Bridebook's 2026 UK Wedding Report, based on about 7,000 couples, puts the average UK wedding at £20,604, almost level with £20,822 the year before. Hitched's survey of 2,020 newlyweds who married in 2025 gives a higher figure, £21,990. The gap comes from who was surveyed and what was counted, so it is worth quoting the source rather than a single number.
Both exclude the honeymoon and rings. Treat either figure as a reference point, not a target: a quarter of couples spend £10,000 or less, and one in ten spends £35,000 or more.
The average guest list is now about 80 people, made up of roughly 74 at the ceremony plus about 21 evening guests, and Bridebook reports the main reception shrinking by around 11% since 2024. Cost per head is around £272 to £278 depending on the survey.
Guest count is the single biggest lever. Bridebook's figures show a wedding for around 50 guests averaging about £15,000, 70 guests about £21,800, and 120 or more guests about £26,000.
Bridebook splits the average budget like this: venue and catering 51% (about £11,400), attire 19% (about £3,900), photography and video 10% (about £3,000), flowers and décor 7% (about £2,600), entertainment 7% (about £1,900) and everything else 6%.
Typical individual costs from the same report: venue hire about £6,000, reception catering about £5,400, evening food about £2,000, a photographer about £1,500 (a range of £500 to £2,500), a florist about £1,200, and a wedding dress about £1,500. Stately homes and castles sit at the top of venue pricing, while pubs and restaurants cost far less.
Where you marry changes the bill a lot. Bridebook's 2026 average for London is about £27,000, roughly 31% above the UK figure, while the North West is the cheapest English region at about £17,300. Scotland averages about £23,000, pushed up in part by couples travelling there from London and the South East.
Regional averages are less reliable than the national one because sample sizes shrink, so use them to compare areas rather than to predict your own bill. A venue quote for your actual date and guest numbers tells you far more.
Bridebook found January weddings averaging about £11,000, against about £23,800 in June. Saturdays are the most expensive day, and Friday and Sunday dates are often around 20 to 30 per cent cheaper at venues. If you can marry in the colder months or midweek, that is usually the biggest saving available without changing the guest list.
Hitched's 2026 report found 61% of UK couples were given money by family towards the wedding, rising to 68% of Gen Z. No reliable average amount is published, so agree early who is contributing and whether it comes with expectations about the guest list.
The same survey found 56% of couples overspent, which is the real argument for a contingency line of around 10% in the budget from day one.
Marry on a Friday, Sunday or outside peak season. Trim the guest list or move some invitations to the evening. Consider a register office ceremony followed by a separate celebration: Bridebook reports register office weddings rose to 12% of weddings in 2025, and a register office ceremony with guests averages about £1,342.
Ask every supplier for their payment schedule in writing and put each date in your plan. A deposit due today and a balance due six weeks before the wedding are easy to miss across ten suppliers. MarryHQ's budget tracks estimates against actual costs and deposit and balance dates for each supplier.
Tasks, guests, budget, and suppliers in one place, free to start.