Planning a wedding? Here’s how to keep costs under control

The average couple getting married in 2025 spent over $35,000 - an average of 29% more than they'd budgeted for, Easy Weddings' 2025 industry report found. While cost overruns are common, understanding what weddings cost, where costs can be reined in, and how budgets tend to get strained can make it easier to plan realistically from the outset.

Before you save the date, learn how to save your cents with these easy wedding money-saving tips.

How much does a wedding cost?

It's no secret that hosting a wedding can be exxy. After all, the idea of florists and caterers hiking prices after finding out they're supplying to a wedding (rather than a birthday party or funeral) is been part of popular culture for decades (even if it mightn't be so sleazy in real life).

The biggest expense facing a betrothed couple is likely their venue, with the average setting sweethearts back nearly $16,000, followed by catering ($6,300), and photography and videography ($3,400 and $3,000 respectively).

Other major expenses include:

• The dress/s and other formal wear ($2,500 and $2,200 respectively)
• Decor and styling ($2,400)
• Flowers ($2,400)
• Hire items ($2,400)
• Music ($2,000)
• Invitations ($900)
• The celebrant ($900)
• The cake ($600)
• The list goes on .... 

No wonder the average event sets six in 10 newlywed couples back between $10,000 and $39,000, while nearly a quarter spend between $40,000 and $59,000. For more than one in 10 couples, that cost is buoyed beyond $60,000. 

If your budget is at the lower end of that scale, don't despair. Remember, two thirds of couples receive financial help from family when wedding planning, who typically cover nearly 40% of the bills.

1. Savings.com.au's two cents

While you can't put a price on love, after the celebrations have finished and the honeymoon is over, you likely hope to find yourself in a stable financial position. After all, the wedding day is fun and games, but the years that follow are what truly counts. 

Savings tip #1: Be strict with your budget

Of course it can be tempting to go all out on your big day and spend money like there’s no tomorrow - and the majority of couples do end up spending more than planned. But there always will be a tomorrow, and you probably want to be financially secure when it arrives.

The best way to avoid budget-blindness is to keep track of your expenses as it’s all-too-easy to rack up a big wedding bill.

Money expert and author Vanessa Stoykov says being strict on a budget is highly important to avoid post-wedding financial stress.

“For example, if the bar tab runs out on the night don’t throw more money at it just because you are in a great mood,” Ms Stoykov told Savings.com.au. “Never go into debt for a wedding; if you can't afford it don't do it. There is no asset associated with a wedding, so don't overspend.”

Kerstyn Walsh, founder of Hire a Bridesmaid, backed the need for a tight budget.

“Have a budget in mind and track everything,” Ms Walsh told Savings.com.au. “Just paid for stamps to go onto invitations? Add it in.”

Savings tip #2: Keep the guest list small

Ms Stoykov said the “best way to save money” is to keep the wedding guest list small. A smaller guest list opens couples up to smaller venues, potentially reducing costs, while caterers tend to charge per head, and fewer heads means smaller bills.

This sentiment is backed by Carly Brown, owner of micro-wedding and elopement company Just Married Weddings, who suggests slimming your guest list to save some dollars.

“Really think about who you simply must share this moment with - cull that guest list,” Ms Brown told Savings.com.au. “Throw out the rule book, set it on fire, forget it ever existed.... and only do what you want, not what you think you have to do.”

Savings tip #3: Get creative

There are simple ways to save money on the expenses of a wedding. From the food to the dress to the DJ - you can make choices that soften the budget blow while still enjoying the wedding you've dreamed of.

“For example, have canapes or grazing tables as food at the reception instead of sit down meals,” Ms Stoykov said. “Look on eBay and Gumtree for wedding dresses; this can literally save thousands of dollars.”

Another avenue to save money is the bridal party costs.

“Book a hair and makeup artist for the whole day, that way it's cheaper because it's a full day service instead of a range of people booking singularly. It's also a lovely way to start the wedding day,” Ms Stoykov said. “[Have the bridal and groom parties] wear dresses or suits they already own or wait for sales to buy items - especially for flower girl outfits that they will literally outgrow in a few months and never wear again.”

Ms Walsh said you should decide what’s most important for you on your wedding day and allocate your spending accordingly.

“If your priority is that the food is great and the dance floor is pumping, your priorities could be choosing a highly-recommended caterer and a band as opposed to a DJ,” Ms Walsh said.

Savings tip #4: Consider the whole picture before DIYing

If you’re planning a wedding, there’s a good chance someone has told you to “relax, it’s just a party.” That’s easy advice to give, but harder to take once you start picturing what you want your big day to look like. For many couples, the tension between budget and expectations can lead to considering DIY-ing some (or all) of the celebration.

But while doing it yourself can save money in some areas, it can also cost more than expected in time, effort, and avoidable mistakes. So, is it cheaper to do everything yourself or to hire service providers to get it done for you?

“If you are having a large wedding, wedding planners are great, but otherwise, you'll save a significant amount by doing it yourself,” Ms Stoykov said. “My tip would be to find a venue that has a coordinator included in the package, so you can outsource the tasks that make you anxious.”

On the other side of the coin, Ms Walsh said doing it yourself makes the expenses add up quickly.

“It's assumed that a full-service venue will be more expensive than a ‘DIY’ venue, but at the end of the day, the costs associated with the DIY add up much quicker than you realise,” Ms Walsh said. “Think about a DIY marquee-style wedding where you have to separately hire each chair, table, piece of cutlery, kitchen equipment, loos and lighting - it adds up!”

Off the back of this, she said that once you factor in your time and energy, it's “always more affordable” to hire things where possible.

“For example, you might be able to buy glasses from Kmart for $2 each,” she said. “But the time and effort involved in going to the shops, bringing them all home, cleaning them, storing them, transporting them to and from the venue, packing them up and then trying to decide what to do with them afterwards is much more time consuming than just hiring them for $4 each, which includes delivery and cleaning. It's also a much more environmentally-friendly way to choose sustainably and hire.”

Savings tip #5: Be flexible on the venue and date

One easy way to save on your wedding venue cost is choosing to have a Friday or Sunday wedding. Saturday weddings are usually more expensive. Having your wedding on a less popular day will likely see the price figure drop.

Another potential venue cost saver is having the wedding and reception in the same spot. But Ms Stoykov said that can depend on the venue.

“I would suggest getting a full quote from the venue so you can see exactly how much each item costs, whether you'll save or spend money on having them both in the same location, and make a decision from there,” Ms Stoykov said.

You may be surprised to know that sometimes, a destination wedding can end up cheaper than a conventional wedding. This is attributed to a smaller guest list, wedding packages, and the convenience of getting married where you'll likely honeymoon.

“While they are a lot of fun, you have to make sure everyone is comfortable the spending money or cover the cost yourself, which adds up,” Ms Stoykov said.

Savings tip #6: Create a schedule (and stick to it) to maximise value

David Wall, wedding photographer and videographer for Masterpieces Photography, sees couples pocket significant savings by creating a strict timeline that ensures they get maximum value from their suppliers.

“Lots of photographers and videographers offer time-based packages rather than full-day or half-day packages,” Mr Wall told Savings.com.au.

“Often, with good planning, couples might be pleasantly surprised how much they can save by opting for six hours of well-choreographed coverage rather than taking an all-day package.”