Setting a realistic wedding budget is the foundation of a smooth wedding planning process. It's not the most fun, but it is absolutely one of the first and one of the most important steps you need to take after getting engaged. You can't book a venue, hire vendors or buy a wedding dress without a budget.
It can feel overwhelming, but with some careful planning, you'll be able to create a budget that will allow you to create your perfect day without going into debt.
who's paying?
The first step of the process is knowing who's contributing to the wedding budget. Are you and your partner financing the entire thing, or have family offered to help cover some costs? If your parents have said that they'd love to contribute to the wedding, you need to sit down with them and talk specifics; Are they offering a certain amount, and if so, what is that amount? Is there one thing in particular that they'd like to pay for (e.g. the flowers, or the cake) and if so, is there a budget for that, or are they happy to pay for your preferred vendor? Is the money a gift, or are they expecting to have an input on the wedding design due to partially paying for it? It will probably be an awkward conversation, but it will save you a lot of stress down the road if you can make sure that everyone is on the same page right from the start.
how are you paying?
After determining if you're getting any financial help, and what the terms of that money are, you and your partner then need to look at how much you can contribute. Consider your usual expenses, such as rent or mortgage payments, any loans you're paying off, groceries, etc. and then set aside extra for any potential unexpected payments, such as medical expenses, vet bills, or even fun things like invites to other people's weddings and any milestone family birthdays that might be coming up. If you have any savings already, think about if some of that is going to be used for the wedding, or if it's going to stay in savings. If you have separate finances, are you going to pay for things separately, or are you going to create a joint account where you contribute equal amounts (either one-for-one or percentage based on your incomes)? It's a lot to consider, but not only is it good practice in general, it will make sure that you're creating a wedding budget that's realistic and won't put you in danger of burning through every cent of your savings if anything unexpected comes up (which absolutely will happen).
what are you paying for?
Once those logistics have been sorted out, it's time to discuss your expectations and visions for the day. You need to figure out the type of wedding that you want to have, and the size of your guest list, as that will drastically impact your budget requirements. If one of you is dreaming of a large, destination wedding while the other was picturing a small, intimate gathering at your favourite local restaurant, there are going to be major differences in what you're expecting to spend.
To prioritise your budget in the most effective way, you and your partner need to discuss your must haves and non-negotiables. If you're massive foodies, the catering and cake might be key things that you really want to enjoy on the day. Maybe you grew up binge watching Say Yes to the Dress and have been dying to get your own embellished ballgown. Or maybe you met at a club and making sure that you have the right music and lighting for a party vibe at the reception is absolutely vital. With a bit of forward planning, it's possible to highlight the parts of the day that are going to have the biggest effect on your and your guests' experiences and save some cash on the less memorable and less noticeable parts.
budget break down
Once you and your partner are aligned on the big picture of what type of wedding you'd like to have, what parts are the most important to you, and how it's being paid for, you can start looking more closely at the numbers. If you've never been involved in wedding planning before, it can be a bit shocking to discover just how many things you need to budget for and just how expensive those things can be. Knowing averages can help keep things in perspective, and stop you from being ripped off and paying way more than is typical, or, alternatively, massively underpaying and getting terrible service as a result.
The data on wedding costs varies quite a bit, but I've done my best to break down the average cost that usually goes to the main parts of wedding planning in the table below. The prices listed come from The Australian Weddings Industry Report, articles by Easy Weddings and One Fine Day about budgeting and the cost of Australian weddings in 2025, as well as similar data about wedding budgets by American sites The Knot and Minted. Please remember this just a guideline, comprised of averages, and these exact figures will not work for your personal wedding budget. All prices are listed in $AUD.
the entire wedding
$35,315 - $54,295
Whatever your budget, don't be surprised if you go over it. Easy Weddings say that, "On average, couples spend about 29% more than their original wedding budget."
Interestingly, the average cost of an Australian wedding is almost exactly the same in 2025 as it was more than a decade ago. Back in 2013, the Australian government's financial literacy website, Moneysmart, did a survey and found the average cost of a wedding was $36,000, and that figure is still listed as the average amount on the live site today.
Similarly, the Australian Weddings Industry Report surveyed 2,200 couples in 2015 and found the average cost of a wedding back then was $36,200. In 2025, from 4,000 survey respondents, they found that the average is now $35,315 - surprisingly less.
According to SBS, the main reason that average prices are so similar to a decade ago is because Aussies are inviting less guests, with elopements, micro weddings and small weddings more popular now than ever.
venue
$15,987 - $21,994
What's actually included under the umbrella of 'venue' varies greatly by survey and site. Some note that this amount is for the reception venue, not ceremony site, while others included catering costs, furniture rentals and/or tableware in their venue costings.
So take this amount with a grain of salt, but know that venue hire is likely to take up the largest chunk of your budget.
accommodation
$150 - $300
Even though it's a really important part of the day, and it's rare for couples to immediately head back home after their wedding reception, accommodation wasn't on any of the wedding budgets I found, so I've just included a rough estimate of some prices based on popular accommodation types.
transport
$828 - $1,192
The cost of your transport can vary enormously depending on the size of your wedding party and what vehicle type you need to get everyone where they need to go.
furniture & decor hire
$4,864 - $9,704
This was another tricky category, as some surveys included furniture hire and decor items together, some separated them, some grouped decor in with florals, and others included either all or some of the furniture and decor hire in the venue costs.
After sorting through all of that to get the averages here, it seems that most couples spend roughly half of this amount on furniture and half on decor.
florals
$2,444 - $3,203
As mentioned, some articles included florals with the decor costs, but most listed flowers separately. They take up a fair chunk of most couple's budgets due to the prominent role they play in most wedding days.
stationery
$828 - $1,192
Easy Weddings list a price of $945 just for invites, but you need to remember that there's a lot more to wedding stationery than just invites - there's also save the dates, a wedding website, welcome signs, ceremony programs, seating charts, menus, place cards, thank you notes, and even more.
wedding gown
$2,502 - $5,180
According to Easy Weddings, despite how expensive they can be, the vast majority of Australian brides - 75% - purchase their wedding dress brand new. 17% of brides have their gowns custom made, and just 8% wear a second-hand or heirloom gown on their wedding day.
wedding suit
$542 - $1,834
A lot of sites and articles included the cost of the groom's suit with the general wedding party attire/groomsmen suit hire, but the groom should not be wearing the exact same suit as the rest of the wedding party. As such, I've done some maths with the averages I found to get the prices here, so you can budget for it separately.
bridal party attire
$1,893 - $2,556
Breaking this down further, the average cost of bridesmaids attire is $806 - $929, while the average budget for groomsmen attire is $1,087 - $1,627. These prices include shoes and accessories, and most bridesmaid dresses are purchased, while the majority of groomsmen suits are rented.
wedding planner & coordinator
$1,500 - $6,000
Wedding planners and coordinators aren't the standard for Australian weddings, so finding data on average pricing was a bit difficult. However, the average cost for a day-of coordinator seems to be around $1,500 - $2,000, while the price for a full service, beginning-to-end of the process planner sits around $5,000 - $6,000.
photographer
$3,389 - $3,611
According to Easy Weddings, "90% of all [Australian] couples will hire a professional wedding photographer, the highest number of any service."
videographer
$3,389 - $3,507
Videographers are also extremely popular at Australian weddings, according to Easy Weddings: "73% of all couples we surveyed are choosing to have their wedding filmed, and of these, 78% will engage a professional videographer."
celebrant
$924 - $1,127
The cost of a celebrant can vary depending on how much you'd like to customise your ceremony script, with more personalised and tailored scripts sometimes being more expensive than the standard ones.
caterers
$6,308 - $15,000
As mentioned, some sites and surveys included catering costs with venue hire, so, once again, take this amount with a grain of salt. The total also depends on the size of your guest list, and the type of catering that you choose. For a more detailed breakdown with average costs per person for some popular catering styles, roving cocktail is roughly $60 - $100, buffet is $80 - $120, food stations approximately $90 - $130 and a plated, three-course sit down dinner is usually $100 - $150.
cake bakers
$650 - $990
Many catering companies will let you opt to use your wedding cake as the dessert course for your guests, if you'd like to, so you might be able to balance some of the cost there. Cupcakes and dessert tables are also becoming popular options for couples who are looking for different options for their sweets.
djs & bands
$2,037 - $2,514
Easy Weddings say that, "The most popular option is a DJ, followed equally by a band/DJ combo, and for fewer couples, an acoustic duo."
hair stylists & make up artists
$895 - $990
Breaking this down further, the average budget for make up artists is $475 and the average price for hair stylists is $515. Of course these prices vary greatly depending on the size of your wedding party and how many people are getting their hair and make up professionally done.
There are plenty of other things to consider with your wedding budget - beauty treatments in the lead up, bridal accessories, getting ready outfits, a photo booth, guest book, extra entertainment, wedding favours (though personally I don't think favours are necessary), etc. - that I just couldn't really find any solid data on, but still need to be considered when you're looking at wedding costs.
However, if you and your partner know what your priorities are and leave room in the budget for your extra must-haves and for emergencies, you'll be able to budget for the day of your dreams.
