What’s the average cost of a wedding in Australia?

It’s no secret that weddings are expensive affairs. Across the entire range of personal tastes, wealth and social status, couples-to-be and their families shell out tens of thousands of dollars to celebrate their love in wedding extravagance, luxury and hospitality for their nearest and dearest. Whether it’s a traditional sit-down dinner, a rustic country gathering or a home celebration, spending is as much part of the wedding tradition as white dresses and rings.

That said, there’s extravagance, and then there’s extravagance. Between celebrating on a modest budget and splashing out for a talk-of-the-town event, there is of course a huge range in cost when it comes to your wedding. Will you hire a florist and decorator or take care of it yourself? Do you want to front for an open bar or have guests buy what they’d like to drink?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, then keep scrolling for an in-depth look at how much the average wedding costs in Australia and the important cost factors you’ll need to consider when you’re setting your wedding budget.

Wedding expenses and their general cost range

Before jumping into the costs for the various wedding expenses that you’ll come across while planning, it’s important to understand that specific costs will vary from city to city and state to state in Australia. This might be because people choose to spend more or less on certain things depending on what they value for their celebrations. But importantly, the variations in the average budget can also be greatly impacted by the cost of services in a particular area. Some venues in a major city, for example, can often be more expensive than their rural or regional counterparts, just as the market for professional photographers might be cheap or expensive in specific regions.

Despite these important points, the below table is a good place to begin when trying to get an idea of how much you’re likely to spend on your wedding and on what.

If some of these expenses appear quite general, it’s because they are. Weddings are highly personal events, and the needs, wants, traditions and preferences of the engaged couple and their families will always play a big role in determining what services you might engage, and therefore the overall cost of the event. This is also not an exhaustive list of the services you might want for your wedding. 

For example, you might also need to consider accommodation costs for friends and family or travel arrangements to and from your reception. These become especially important when you’re hosting your wedding in a rural place without regular public transport or asking friends and family to travel a long way for your wedding.

The average cost for a wedding in Australian states

As mentioned, the cost of wedding services in Australia can vary significantly between different states. There are plenty of reasons for this - including variations in tastes, styles and expectations for couples and their guests, but it can also indicate different overall prices for these services.

*Price Range according to Canstar as of February 2023

Reduce the cost of your wedding with affordable decorations

While there’s not much that can be done to reduce venue fees or the cost of catering, there’s plenty of room to get your wedding celebrations under your budget through thoughtful decorating.

You can do this in a number of ways, including by skipping the professional decorators and taking care of things yourself. That way, all you need to do is turn a trained eye onto some affordable decorative products, be they wedding arches for the ceremony, affordable table cloths for your wedding reception or extravagant wall coverings to jazz up the space.

You can also opt to supplement or replace your floral arrangements at your wedding with some much more affordable and long-lasting artificial flowers and greenery. On the plus side, your artificial foliage and flowers can be reused time after time and will always stay in perfect shape on your big day.

So, whether you’re planning on the blowout of the century, or you’re looking to keep your wedding day humble, there are so many important factors to consider. Just remember the important things like friends, family, love and hospitality and you’ll be set for an unforgettable day.

In the meantime, be sure to follow Luna Wedding & Event Supplies on Instagram for gorgeous decor ideas, and to see our amazing decorations and products in action.

‘Til next month xx