How much does a wedding cost in the UK?
How much does a wedding cost in the UK?
It is line routinely used, but it doesn’t make it any less true: your wedding day is one of the biggest days, if not the most important one of your life. However, that doesn’t mean that trying to plan a wedding is always that enjoyable, there can be fun parts, but for many, it is also a very stressful time in the lead up to the big day, especially because of the financial cost.
Why? Well, for 2017 the average price of a wedding in the UK was £27,161 – that is nearly 10% more than 2016 (9.6%) including the cost of a honeymoon too. However, the total average cost of a wedding can differ in parts of the country. For example, the average price of a wedding in the Midlands was £25,915, but this rose to a staggering £33,884 in London! But what makes a wedding so expensive? Guarantor Loan Comparison takes a look at all the different things you need to consider cost wise when it comes to organising a wedding, so you can get a good idea of what you need to be budgeting for your special day.
Wedding venue: £2,790
It is estimated that on average the wedding venue will cost the happy couple (and potentially their families too if they are helping around £2,790, but this could be far greater if the venue isn’t booked well ahead of time. So it is recommended that you get booking as soon as you possibly can once you have a good idea of how many people will be attending, as well as the date that you want to go for.
Photography: £1,046
Of course, on your special day, you will want to have all of the event documented so that you have lots of photos to look back on for years to come to remind you of a wonderful day. On average a wedding photographer could cost you over £1000 for the day. Ask friends and family if they know a great photographer as you may be able to nab yourself a good deal.
The wedding dress: £1,098
According to the magazine You & Your Wedding, the average women in the UK will spend just over a thousand pounds on her wedding dress. However, if you want to cut costs you could try specialist second-hand websites, eBay as well as charity shops, after all, it will only be worn (very likely) only once.
The wedding veil: £138
On average, it is estimated that the amount spent for the brides’ veil is about £138.
Flowers: £638
Flowers are an integral part of the wedding, and it is likely you are going to be spending quite a lot on your big day on them, as you will be needing bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids, as well as also as potential decorations for the venue and the reception.
Groom’s outfit: £439
When it comes to the groom’s outfit, you should expect to pay on average £439 for a suit to wear for your big day. Though in similarity to buying a wedding dress, you could cut down on costs by looking at second-hand websites or eBay.
The reception venue: £3,919
You’ve just got married, and so now its the reception, the point of the day where you get to eat, drink and celebrate with your loved ones on what is poised to be the best day of your life. Therefore, apportioning a reasonable amount for the reception venue and take the time to find the right place is definitely worthwhile doing. If you are looking to save money, why not potentially host
Catering: £3,959
Making sure that people have plenty to eat and drink is important, and you should set aside a reasonable amount (roughly nearly £4,000) for catering to ensure you and all your guests are happy. This isn’t including the wedding cake, which could cost up to £300, dependent on how extravagant you want to be.There are ways to host food and drinks on a budget though. You could ask family and friends to help on the big day with putting together a menu, and you could even set up a food truck or mobile bar to save a little money.
Honeymoon: £4,413
What is a wedding if it is without a honeymoon? These special first few weeks as husband and wife will be some of the most important of your lives, so you want to make sure it is memorable. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it has to be luxurious and expensive in order to be special, there are a number of guides available online about how you can go on honeymoon on a budget.
Attendants’ outfits: £436
It is important to not forget to take into consideration the costs of your bridesmaids’ dresses, and pageboy outfits. Again, you could also potentially looking at hiring these outfits through a second-hand outlet or buying them on eBay or in a charity shop.
Entertainment: £773
Obviously, on your wedding day, you want to make sure that everyone enjoys themselves, and what can be better than hosting a great party? Whether it be hosting a band or DJ, lighting etc you can set it up whichever way you want.
Engagement ring: £1,471
There would be no wedding if it wasn’t for the engagement ring to propose with. There are many myths surrounding the cost of the ring, from splitting the difference between spending three months of your salary. However, it has been reported by the jewellery retailer William May that the average man will spend approximately £1,471 on the ring, but again, much like the average cost of weddings overall in the UK, this amount can differ from region to region. For example, the estimated amount a man (or woman) would spend on an engagement ring is around £2347 in Greater London.