say yes to everything.
Champagne tower? Sure.
Late-night food truck? Why not?
Second dress? Absolutely.
Live strings during the ceremony? Add them.
Custom napkins? Fine.
Suddenly a $60,000 wedding becomes an $85,000 wedding.
Even at the luxury end, establish priorities.
Luxury feels most convincing when it is intentional, not when every available upgrade has been selected.
Destination Weddings Need a Different Budget
Destination weddings require their own calculations.
You may have fewer guests, but accommodation, flights, planners, transport, welcome events and multiple days of entertaining can offset those savings.
Currency fluctuations can also affect international weddings.
The same budgeting rule still applies: determine the total amount first, then work backwards.
Do not book the villa and assume everything else will somehow fit.
Should Your Honeymoon Be Part of the Wedding Budget?
We prefer to treat the honeymoon as a separate line item within the overall wedding financial plan.
If you have $50,000 available for the entire experience and want to spend $10,000 travelling afterwards, your wedding budget is effectively $40,000.
Pretending the honeymoon is unrelated does not change how much money leaves your bank account.
Decide early what matters more.
Would you rather host twenty additional wedding guests or spend another week travelling?
Would you prefer extravagant flowers or business-class flights?
There is no correct choice.
If you are still deciding where you would like to go after the wedding, our guide to The Perfect Winter Honeymoon Destinations covers romantic escapes ranging from Switzerland and Iceland to the Maldives, Thailand and Japan.
What Is Actually Worth Spending More On?
This will be different for every couple, but there are a few categories where quality can significantly affect the experience.
Food and drinks matter because almost every guest experiences them.
Photography matters because it remains after the wedding.
A good celebrant can completely change the ceremony.
Music matters if you want a packed dance floor.
Comfort matters more than people realise.
Shade on a hot day, heaters in winter, sufficient seating, accessible transport and enough food might not appear on your Pinterest board, but guests remember them.
Our guide to Things You Really Need on Your Wedding Day is useful when you are approaching the final planning stages and want to separate practical essentials from the enormous checklists circulating online.
Where Can You Save Without Guests Noticing?
This is often easier than couples think.
Guests probably will not know whether your invitations cost $3 or $30 each.
They will not notice that the floral arrangement in the bathroom disappeared from the final plan.
They will survive without personalised favours.
They do not know whether your shoes were designer.
They do not need three separate welcome signs telling them whose wedding they are attending.
They are unlikely to care that you skipped chair covers, upgraded cutlery or personalised cocktail napkins.
The best savings are the ones that remove things nobody genuinely values.
Be Careful With the Phrase “It’s Only Another $500”
This may be the most dangerous sentence in wedding planning.
The better chairs are only another $500.
The upgraded wine is only another $500.
Keeping the photographer longer is only another $500.
Adding another floral arrangement is only another $500.
Ten “only another $500” decisions equal $5,000.
Whenever you upgrade something, update the master budget immediately.
If the total makes you uncomfortable, something else needs to come out.
Use One Master Wedding Budget
Do not keep some expenses in a spreadsheet, others in email, a few in your banking app and the rest in your head.
Use one document.
Every supplier should have the quoted amount, deposit paid, balance remaining and payment due date recorded.
Include estimated costs even before suppliers are booked.
Then replace estimates with actual figures as quotes arrive.
A budget should be a living document rather than something you create once and forget about.
This is especially important because payments are rarely evenly distributed. Deposits may be due twelve months before the wedding while several large final balances can fall within the same two or three weeks.
Planning those payment dates is almost as important as knowing the total amount.
Have a Monthly Wedding Money Meeting
Romantic? Not particularly.
Useful? Extremely.
Once a month, sit down together and review what has been booked, what has been paid and what is coming next.
Do it before either person has quietly agreed to another upgrade.
It also stops one partner carrying all of the financial knowledge and stress.
You are planning a marriage as well as a wedding. Being able to have calm conversations about money is far more valuable than agreeing on napkin colours.
Photo by Lilen Diaz
Do Not Budget Around Expected Wedding Gifts
Cash gifts are increasingly common at Australian weddings, but they should be treated as a bonus rather than a funding strategy.
Never commit to wedding expenses on the assumption that guests will reimburse you.
Some guests will be extremely generous.
Some may give a modest gift.
Others may have spent thousands travelling to attend and understandably give very little.
You do not want to spend the morning after your wedding adding envelopes together because you need the money to clear a credit card.
Plan a celebration you can afford without receiving a cent back.
The Best Wedding Budget Is One You Do Not Resent
This is perhaps the most important part.
If spending $50,000 on one day fills you with excitement and you can genuinely afford it, there is nothing inherently wrong with doing so.
If the idea makes you slightly nauseous because you would rather travel the world, buy a home or keep the money invested, listen to that feeling.
Likewise, do not spend $8,000 purely to prove that you can have the cheapest wedding possible if you secretly wanted a beautiful photographer and a long dinner with everyone you love.
A good wedding budget reflects your priorities.
It should not be dictated by Instagram, your parents, your friends’ weddings or industry averages.
A Simple Way to Divide Your Wedding Budget
Rather than becoming obsessed with exact percentages, start with broad categories.
Allow the largest portion for the venue, food and drinks.
Then allocate meaningful amounts to photography, clothing, entertainment, flowers and ceremony costs according to your priorities.
Set aside smaller amounts for stationery, beauty, cake, transport and miscellaneous expenses.
Then protect that contingency.
If one category rises, another one comes down.
That simple rule is what keeps the final number under control.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Budgets
How much does the average wedding cost in Australia?
The figure changes from year to year, but Easy Weddings’ 2026 industry research reported an average Australian wedding spend of $38,252. Your own budget may be dramatically lower or higher depending on location, guest numbers and the kind of celebration you want.
Is $20,000 enough for a wedding?
Yes. A $20,000 wedding is completely achievable, particularly with a smaller guest list, flexible venue, restaurant reception, weekday date or more selective approach to suppliers. You will probably need to prioritise rather than choosing premium options in every category.
Is $40,000 a realistic wedding budget in Australia?
Yes. It sits close to current Australian average spending and can fund a beautiful professionally catered wedding. Guest numbers and venue choice will have the greatest influence on how far the money goes.
What is usually the biggest wedding expense?
The venue and reception are generally the largest expenses. Current Australian wedding research puts average venue spending at approximately $17,518. Depending on the venue, that may incorporate catering, alcohol and furniture rather than being a standalone room-hire fee.
How much should we put aside for unexpected wedding costs?
Around 5 to 10 percent of your available budget is a useful contingency. The exact amount depends on how complex your wedding is, but having some money unallocated makes last-minute expenses much easier to manage.
What are the easiest ways to reduce wedding costs?
Reducing the guest list usually produces the largest saving because it affects catering, drinks, furniture and many related expenses. Choosing a weekday or lunchtime wedding, selecting a venue that requires little styling, reducing flowers and skipping low-priority traditions can also make a substantial difference.
What wedding expenses are easiest to forget?
Alterations, postage, supplier travel, vendor meals, delivery fees, beauty appointments, accommodation, ceremony equipment, transport, marriage documents, breakfasts, recovery events and last-minute printing are commonly overlooked.
Should parents contribute to a wedding?
Only if they genuinely want to and can comfortably afford to. If family members offer financial help, clarify the exact amount and whether the contribution comes with expectations about the wedding before committing the money.
Should we go into debt for our wedding?
A wedding should be designed around what you can reasonably afford. Borrowing can mean continuing to pay for the celebration long after it has finished, so consider carefully what that debt would mean for your broader financial plans.
Is a smaller wedding actually cheaper?
Usually, yes. Although some fixed costs such as photography and clothing remain the same, reducing guests can lower catering, drinks, rentals, stationery and venue requirements considerably.
Is a destination wedding cheaper than an Australian wedding?
Sometimes, but not automatically. A smaller destination guest list may reduce reception expenses, while flights, accommodation, transport, planners, currency changes and multi-day events can add substantial costs.
Should the honeymoon be included in the wedding budget?
We recommend considering the honeymoon as part of the overall amount you are prepared to spend on getting married, even if you track it separately. This ensures the wedding itself does not consume money you intended to use for travelling afterwards.
The Bottom Line
So, how much does a wedding really cost?
There is no magic number.
It costs what you decide is worth spending to bring the people you love together and celebrate one of the biggest moments of your life.
The mistake is not having an expensive wedding.
The mistake is having an expensive wedding by accident.
Set the number before you start shopping. Protect some money for unexpected expenses. Understand what your venue includes. Keep a close eye on guest numbers. Spend generously on the things you care about and be ruthless about removing the things you do not.
Nobody leaves a great wedding talking about whether the napkins were personalised.
They remember the ceremony. The speeches. The food. The music. The people. The moment everyone ended up on the dance floor together.
Build the budget around creating those memories.
Everything else is optional.
The current cost benchmarks in the article are grounded in the latest Easy Weddings Australian data, which surveyed more than 4,000 engaged/recently married couples, while the budgeting advice is consistent with ASIC Moneysmart’s current guidance on understanding income, expenses and savings before setting spending goals.
You get engaged, spend a few blissful weeks admiring the ring and telling everyone the news, and then eventually someone asks the question that can bring even the most romantic couple crashing back to earth: how much is this wedding actually going to cost?
The answer is frustratingly simple. As much as you let it.
A beautiful wedding can be a registry ceremony followed by dinner with twenty people, a garden celebration at home, a long lunch at a restaurant, or a three-day destination wedding in Italy. There is no single amount that constitutes a “proper” wedding, and spending more does not automatically make the day more meaningful, stylish or memorable.
Still, weddings can become expensive remarkably quickly. Venue minimum spends, catering, photographers, flowers, clothing, entertainment, stationery, transport and dozens of smaller expenses can add thousands of dollars before you have even thought about the honeymoon.
As a useful Australian benchmark, Easy Weddings’ 2026 survey of more than 4,000 engaged and recently married couples found an average wedding spend of $38,252. More tellingly, couples reportedly started with an average budget of around $29,471 and ultimately spent about 23% more than they originally planned.
That gap is exactly why creating a realistic wedding budget at the beginning matters.
The aim of this guide is not to tell you what you should spend. It is to help you decide what your wedding is worth to you, where the money really goes, what is worth paying for, where you can comfortably save and how to avoid discovering three weeks before the wedding that you have somehow spent another $8,000.
If you are at the beginning of the planning process, it is also worth reading our Guide to the Wedding Planning Timeline alongside this article. Knowing when deposits, bookings and final payments typically arrive makes managing the financial side considerably easier.
First: Forget the Average Wedding Budget
Knowing what other couples spend is useful as a reference point, but it should never become your target.
An average is simply an average. It includes tiny weddings and enormous ones, regional celebrations and expensive capital-city venues, weekday lunches and Saturday-night black-tie receptions.
The right question is not, “What does an Australian wedding cost?”
It is:
What can we comfortably afford to spend on our wedding without compromising the things that matter more to us afterwards?
For one couple, spending $60,000 on a wedding may be perfectly manageable. For another, $15,000 may represent years of savings. Neither wedding is more legitimate than the other.
Think about what else is happening in your life. Are you trying to buy a home? Planning a long honeymoon? Starting a family? Paying down debt? Renovating? Taking time away from work? Moving overseas?
Your wedding exists within your wider financial life.
ASIC’s Moneysmart recommends building a budget around your actual income and expenditure so you understand how much money is genuinely available rather than simply deciding how much you would like to spend.
A wedding should leave you with wonderful memories, not financial stress every time the credit card statement arrives.
Work Out Your Real Number Before Looking at Venues
One of the easiest ways to blow a wedding budget is to start shopping before setting one.
You find a beautiful venue. You fall in love with it. You pay the deposit. Then you realise that after the venue and catering there is nowhere near enough left for photography, flowers, music and everything else you wanted.
Instead, decide on your maximum total first.
Sit down together and work out how much you currently have available, how much you can realistically save between now and the wedding, and whether anyone else has offered to contribute.
If family members are helping, clarify exactly what that means early. “We’d love to help with the wedding” can mean $2,000, $20,000 or “we’ll pay for the flowers.” Do not build vague promises into your budget.
Once you have a figure, subtract a contingency amount before allocating anything else.
If you have $40,000 available, for example, you might plan the actual wedding around $35,000 to $37,000 and hold the remainder back.
That buffer is not wasted money.
It is what protects you when alterations cost more than expected, you need extra chairs, postage increases, the venue requires another staff member, you decide to add transportation or twelve guests suddenly accept invitations you assumed they would decline.
Always Build in a Wedding Contingency
Weddings have an extraordinary ability to generate small additional costs. None seems particularly serious on its own. Together they can destroy a budget.
Alterations. Delivery fees. Cake-cutting fees. Vendor meals. Postage. Corkage. Dress steaming. Accommodation the night before. Extra hair appointments. Transport between venues. Umbrellas. Heaters. Extra lighting. Place cards. Printing changes. Last-minute beauty appointments. Breakfast for the wedding party. Thank-you gifts.
This is why your wedding budget should never equal every dollar you have available.
A contingency of around 5 to 10 percent gives you breathing room.
The goal should be to reach the final week feeling financially calm, not searching your bank account for another $1,200 because you forgot that the photographer needs accommodation.
Your Guest List Is One of the Biggest Budget Decisions
Before obsessing over flowers or invitations, look at the guest list. Guest numbers affect almost everything.
Every additional person potentially means another meal, another drinks package, another chair, another place setting, another invitation, another favour and perhaps another table, floral arrangement or piece of furniture.
It can also push you into a larger venue.
This means cutting twenty guests can have a far greater impact on your total wedding cost than swapping expensive invitations for digital ones.
Do not underestimate this.
If you want a beautiful wedding but have a firm budget, one of the most effective strategies is often fewer guests, better experience.
A dinner for 50 people can allow you to spend more per person on beautiful food, wine and surroundings while still costing considerably less overall than a conventional 150-person reception.
The growth of intimate and micro weddings in Australia reflects this shift, with couples increasingly reconsidering whether a large traditional guest list is necessary. Recent reporting has also highlighted the growing popularity of smaller ceremonies and registry weddings as couples respond to rising wedding and living costs.
Invite the people you truly want around you rather than building a guest list out of obligation.
How Much of Your Budget Should Go to the Venue?
For many weddings, the venue is the biggest expense. Current Australian industry data puts the average venue cost at around $17,518, with the venue representing roughly 46% of the total wedding budget for many couples.
That does not mean you should automatically spend 46% of yours. What matters is understanding what the venue price actually includes.
A $15,000 venue that includes tables, chairs, crockery, glassware, staff, food, drinks and basic styling may ultimately be better value than a $5,000 blank space requiring you to hire virtually everything.
Ask for a complete breakdown.
Does the quoted price include food? Alcohol? Staff? Furniture? Linen? Glassware? Cleaning? Security? Cake cutting? Ceremony setup? Microphones? Lighting? Wet-weather alternatives?
Also look at minimum spends.
A venue might advertise a reasonable per-head price but require a $20,000 minimum on Saturday evenings. That completely changes the calculation for a smaller wedding.
This is also where being flexible about timing can make a significant difference. A Friday, Sunday, winter or lunchtime celebration may open up venues or packages that would otherwise be outside your budget.
If a daytime celebration appeals to you, our guide to Planning a Lunchtime Wedding explores how a lunch reception can create an elegant but more relaxed alternative to the traditional Saturday-night wedding.
Catering and Drinks: Spend Where Guests Notice It
Food and drinks are among the most memorable parts of a wedding for guests.
Current industry figures put average standalone wedding catering at around $6,177, although this varies enormously depending on guest numbers, service style and whether food is already incorporated into a venue package. This is an important distinction.
Do not add the average venue price and average catering price together and assume that is what every wedding costs. Many venues package food, drinks and space together, while others simply provide the room.
Think about the type of meal you actually want.
A three-course plated dinner is not automatically better than shared feasting, excellent pizza, a beautiful buffet or a long lunch.
The same applies to alcohol.
You might prefer good wine and beer with two excellent cocktails rather than offering every spirit imaginable for six hours.
Spend where it improves the experience rather than where tradition tells you the money should go.
Photography: One of the Costs That Remains After the Wedding
Photography is one category where many couples are reluctant to compromise.There is good reason for that. Flowers disappear, the food gets eaten and the dress eventually goes into storage, but photographs remain.
Current Australian survey data puts average professional wedding photography expenditure at around $3,567, with professional photography used by the overwhelming majority of couples surveyed.
Prices can vary dramatically depending on experience, hours of coverage, travel, second photographers, albums and editing.
Rather than automatically booking the longest package available, think about what you genuinely want documented.
Do you need photographs from 8am until midnight?
Would eight hours cover everything that matters?
Do you want extensive getting-ready photographs, or would you prefer the photographer arrive shortly before the ceremony and stay later into the reception?
Saving an hour or two of coverage can sometimes bring a photographer you really love within budget.
Do You Really Need a Videographer?
Videography is one of those categories couples tend to feel strongly about. Some cannot imagine the wedding without it. Others know they will probably never sit down and watch a two-hour wedding film again.
Australian couples who choose professional videography are currently spending around $3,125 on average according to industry survey data.
If your budget is limited, decide whether video has genuine emotional value to you.
For some people, footage of parents, grandparents, speeches and vows becomes priceless with time.
For others, photography is enough.
There is no wrong answer.
You can also look for photographers and videographers who offer combined packages, or choose a shorter highlight film rather than full-day cinematic coverage.
Flowers Can Cost Almost Anything
Wedding flowers are difficult to give a universal price because the difference between a bridal bouquet and full-scale floral installations is enormous.
Current Australian averages sit around $2,639, but flowers are one of the easiest categories to take far beyond that number.
A bridal bouquet, buttonholes and modest table arrangements are one thing.
Covering ceilings in flowers, installing floral arches, dressing staircases and placing large arrangements on every table is another.
Start with the spaces guests will actually see.
The ceremony backdrop, bridal bouquet and dining tables generally create more visual impact than placing flowers in every corner.
Seasonal flowers can also help, and greenery, candles, fruit and interesting tableware can create atmosphere without relying entirely on florals.
If you are considering an outdoor celebration, our guide to Planning a Garden Wedding is a useful place to start. A naturally beautiful garden can significantly reduce how much decorative styling you need to create atmosphere.
Wedding Dresses: Set the Whole Clothing Budget, Not Just the Gown Budget
It is very easy to budget $3,000 for a wedding dress and think your clothing is sorted.
Then come alterations.
Shoes.
Underwear.
Veil.
Jewellery.
Hair accessories.
Getting-ready outfit.
Dry cleaning.
Perhaps a second reception look.
The current average Australian wedding dress budget is around $2,591, but that number does not necessarily include every accessory or alteration surrounding it. (Easy Weddings)
The smarter approach is to create one total clothing allowance and work backwards.
If your total bridal clothing budget is $4,000, for example, buying a $3,900 dress leaves virtually nothing for everything else.
And remember that there is no rule saying you need to buy a traditional bridal gown from a bridal boutique.
Designer ready-to-wear, vintage, rental and pre-loved dresses can all produce an incredible wedding look.
When choosing shoes, think beyond the ceremony itself. A pair you can genuinely wear again can be easier to justify than a highly embellished bridal shoe destined to live permanently in a box. The ele STYLED guide to 10 Timeless Shoes Every Elegant Woman Owns has plenty of inspiration, including slingbacks, minimalist sandals and classic evening heels that work beautifully for weddings without feeling overly bridal.
Do Not Forget the Other Half of the Clothing Budget
Suits, shirts, shoes, accessories and tailoring should be accounted for from the beginning too.
Current wedding-industry figures put formalwear expenditure at around $2,102 on average, although this can include clothing for members of the wider wedding party.
A beautifully tailored existing suit may only require a new shirt, tie and shoes.
Alternatively, a custom tuxedo could become one of the larger individual purchases.
Again, spend according to priorities rather than expectation.
Hair and Makeup
Professional hair and makeup can seem small next to a $15,000 venue, but it is another category that expands quickly once several people are involved.
Australian wedding hair and makeup expenditure currently averages around $992.
Ask whether your quote includes trials, travel, lashes, touch-ups and additional members of the bridal party.
If you are paying for bridesmaids, mothers or other family members, include every person in the original quote rather than adding them later.
Entertainment Can Change the Entire Reception
A great DJ or band can transform a wedding.
Australian couples currently spend around $2,142 on wedding music on average, although a large live band can cost substantially more.
Think about what actually matters to you.
Perhaps you want an acoustic musician during the ceremony but are perfectly happy with a DJ later.
Maybe you would rather skip live ceremony music and put the entire entertainment budget towards a brilliant band.
Or perhaps a carefully chosen playlist is enough for a tiny restaurant wedding.
Do not pay for entertainment simply because weddings are supposed to have it.
Invitations and Stationery
Physical invitations can be beautiful, but stationery is another category that can quietly grow.
Current averages put wedding invitations at around $1,001, before considering some postage and related stationery expenses.
Then come save-the-dates, menus, place cards, seating charts, welcome signs and thank-you cards.
Decide which physical pieces genuinely matter to you.
You could invest in beautiful invitations but keep reception signage minimal.
Or send digital save-the-dates and put the money towards luxurious menus at the reception.
There is no need for every piece of stationery to become an event of its own.
Wedding Cake
Traditional wedding cakes remain relatively modest compared with many other wedding expenses, with the current Australian average around $645.
However, elaborate multi-tier creations, sugar flowers and intricate decoration can quickly push the price higher. Ask your venue whether cake can replace dessert.
If guests are already receiving a three-course dinner plus dessert, you may discover that hardly anyone eats the cake. Alternatively, skip the formal dessert course and serve cake with coffee later.
And if neither of you particularly likes cake, do not order one simply because weddings traditionally have one.
Styling, Furniture and Decorations
This is where it can become expensive. Furniture hire currently averages around $2,203 among couples using it, while wedding decoration expenditure is around $2,849 on average.
But these are also categories you may barely need if your venue is already beautiful.
A restaurant with great chairs, tables, lighting and interiors could require little more than flowers and candles.
A blank warehouse might require furniture, tableware, lighting, linens and decorative elements before it begins to look like a reception.
This is another reason not to compare venues solely by their hire fee.
The cheapest empty room can eventually become the more expensive option.
Celebrant and Ceremony Costs
A marriage celebrant currently costs around $1,031 on average in Australia, although fees vary according to experience, location, travel and the complexity of the ceremony. (Easy Weddings)
Beyond the celebrant, think about ceremony chairs, sound equipment, flowers, permits and transport.
If your ceremony and reception are in the same location, you may eliminate several of those costs immediately.
That can also make the day much easier for guests.
Transport
Wedding transport currently averages around $1,223 among couples choosing professional vehicles, but this is an easy place to reconsider tradition.
A vintage Bentley is beautiful, but do you genuinely care about arriving in one?
If the answer is yes, keep it.
If not, a luxury rideshare, family car or standard transfer may do the job perfectly well.
Guest transport is a different consideration. If your wedding is somewhere remote or alcohol will be flowing freely, a bus may be worth every cent because it improves everyone’s experience.
The Hidden Wedding Costs People Forget
This is the category that usually causes the budget blowout.
There are the big costs everyone expects, and then there are dozens of expenses that appear around them.
Think about dress alterations, suit tailoring, vendor travel, supplier meals, postage, insurance, delivery fees, accommodation, beauty appointments, manicures, fake tan, haircuts, parking, marriage certificates, wedding-night accommodation, breakfast the next morning, recovery events, welcome drinks and airport transfers.
There may be extra charges for cutting the cake, moving ceremony chairs, staying beyond a venue’s contracted hours or bringing your own alcohol.
Then there are tips or supplier gifts if you choose to give them.
None of these individually destroys a $40,000 budget.
Fifteen of them might.
Keep a “miscellaneous” category from day one.
What Does a $20,000 Wedding Look Like?
A $20,000 wedding in Australia is absolutely possible, but it usually requires intentional decisions.
You might invite 30 to 60 people rather than 120.
Consider a restaurant, registry ceremony, community space, private property or less traditional venue.
Choose a Friday, Sunday or weekday.
Keep the wedding party small.
Use a photographer for part of the day rather than twelve hours.
Choose simple seasonal flowers.
Use digital save-the-dates.
Skip favours.
Wear ready-to-wear, vintage or pre-loved clothing.
Use a playlist or DJ rather than a full band.
Most importantly, decide which two or three things matter most and protect those.
A $20,000 wedding does not need to look “budget.”
It simply needs fewer competing priorities.
What Does a $40,000 Wedding Look Like?
Around the current Australian average, a $40,000 budget gives couples considerable choice but still requires discipline.
You might have 70 to 100 guests, a professionally catered venue, good photography, flowers, a DJ, professional hair and makeup, a traditional wedding dress and some personalised styling.
What it generally does not allow is the premium version of absolutely everything.
You may choose a beautiful venue but simplify flowers.
Book an excellent photographer but skip video.
Spend heavily on food and wine but use the venue’s existing furniture.
Have a designer dress but keep bridesmaid styling simple.
The key at this level is choosing where you want the wedding to feel luxurious.
What Does a $60,000-Plus Wedding Look Like?
A higher budget creates room for more guests, premium venues, elaborate styling, live entertainment, extensive photography and videography, designer clothing and multi-day celebrations.
It also creates a new problem.
When you technically can afford more, it becomes very easy to say yes to everything.
Champagne tower? Sure.
Late-night food truck? Why not?
Second dress? Absolutely.
Live strings during the ceremony? Add them.
Custom napkins? Fine.
Suddenly a $60,000 wedding becomes an $85,000 wedding.
Even at the luxury end, establish priorities.
Luxury feels most convincing when it is intentional, not when every available upgrade has been selected.
Destination Weddings Need a Different Budget
Destination weddings require their own calculations.
You may have fewer guests, but accommodation, flights, planners, transport, welcome events and multiple days of entertaining can offset those savings.
Currency fluctuations can also affect international weddings.
If you are considering Italy, our Complete Guide to Planning a Lake Como Wedding covers many of the practical decisions involved in creating a destination celebration.
The same budgeting rule still applies: determine the total amount first, then work backwards.
Do not book the villa and assume everything else will somehow fit.
Should Your Honeymoon Be Part of the Wedding Budget?
We prefer to treat the honeymoon as a separate line item within the overall wedding financial plan.
If you have $50,000 available for the entire experience and want to spend $10,000 travelling afterwards, your wedding budget is effectively $40,000.
Pretending the honeymoon is unrelated does not change how much money leaves your bank account.
Decide early what matters more.
Would you rather host twenty additional wedding guests or spend another week travelling?
Would you prefer extravagant flowers or business-class flights?
There is no correct choice.
If you are still deciding where you would like to go after the wedding, our guide to The Perfect Winter Honeymoon Destinations covers romantic escapes ranging from Switzerland and Iceland to the Maldives, Thailand and Japan.
What Is Actually Worth Spending More On?
This will be different for every couple, but there are a few categories where quality can significantly affect the experience.
Food and drinks matter because almost every guest experiences them.
Photography matters because it remains after the wedding.
A good celebrant can completely change the ceremony.
Music matters if you want a packed dance floor.
Comfort matters more than people realise.
Shade on a hot day, heaters in winter, sufficient seating, accessible transport and enough food might not appear on your Pinterest board, but guests remember them.
Our guide to Things You Really Need on Your Wedding Day is useful when you are approaching the final planning stages and want to separate practical essentials from the enormous checklists circulating online.
Where Can You Save Without Guests Noticing?
This is often easier than couples think.
Guests probably will not know whether your invitations cost $3 or $30 each.
They will not notice that the floral arrangement in the bathroom disappeared from the final plan.
They will survive without personalised favours.
They do not know whether your shoes were designer.
They do not need three separate welcome signs telling them whose wedding they are attending.
They are unlikely to care that you skipped chair covers, upgraded cutlery or personalised cocktail napkins.
The best savings are the ones that remove things nobody genuinely values.
Be Careful With the Phrase “It’s Only Another $500”
This may be the most dangerous sentence in wedding planning.
The better chairs are only another $500.
The upgraded wine is only another $500.
Keeping the photographer longer is only another $500.
Adding another floral arrangement is only another $500.
Ten “only another $500” decisions equal $5,000.
Whenever you upgrade something, update the master budget immediately.
If the total makes you uncomfortable, something else needs to come out.
Use One Master Wedding Budget
Do not keep some expenses in a spreadsheet, others in email, a few in your banking app and the rest in your head.
Use one document.
Every supplier should have the quoted amount, deposit paid, balance remaining and payment due date recorded.
Include estimated costs even before suppliers are booked.
Then replace estimates with actual figures as quotes arrive.
A budget should be a living document rather than something you create once and forget about.
This is especially important because payments are rarely evenly distributed. Deposits may be due twelve months before the wedding while several large final balances can fall within the same two or three weeks.
Planning those payment dates is almost as important as knowing the total amount.
Have a Monthly Wedding Money Meeting
Romantic? Not particularly.
Useful? Extremely.
Once a month, sit down together and review what has been booked, what has been paid and what is coming next.
Do it before either person has quietly agreed to another upgrade.
It also stops one partner carrying all of the financial knowledge and stress.
You are planning a marriage as well as a wedding. Being able to have calm conversations about money is far more valuable than agreeing on napkin colours.
Do Not Budget Around Expected Wedding Gifts
Cash gifts are increasingly common at Australian weddings, but they should be treated as a bonus rather than a funding strategy.
Never commit to wedding expenses on the assumption that guests will reimburse you.
Some guests will be extremely generous.
Some may give a modest gift.
Others may have spent thousands travelling to attend and understandably give very little.
You do not want to spend the morning after your wedding adding envelopes together because you need the money to clear a credit card.
Plan a celebration you can afford without receiving a cent back.
The Best Wedding Budget Is One You Do Not Resent
This is perhaps the most important part.
If spending $50,000 on one day fills you with excitement and you can genuinely afford it, there is nothing inherently wrong with doing so.
If the idea makes you slightly nauseous because you would rather travel the world, buy a home or keep the money invested, listen to that feeling.
Likewise, do not spend $8,000 purely to prove that you can have the cheapest wedding possible if you secretly wanted a beautiful photographer and a long dinner with everyone you love.
A good wedding budget reflects your priorities.
It should not be dictated by Instagram, your parents, your friends’ weddings or industry averages.
A Simple Way to Divide Your Wedding Budget
Rather than becoming obsessed with exact percentages, start with broad categories.
Allow the largest portion for the venue, food and drinks.
Then allocate meaningful amounts to photography, clothing, entertainment, flowers and ceremony costs according to your priorities.
Set aside smaller amounts for stationery, beauty, cake, transport and miscellaneous expenses.
Then protect that contingency.
If one category rises, another one comes down.
That simple rule is what keeps the final number under control.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wedding Budgets
How much does the average wedding cost in Australia?
The figure changes from year to year, but Easy Weddings’ 2026 industry research reported an average Australian wedding spend of $38,252. Your own budget may be dramatically lower or higher depending on location, guest numbers and the kind of celebration you want.
Is $20,000 enough for a wedding?
Yes. A $20,000 wedding is completely achievable, particularly with a smaller guest list, flexible venue, restaurant reception, weekday date or more selective approach to suppliers. You will probably need to prioritise rather than choosing premium options in every category.
Is $40,000 a realistic wedding budget in Australia?
Yes. It sits close to current Australian average spending and can fund a beautiful professionally catered wedding. Guest numbers and venue choice will have the greatest influence on how far the money goes.
What is usually the biggest wedding expense?
The venue and reception are generally the largest expenses. Current Australian wedding research puts average venue spending at approximately $17,518. Depending on the venue, that may incorporate catering, alcohol and furniture rather than being a standalone room-hire fee.
How much should we put aside for unexpected wedding costs?
Around 5 to 10 percent of your available budget is a useful contingency. The exact amount depends on how complex your wedding is, but having some money unallocated makes last-minute expenses much easier to manage.
What are the easiest ways to reduce wedding costs?
Reducing the guest list usually produces the largest saving because it affects catering, drinks, furniture and many related expenses. Choosing a weekday or lunchtime wedding, selecting a venue that requires little styling, reducing flowers and skipping low-priority traditions can also make a substantial difference.
What wedding expenses are easiest to forget?
Alterations, postage, supplier travel, vendor meals, delivery fees, beauty appointments, accommodation, ceremony equipment, transport, marriage documents, breakfasts, recovery events and last-minute printing are commonly overlooked.
Should parents contribute to a wedding?
Only if they genuinely want to and can comfortably afford to. If family members offer financial help, clarify the exact amount and whether the contribution comes with expectations about the wedding before committing the money.
Should we go into debt for our wedding?
A wedding should be designed around what you can reasonably afford. Borrowing can mean continuing to pay for the celebration long after it has finished, so consider carefully what that debt would mean for your broader financial plans.
Is a smaller wedding actually cheaper?
Usually, yes. Although some fixed costs such as photography and clothing remain the same, reducing guests can lower catering, drinks, rentals, stationery and venue requirements considerably.
Is a destination wedding cheaper than an Australian wedding?
Sometimes, but not automatically. A smaller destination guest list may reduce reception expenses, while flights, accommodation, transport, planners, currency changes and multi-day events can add substantial costs.
Should the honeymoon be included in the wedding budget?
We recommend considering the honeymoon as part of the overall amount you are prepared to spend on getting married, even if you track it separately. This ensures the wedding itself does not consume money you intended to use for travelling afterwards.
The Bottom Line
So, how much does a wedding really cost?
There is no magic number.
It costs what you decide is worth spending to bring the people you love together and celebrate one of the biggest moments of your life.
The mistake is not having an expensive wedding.
The mistake is having an expensive wedding by accident.
Set the number before you start shopping. Protect some money for unexpected expenses. Understand what your venue includes. Keep a close eye on guest numbers. Spend generously on the things you care about and be ruthless about removing the things you do not.
Nobody leaves a great wedding talking about whether the napkins were personalised.
They remember the ceremony. The speeches. The food. The music. The people. The moment everyone ended up on the dance floor together.
Build the budget around creating those memories.
Everything else is optional.
The current cost benchmarks in the article are grounded in the latest Easy Weddings Australian data, which surveyed more than 4,000 engaged/recently married couples, while the budgeting advice is consistent with ASIC Moneysmart’s current guidance on understanding income, expenses and savings before setting spending goals.
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