£10,000 Wedding Budget: How to Break it Down

Our recent Hitched National Wedding Survey revealed that the average cost of a wedding now comes in at £23,250, but with a few careful wedding budget hacks, there’s no need to feel pressured to match that – it’s easier than you might think to plan a wedding on a £10,000 budget.

To help you organise your spend, the best thing to do is divide your wedding plan into sections so you don’t go off track – we’ve broken down a 10k wedding budget, giving you pointers on exactly where to spend your money.

If you’re still trying to figure out how to budget, this will give you a good idea of how to break down a £10,000 wedding budget – but remember, it’s just a rule of thumb. If there are elements you want to skip or things you want to spend more on, feel free to adjust this 10k wedding budget to suit your own dream day.

So, keep reading to discover some super savvy ways you can save without scrimping on style or service – from gorgeous wedding dresses you can nab for less than £800 to how to cut costs on catering, our guide to planning a wedding for £10,000 or less explains it all.

Weddings Under 10k: How to Budget £10,000 for a Wedding

From venues to outfits, décor to entertainment, we’ve got affordable wedding ideas aplenty. Here's our 10k wedding budget breakdown…

• Venue & catering: £5,100
• Ceremony: £600
• Stationery: £150
• Hair & makeup: £250
• Bridesmaid outfits: £150
• Photography: £1,400
• Wedding decor: £150
• Dress & accessories: £800
• Flowers: £500
• Cake: £200
• Entertainment: £500
• Groomswear: £200

Wedding Venue & Catering – £5,100

It is possible to find affordable wedding venues, it’s just about being flexible on when you get married. There are some wonderful options out there that offer exclusive hire for less when you book an off-peak weekday wedding (Monday to Wednesday) in the winter months (usually November, December, January and February). Elsewhere, look for venues that allow you to hire part of the property, such as an entire floor of a hotel or pub, rather than the whole space.

Some of our favourites include The Venue at Sandy Cove in North Devon, a gorgeous beachside location which starts at £2,250 for exclusive hire, as well as Sheene Mill, a quintessentially English waterside gem in Cambridgeshire that starts from just £1,000 + VAT. 

It’s also worth considering local hotels, as they usually offer package deals that include all the essentials such as room hire, food and some drinks.

One such venue that has the low-cost wedding package nailed is The Plough Inn, in Cheshire. The foodie venue’s 2026 Winter Weddings package is priced £3,495 for 50 guests and includes an array of canapés and courses to choose from, fizz, wine and evening buffet alongside hire of the beautiful 13th century oak-beamed barn.  

If you decide to not go for a package, and have around 50 guests at your wedding breakfast, aim for a budget of around £50-£60 per head on top of venue hire.

Some extra ways to save include skipping the starter and choosing to have canapés while the guests are mingling instead. Nibbles are usually more affordable as less staff and equipment are required for serving them. Switching from fancier options to crowd-pleasers like mini fish and chip tasters could save you more, too.

Then, why not go straight into a simple but filling main like pie and mash, and serve the wedding cake for dessert? Afternoon tea-style receptions and buffets are other cost-effective options.

Finally, check with your venue if buying your own alcohol is an option. You may well be required to pay a corkage fee, but it may still work out cheaper. Plus, it’ll give you a good excuse to ‘try out’ new bottles (ahem…) as a fun at-home date night!

Ceremony – £600

It doesn’t matter what your budget is or how big your wedding is, you’ll be required to pay somewhere between £500 and £700 for your civil ceremony – or more if you choose to get married on a weekend. This will generally include the cost of the registrar and the civil marriage licence, as well as room hire.

If you’re getting married in a Church of England church, the compulsory legal fee if you’re marrying in your home parish is a maximum of £567, but you could pay up to £675 if you choose to tie the knot away from where you live.

Stationery – £150

If you’re the crafty type and are working to an especially tight wedding budget, you could have a go at DIY wedding stationery to save money, but only do this if you don’t mind putting that extra pressure on yourself to get them done on time.

Otherwise, ordering printed wedding invitations online is another option. If there is a stationer you love, discuss your budget with them and find out what your options are. Copywrite Print & Design based in Shropshire offers stationery from as little as 50p per item – plus Hitched users get an exclusive 10% off!

Of course, when it comes to your invitations, you could forgo paper altogether and email your save-the-dates, asking guests to RSVP via your wedding website. Swapping hard copies at £2.50 each could save you up to £125 – and that’s without postage!

Meanwhile, when it comes to menus, why not go all gastropub and swap costly individual paper menus for a chalkboard menu at your venue instead?

Hair & Makeup – £250

One of the best ways to save money on your wedding hair and makeup is, of course, to only pay for yourself to have it done and either let the bridesmaids do their own or ask them to pay if they’d like to have it done professionally.

Hair and makeup trials can also add a lot on to the cost of your bridal beauty budget (usually around £100 to £150) so why not chat to your usual hairdresser about your options there? If they know your hair and style already, you may feel comfortable forgoing a hair trial.

You could also save money by travelling to the salon on the morning of your wedding, rather than asking the stylist to come to you – though we’d only recommend this if they’re nearby.

Hiring someone who can do both hair and makeup is often the more budget-friendly option, compared to paying for two separate experts. Oxfordshire-based hair and makeup artist Sarah Wray offers wedding day packages for £220 for both on-the-day hair and makeup – a total bargain if you ask us!

Keen to do your own makeup? While wedding makeup is very different to everyday makeup, it can be done. Check out our DIY wedding makeup tips to help learn how to perfect your makeup look in time for the big day, considering the things you’d pay a pro for – things like, how to make it last all day, how it will stand up against your wedding photography (and not reflect any flashes, for example).

Bridesmaids’ Outfits – £150

Obviously, the fewer bridesmaids you have, the more money you’ll save here. If you choose to have three bridesmaids, however, you could allocate £50 per maid and opt for high street bridesmaid dresses they’ll be able to wear again.

Another good way to save on outfit costs is to ask them to wear shoes they already own – at least they’ll feel comfortable and confident in them!

Photography – £1,400

Chat to your preferred wedding photographer about the packages they offer and see if there is anything you can trim from it – a physical photo album, for example – to cut back on costs.

Another key way to save money is to have your photographer there for less time – perhaps those ‘getting ready’ photos are super important to you, but you’re not so worried about having them there for the meal or the first dance?

There are some brilliantly talented wedding photographers out there who offer flexible packages at great price points – Hertfordshire-based Purple Kite Photography has packages that start from £895 for four hours of coverage and £1,295 for eight hours, while Lincolnshire-based photographer Lucy Bowen’s prices start from £1,300.

What we will say, is that while photography feels like a huge part of the budget and it can be tempting to ask a friend of a friend to capture your day (we all know someone who is ‘great with a camera’, right?), we promise that this is one element of your wedding you won’t regret spending out on. When it comes to looking back at your photos, those perfectly captured memories will be priceless.

Wedding Décor – £150

It is possible to stay within budget without compromising on style when it comes to reception décor – you just have to think outside the box.

Consider reusing your bridesmaids’ bouquets as your centrepieces or using inexpensive foliage (such as eucalyptus and ivy) along with fairy lights to decorate your venue instead of flowers – it’ll look and smell incredible.

Potted plants, such as snowdrops or herbs, make great decorations for tables and mantlepieces, and you can also pick up plenty of inexpensive lanterns, candles, faux flowers and more over on the Hitched Shop.

Wedding Dress & Accessories – £800

The dress of your dreams doesn’t have to cost thousands of pounds – if you have your heart set on a certain bridal designer, sample sales at your local bridal boutiques are a great way to grab a bargain.

Failing that, the high street is awash with ready to wear bridal gowns and separates – all of which can usually be recycled for a garden party, balmy holiday dinner or day at the races. The quality is improving season by season, too, with embellishments, appliqué and luxurious fabrics to meet the sartorial standards of modern and traditional brides alike.

Some of our favourite affordable bridal collections include those from Phase Eight, Whistles, Monsoon, Self-Portrait, Rixo and Net-a-Porter.

When it comes to your shoes, jewellery and veil (if you choose to wear one), online retailers like ASOS have a great selection of affordable pieces, but you could also browse the high street for shoes and accessories.

Ask a friend or relative if they have some jewellery you could wear as your ‘something borrowed’. Not only will it have more sentimental value, but it’ll also help your budget go further.

Wedding Flowers – £500

The first thing to note is that seasonal wedding flowers will cost less than imported varieties, so be sure to check out our guide to wedding flowers to find out what’s in season when you plan to tie the knot.

Elsewhere, there are other ways to get thrifty with your flowers; if you’re a keen gardener (or you know a friend or family member who is), speak to your florist about the possibility of picking your own easy-to-grow flowers and herbs, such as lavender, rosemary and heather, and then paying them to make up the arrangements, adding in some of their own statement heads, such as roses.

Also ask your florist about cheaper flowers that look great en-masse for bridesmaid or flower girl posies, such as gypsophila.

Remember, when it comes to centrepieces, the fewer tables you have, the less these will cost. You could save on floral centrepieces (not to mention other items such as linen hire) by putting as many people as you can comfortably around one table.

Wedding Cake – £200

If the wedding cake is threatening to leave a less-than-sweet hole in your wedding fund, the high street could be a good place to start.

Patisserie Valerie, Waitrose and Cutter & Squidge all offer a vast selection of single- and two-tier wedding cakes which start from £95 each and – with some carefully considered ribbon and coordinating flowers – would work with any wedding style and theme.

You will need to work out how many single-tier cakes you’ll need to feed all your guests but arranged on a cake stand (often provided by the venue if you went for a package), these would make a beautiful alternative to a traditional tiered wedding cake.

Naturally, a shop-bought cake like this isn’t guaranteed to have the same level of detail, quality and customer service that you would get working with an independent cake maker, but that is the compromise on cost.

If you’re looking for something different or have your heart set on a particular cake maker, consult them about alternative options – perhaps a tower of brownies instead? Seek out local businesses with whom you might be able to negotiate a bespoke creation within your budget.

Entertainment – £500

If you haven’t booked a wedding package that includes entertainment (usually a DJ), you can hire a DJ for around £500 for your evening party.

For background music in the daytime, a Spotify playlist will work – keep things personal by asking your guests to RSVP with their favourite tune and include it within your playlist. You’ll need to ask a member of your wedding party to keep an eye on it throughout the day, however.

Remember, as long as you’ve got enough food and drink to keep everyone satiated, you don’t need to pull out the stops when it comes to entertaining your guests. Outdoor wedding games are great if your budget can stretch (loan things from friends or family, or create your own… egg and spoon race, anyone?), while wedding table icebreakers can be purchased pretty cheaply, too.

Groomswear – £200

If you’re in the market for a traditional suit, many groomswear hire shops offer great deals when you hire more than one. Check out the options from the likes of Moss Bros, Slaters and Suits You.

If you have a large number of wedding party members who need suits, you could always just hire outfits for the groom and best man and ask any ushers or other members to wear their own suits. Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and other department stores do a great selection of stylish formalwear that comes in at less than £200 per outfit.

Total Wedding Budget: £10,000

How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget

In a world of ever-changing wedding trends and growing costs, it can feel like you need a ton of cash to have the wedding of your dreams, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The first thing you need to do, is have the conversation about money and set your budget – it’s important not to stretch yourself too thin.

Then look at where you want to prioritise your spending; talk about the elements of your wedding that are most important to you, such as the food, the photography or perhaps the entertainment. That way, you can feel justified on spending more in those areas while scaling back on other elements such as the décor, favours or wedding cake.

To help you on your way to wedding planning on a budget, our budget planner tool (also featured above) is a great way to help you stay on track with your spending.  

How much does a wedding cost in the UK?

According to our National Wedding Survey, the average cost of a wedding in the UK is now £23,250, up from £20,700 the year before.

Is £10,000 enough for a wedding in the UK?

We’ve already highlighted that the average cost of a wedding is now £23,250 in the UK, so with that in mind, is 10k a good wedding budget?

It’s actually more feasible than you might think, as our wedding budget breakdown shows. The key is to be flexible on things such as when you tie the knot (for example, outside of peak season), where, and the kind of food and drink offerings you choose.

If you have your heart set on a particular venue, it may be worth contacting them to ask if there is anything it can do for you within your budget, or – if you’re happy to plan a wedding at short notice – if there are any last-minute cancellations where could get a great deal. Low budget wedding planning can be straightforward when you have all the tools you need. 

Keen to make your money go even further? Check out our list of the things to give up now to help you save for your wedding.