How much do wedding venues cost?
Every wedding planning advice blog will tell you that the first thing to sort is your budget. But how do you know if your budget is even in the right ball park to start venue hunting? If you’ve never paid for a wedding before, you’ll likely have no idea how much the venue will cost, so here we will help you navigate how much and why wedding venues cost what they do!
So, how much do wedding venues really cost?
If you’re looking for a quick answer, in 2022 the average cost for a wedding venue in the UK was £8,400; with the overall cost of the wedding being around £18,000.
Don’t let this scare you (or excite you!) - this is an average. So it takes into account those who spent closer to £4,000 on their venue as well as those who spent over £16,000 on their venue.
Whilst there will be a minimum budget you would need to book a wedding venue, the sky really is the limit with regards to the maximum budget. That’s why it’s so important to get as many quotes as possible from venues you like the look and feel of, as some may be way out of budget, whilst others offering seemingly similar, are within your means.
What affects the cost of a wedding venue?
Here are the top things that could determine how much a wedding venue will cost:
Time of year. Peak wedding season is typically April to September, so any date in this is usually charged at a higher price
Day of the week. Saturday will always be the most popular and therefore most expensive day of the week to get married. Try a Friday wedding to reduce the costs
Guest numbers. Most venues incorporate a price per head, or their packages include a set number of guests and you will pay for guests over that number. If you have 100+ guests, expect to need a much larger budget. To keep costs down, be brutal with your guest list and perhaps invite more guests to the evening reception.
Exclusivity charges. Some venues offer exclusivity as standard whereas some will charge you for it. So if having the place to yourselves for the day is important, look for a venue that doesn’t charge for it.
It goes without saying that a small wedding with 40 guests on a Sunday in January will be substantially less expensive than a wedding with 90 guests on a Saturday in August. Sometimes you need to compromise on one aspect to get the venue you want for a price that works for you. Maybe you stick with your summer wedding, but try a weekday. The average cost per head in 2022 was around £80, so cutting just 10 guests from the day could save you £££’s. You’ll also save with suppliers as you’ll need less invites, name cards, favours, etc!
What is included in the cost of a wedding venue?
This is perhaps more tricky to answer than much a wedding venue costs!
Every venue is different and all have different pricing structures and run their wedding differently.
Dry hire venues typically charge a fee just to use the venue for your wedding. You are paying them to use their space, not for them to run your wedding. The list of what the include can seem minimal, some don’t include furniture like tables and chairs, some don’t include waiting staff and most don’t include catering. The benefit to these venues is that you are in complete control of organising every element of the day. Hiring everything yourself isn’t for everyone as it can be a lot of work!
Wet hire venues isn’t the most attractive of terms, but this covers the majority of wedding venues and are your more typical wedding venue set up. You will pay the venue to run your wedding, you will use their space, (whether that’s a barn, hotel function room, manor house, or something else), and they will provide you with most of what you need, like tables, chairs, linen, glassware etc and they will also usually provide the catering of all food and drinks. These wedding venues typically offer ‘packages’ that include the basics for a wedding day. All packages will be different as will the costs! Every venue works their pricing slightly differently, so it can take time to work out what is included for what price when enquiring.
Top Tip: If you’re struggling to compare wedding venues, try to ask for like for like quotes. If one venue includes canapes in their package price, make sure the other quotes you get also include canapes, so you know you’re getting a true comparison of costs.
If you’ve found a venue you think you like, take a look on their website to check their costs. If they’re not visible, get in touch and ask for a quote - it’s what the wedding team are there for! Make sure you ask for what is included for the cost.
Read our blog on ‘What to ask your wedding venue’ for some great questions on cost and pricing - this will help you really get to grips with what you are paying for and if there are any hidden costs.
