How much does an average wedding cost in Australia?

Your big day doesn’t have to come with a supersized bill. Here’s what it can cost to tie the knot — plus ways to save.

Your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life, but it can also be one of the most expensive. Depending on how you see your big day playing out, the costs involved can include anything from venue hire to food and drinks packages to flowers. So how much does the average Aussie spend?

Whatever your ideal wedding looks like – whether it’s a small backyard affair with friends and family, or a more lavish catered affair at a specialised reception venue – there are a number of costs you’re likely to face, and things you’ll need to keep in mind in preparation for the day.

How much does a wedding cost in Australia?

Putting an exact figure on the ‘average’ cost of a wedding can be challenging simply because no two weddings are the same. Each couple has their own preferences for their big day, and these will shape the final cost. However, according to figures from ASIC’s Moneysmart website and online marketplace Oneflare, the average Australian wedding costs can range from $36,000 to $51,000.

Average cost of a wedding per state

The state where you decide to get married can shape the cost of your wedding. Figures from a national survey by the Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) and Easy Wedding provide a guide on the average cost of a wedding in key states across Australia:

• Queensland – in the sunshine state the average wedding cost range from $26,029 to $29,786
• New South Wales – the average wedding spend in NSW ranges from $37,108 to $41,245
• Victoria – couples in Victoria pay an average of $36, 358 to $37,430 for their wedding
• South Australia – in South Australia couples spend an average from $30,307 to $31,124 on their wedding
• Western Australia – in the west of Australia, the average wedding costs range from $31,272 to $31,694
• Northern Territory – the average wedding cost in NT is $30,375
• Tasmania – wedding in Tasmania on average costs $26,381

Interestingly, a notable factor that may contribute to the different wedding costs across states is the size of the function. ABIA says couples getting married in NSW tend to share their special day with an average of about 121 guests, while in Queensland, weddings may be more intimate affairs, with an average of 74 guests.

What should you consider when planning a wedding?

While every wedding is unique, based on the needs and tastes of the couple, there are some important things you will need to keep in mind, such as the location, the day and date, the size of the guest list, and the theme, if you choose to have one.

Location

There is a range of possibilities when it comes to choosing the location of your wedding. You may opt for a backyard wedding, a barefoot wedding on the beach, or something more formal like a sit-down affair at a hotel or function centre. The setting you choose for your wedding may play a big part in determining the overall cost – for example, if you opt to get married in a luxury hotel setting, you will encounter costs associated with venue hire that you might not if you choose a location such as a friend’s backyard.

Following the relaxing of COVID-related travel restrictions, destination weddings held at venues interstate or even overseas are back on the agenda, and Easy Weddings notes that the federal government has agreements with a number of countries so that a wedding held overseas is recognised in Australia.

Day and date

The time you choose for your wedding will also play a part in determining the cost. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,  the peak times for weddings in Australia fall in the periods between March and April and again between September and November. If you choose to get married at these times, you may end up paying more. And likewise, if you get married on a weekend, the price of your wedding may also be higher.

If you opt to get married outside of peak wedding season, or on a weekday, you may be able to negotiate a lower price with vendors and venues, who could potentially be less busy at these times.

Guest list

When planning a wedding, it is important to consider how many people you wish to invite, as this will play a part in determining the cost. You may wish to have an intimate celebration with a handful of close family and friends, or opt for a larger guest list of 100 people or more.

Generally speaking, if you choose to get married at an external venue such as a hotel or function centre, you will typically pay a per-head price for catering. You may choose to opt for a multi-course sit-down meal, stand-up cocktails and canapes, and possibly even a bar tab. Whatever your choice, the larger the guestlist, the more expensive your big day is likely to be.

Theme

The theme you choose for your wedding will come down to your and your partner’s tastes, and the kind of day you want to have. You may wish to have a relaxed and casual day, barefoot on the grass and surrounded by friends; you may opt for a rustic or bohemian-style wedding, or you may want a more modern and formal occasion. The theme you choose can impact the costs of the wedding, taking into account such things as the flowers (real or fake), decorations, outfits, styling and even invitations you’ll need to achieve your desired aesthetic.

Compare Personal Loans

Setting a budget for major wedding costs in Australia

You may have some ideas about the location, day and date, guest list and theme for your wedding. However, by drawing up a wedding budget you will have a clearer picture of what you can afford, and this can refine your wedding plans. Here is a general guide of the average costs you could expect to pay for some of the major wedding expenses based on a survey by Easy Weddings:

← Mobile/tablet users, scroll sideways to view full table → 

You will have to set aside additional money too if you’re looking to hire a wedding planner, who can either charge a percentage of the total wedding expenses (generally 10% according to Oneflare), or by the hour, which varies depending on the area. Additionally, you may want to set extra money aside for the following wedding costs in your budget:

• Hair and make-up
• Formal wear for grooms or groomsmen 
• Bridesmaid dresses 
• Invitations  
• Wedding cake
• Marriage celebrant 
• Videography
• Wedding hire 
• Additional Decorations 
• Bonbonniere 

How much does a small wedding cost in Australia?

As we’ve seen, the average cost of a wedding can easily run into a 5-figure sum. The good news is that there can be plenty of scopes to save with a smaller, more intimate wedding.

While there is no definitive answer to the question of how much a ‘small’ wedding costs, it is worth keeping in mind that you can save by narrowing down the guest list and foregoing such things as venue hire and professional catering.

If you opt to get married in your backyard, for example, and ask your friends and family to supply food for the big day, then your costs might be limited to chair and table hire, a celebrant, beverages (if you supply them), bridal outfits and decorations such as streamers or fairy lights.

Compare Personal Loans

How can you cut costs for a wedding?

If you wish to cut costs for a wedding, there are a number of areas in which you could potentially make savings. These include opting for a non-traditional venue, supplying your own alcohol and food, using your wedding cake as dessert and considering the kind of outfits you and your partner want to wear. Another option some couples take is to ask friends and relatives to contribute cash to a wishing well in place of more traditional gifts.

Choose a non-traditional venue

If you choose to get married in a venue such as a backyard or a favourite pub, gallery or café, you may well find that there are more affordable catering and venue hire options, relative to a traditional wedding venue such as a function centre or hotel, where the costs of venue hire and catering packages could be more expensive.

Self-cater your food and alcohol

Whether you opt for a sit-down meal at a formal wedding venue, for stand-up cocktails and canapes, or even professional catering at home, the cost of food and drinks can be a major wedding expense. If your venue allows for it, providing your own alcohol and even opting for a ‘potluck’ style wedding, in which guests each bring a dish, could cut costs.

Use your wedding cake as dessert

If you choose a food and drinks package, foregoing the dessert course and instead using your own wedding cake can be a way to cut costs. You may save even more if a friend or family member with a talent for baking is willing to supply you with a cake for free as a wedding present, or at a reduced cost.

Consider the dress code

Although it may be tempting to splurge on a new or even custom-made wedding dress, there is always the option to save by wearing a pre-loved gown, or by hiring your wedding dress, which can cost as little as $500.  If you wish to cut down on your expenditures, one option could be to forego formal dress code in favour of a more rustic-inspired theme. Perhaps you could opt for vintage outfits for the wedding party, or some other dress code that has meaning to you and your partner.

Have a wishing well

It may be the case that you and your partner do not want traditional gifts, or that you have been living together for a while already and have already accumulated everything you need for your home. Whatever the case may be, you could ask your guests to forgo gifts and instead contribute a cash amount of their choosing to a wishing well. This gives you the freedom to use the money for whatever you wish, be it a holiday after the wedding, helping to recoup the costs of the wedding itself, or some other purpose entirely.

How do you pay for a wedding in Australia?

There are a number of options to pay for a wedding in Australia. You may wish to take out a wedding loan, generally in the form of a personal loan or line of credit, or you could pay using a credit card if it has competitive interest rates. However, all these options will involve going into debt for your big day. Rather than take out a loan, you may choose to save up for your wedding, and there are a number of advantages to this approach.

Using savings to fund your wedding can mean avoiding debt and accumulating interest. It can also allow you to set a realistic budget and avoid the temptation to spend money you don’t have. If you and your partner are planning a wedding a few years down the line, you might even wish to put money away in a savings account or term deposit where it will accumulate interest until the time comes to pay for your big day,

Canstar has a guide to the best savings account interest rates and best term deposit rates on our database.

Learn more: 5 Simple budgeting hacks to improve your financial health

Or, jump onto our Budget Planner to see how much you can comfortably set aside for the cost of your wedding on a regular basis. Our Savings Calculator shows how much money you can accumulate with regular deposits. By playing around with the numbers, you can decide how much you need to tuck away to cover the cost of your wedding by a set date.

Budget Planner Calculator

Cover image source: Wedding and lifestyle/Shutterstock.com