How much does a wedding actually cost in the UK? According to the Hitched 2026 Wedding Industry Report, based on a survey of over 2,000 couples who married in 2025, the average UK wedding now costs £21,990.
That's actually a 4% decrease from the 2024 peak of £23,250 — but before you celebrate, the cost per guest has risen to £272, up 4% from last year. Couples are inviting fewer people but spending more per head.
Average Wedding Cost Year by Year
Here's how the average UK wedding cost has changed over recent years, according to Hitched's annual surveys:
Average UK Wedding Cost — Year by Year (Hitched)
- 2025 (latest): £21,990 (survey of 2,000+ couples)
- 2024: £23,250 (survey of 3,000+ couples)
- 2023: £20,700 (survey of 1,808 couples)
- 2022: £18,400 (survey of 2,457 couples)
- 2021: £17,300
The 2024 spike was driven by high inflation and the cost of living crisis — nearly 1 in 2 couples that year said the economy had impacted their budget. In 2025, couples adapted by trimming guest lists while maintaining per-head spend.
Where Does the Money Go?
Venue hire dominates, typically accounting for around 40% of the total budget. Based on the most recent detailed Hitched breakdown (2022 survey of 2,457 couples):
Average Wedding Spend by Category (Hitched 2022)
- Venue hire: £8,400
- Wedding dress: £1,350
- Photography: £1,300
- Videography: £1,150
- Band/DJ: £1,050
- Flowers: £1,050
- Stationery: £300
- Hair & makeup: £155
- Catering: £70 per head (81 guests avg = £5,670)
Average Wedding Cost by Region
It won't surprise anyone that London is the most expensive place to get married. According to the Hitched 2026 report:
- London: £24,662 (12% above the national average)
- South East of England: £23,589
- East of England: £23,350
- Scotland: £22,123
- National average: £21,990
Who's Paying for It?
According to the Hitched 2026 report, 61% of couples used financial gifts or parental support to fund their wedding. In 2022, 59% used personal savings and 11% took out a loan.
Nearly half of couples (47% in 2022) exceeded their initial wedding budget — with 60% increasing their budget at least once during planning.
How Many Weddings Take Place in the UK?
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 231,949 marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales in 2023 — an 8.6% decrease from 253,776 in 2022. Key findings:
- Opposite-sex marriages accounted for 93.5% of all legal partnerships
- The median age at marriage was 34.8 years for men and 33.0 years for women — among the highest ever recorded
- Saturday remained the most popular day (41.9% of marriages)
- August was the most popular month (14.3% of marriages)
- The South East saw the most marriages (16.1% of the total)
Wedding Cost by Guest Count
Guest count is the single biggest lever on your budget. According to Hitched:
Average Cost by Wedding Size (Hitched 2026)
- 51–70 guests: ~£18,000
- National average (~81 guests): £21,990
- 101+ guests: £30,591 (nearly 40% above average)
While larger weddings cost more overall, the cost per guest actually decreases as numbers grow — thanks to fixed costs like venue hire and photography being spread across more people.
Planning Your Budget?
Use our free wedding planner to build a realistic budget based on these figures. Our vendor directory shows real pricing from 230+ UK wedding suppliers to help you compare costs.
Data Sources
All figures in this article come from two sources:
- Hitched 2026 Wedding Industry Report — survey of 2,000+ UK couples married in 2025, published by Hitched.co.uk
- ONS: Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales, 2023 — accredited official statistics published 18 November 2025
We do not fabricate or extrapolate statistics. Where a specific year is cited, we state the exact source.