[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":668},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-en-how-much-does-a-wedding-cost-in-france":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"category":653,"date":654,"description":12,"extension":655,"image":20,"imageMobile":656,"meta":657,"navigation":658,"path":659,"seo":660,"seoTitle":661,"stem":662,"tags":663,"translationOf":666,"__hash__":667},"blog_en\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-much-does-a-wedding-cost-in-france.md","How much does a wedding cost in France in 2026? A budget breakdown",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":620},"minimark",[9,13,16,22,25,28,31,36,39,42,45,141,144,148,151,154,157,160,164,169,172,175,178,181,185,188,191,194,197,201,204,207,211,214,217,220,224,227,230,233,236,245,249,252,255,259,262,265,269,272,275,288,291,294,298,301,304,308,311,314,318,321,324,328,331,334,338,341,344,347,351,354,357,360,363,395,398,402,405,408,411,514,517,525,529,533,536,539,543,546,549,552,556,559,562,566,569,572,576,579,582,586,589,592,595,599,602,605,608,611,614,617],[10,11,12],"p",{},"You opened a spreadsheet, typed \"venue\", \"catering\" and \"dress\", and then discovered that a wedding never fits into four rows.",[10,14,15],{},"There are the big costs you can see coming, the small ones that pile up, and the things you fall for that reshape the whole budget.",[17,18],"img",{"alt":19,"src":20,"title":21},"Wedding in Dordogne in 2026","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Fcombien-coute-un-mariage\u002Fcombien-coute-un-mariage.png","Planning your wedding budget item by item",[10,23,24],{},"The short answer: in France, a wedding currently costs €19,293 on average for around 90 guests, or €215 per person. That figure includes neither the engagement ring nor the honeymoon. It comes from a survey of 1,304 couples who married in 2025.",[10,26,27],{},"The longer answer is that this average won't tell you what your own wedding will cost.",[10,29,30],{},"A lunch with thirty of your closest people, a reception for a hundred in a village hall and a whole weekend at a château all go by the same name. Unsurprisingly, the bill for each will be very different.",[32,33,35],"h2",{"id":34},"how-much-should-you-really-set-aside-for-a-wedding","How much should you really set aside for a wedding?",[10,37,38],{},"For a traditional wedding of around a hundred people, with a reception venue, a caterer, a photographer, a DJ, flowers and the couple's outfits, a budget of €18,000 to €30,000 is realistic today.",[10,40,41],{},"You can spend less by choosing an affordable venue, a shorter format, fewer guests or fewer suppliers. At the other end of the scale, a beautiful estate with accommodation, an elaborate dinner and extensive floral decoration can quickly take you past €35,000.",[10,43,44],{},"Here are some useful ballpark figures to start your budget:",[46,47,48,67],"table",{},[49,50,51],"thead",{},[52,53,54,58,61,64],"tr",{},[55,56,57],"th",{},"Number of guests",[55,59,60],{},"Budget option",[55,62,63],{},"Mid-range budget",[55,65,66],{},"High-end budget",[68,69,70,85,99,113,127],"tbody",{},[52,71,72,76,79,82],{},[73,74,75],"td",{},"30 people",[73,77,78],{},"€3,000 to €6,000",[73,80,81],{},"€7,000 to €12,000",[73,83,84],{},"€15,000 and up",[52,86,87,90,93,96],{},[73,88,89],{},"50 people",[73,91,92],{},"€5,000 to €9,000",[73,94,95],{},"€10,000 to €17,000",[73,97,98],{},"€22,000 and up",[52,100,101,104,107,110],{},[73,102,103],{},"80 people",[73,105,106],{},"€8,000 to €13,000",[73,108,109],{},"€15,000 to €24,000",[73,111,112],{},"€30,000 and up",[52,114,115,118,121,124],{},[73,116,117],{},"100 people",[73,119,120],{},"€10,000 to €16,000",[73,122,123],{},"€18,000 to €30,000",[73,125,126],{},"€38,000 and up",[52,128,129,132,135,138],{},[73,130,131],{},"150 people",[73,133,134],{},"€15,000 to €23,000",[73,136,137],{},"€27,000 to €42,000",[73,139,140],{},"€55,000 and up",[10,142,143],{},"These ranges are reference points, not a price list. The available studies also reach different averages depending on the couples surveyed and the costs they include. The 2026 report by Mariages.net gives €19,293 for 90 people, while other estimates put a traditional wedding of 100 guests at between €12,000 and €17,000.",[32,145,147],{"id":146},"the-number-of-guests-changes-almost-everything","The number of guests changes almost everything",[10,149,150],{},"Every extra person adds a meal, drinks, tableware, furniture, stationery and sometimes a bed for the night.",[10,152,153],{},"Ten more guests are therefore not just ten more chairs to set out. With a variable cost of €100 to €200 per person, they can add between €1,000 and €2,000 to the final budget.",[10,155,156],{},"That said, not every cost shrinks when the guest list gets shorter. The photographer, the DJ, the outfits and the wedding rings cost much the same for thirty people as for a hundred.",[10,158,159],{},"That is why a small wedding can show a higher price per guest. There are fewer of you, but the fixed costs are shared between fewer people.",[32,161,163],{"id":162},"the-cost-of-a-wedding-item-by-item","The cost of a wedding, item by item",[165,166,168],"h3",{"id":167},"the-venue-sets-the-tone-and-often-the-first-shock","The venue sets the tone, and often the first shock",[10,170,171],{},"A village hall can cost a few hundred euros. An estate booked exclusively for a whole weekend can ask several thousand, sometimes with accommodation on top.",[10,173,174],{},"Before comparing prices, always check what is included: tables, chairs, tableware, cleaning, a professional kitchen, heating, an outdoor ceremony space, furniture for the drinks reception and someone in charge on site.",[10,176,177],{},"A venue listed at €3,000 can end up costing more than one offered at €5,000 if everything has to be hired separately.",[10,179,180],{},"For an estate or a château, allow €3,000 to €8,000 as a rule, or a great deal more for exclusive use with accommodation.",[165,182,184],{"id":183},"catering-every-choice-is-multiplied-by-the-number-of-guests","Catering: every choice is multiplied by the number of guests",[10,186,187],{},"Catering is often one of the largest items in a wedding budget.",[10,189,190],{},"The price depends on the format you choose: a buffet, a served meal, a standing dinner of substantial canapés, the number of pieces, the quality of the produce, staff, tableware, the cake and the meal the day after.",[10,192,193],{},"A reasonable starting point is usually €50 to €120 per guest, excluding drinks. The Mariages.net report puts the national figure at up to around €110 per person, depending on the level of service.",[10,195,196],{},"For a hundred guests, a difference of €20 per menu already adds €2,000 to the final bill. This is where your guest list turns very concretely into a budget.",[165,198,200],{"id":199},"drinks","Drinks",[10,202,203],{},"When drinks are not included in the caterer's quote, allow roughly €10 to €35 per person, depending on the wines, the champagne, the cocktails and how long the reception lasts.",[10,205,206],{},"Check too whether there is a corkage fee. Some venues and caterers charge for every bottle the couple brings in.",[165,208,210],{"id":209},"the-dress-and-the-suit","The dress and the suit",[10,212,213],{},"A wedding dress often costs between €800 and €3,000, not counting alterations, shoes, underwear and accessories. Mariages.net reports an average spend of about €1,650 on the dress.",[10,215,216],{},"For a suit, allow around €400 to €1,200, more for made-to-measure.",[10,218,219],{},"Second-hand options now make it possible to find recent dresses at 30 to 60% below the new price in some specialist shops.",[165,221,223],{"id":222},"the-photographer","The photographer",[10,225,226],{},"For coverage of a full day, expect to pay €1,200 to €2,500 as a rule, with differences depending on experience, hours of coverage, editing work, the number of photographers and what is delivered.",[10,228,229],{},"In Dordogne, the wedding prices advertised by listed photographers currently often start at around €1,200 to €1,800.",[10,231,232],{},"Two prices can only really be compared if the services behind them are comparable too. Six hours of coverage, a full day running into the evening and coverage that includes an album are not the same amount of work.",[10,234,235],{},"The hours spent at the wedding are only part of the job, too. Afterwards, the images still have to be selected, the files backed up, the colours worked on, the photographs retouched and the delivery prepared.",[10,237,238,239,244],{},"You can look at my ",[240,241,243],"a",{"href":242},"\u002Fen\u002Fphotography\u002Fwedding","wedding photography prices in Dordogne"," to see the different packages and what each one includes.",[165,246,248],{"id":247},"video","Video",[10,250,251],{},"A videographer usually charges €1,200 to €3,000, depending on hours of coverage, the number of camera operators, the length of the film and any aerial footage.",[10,253,254],{},"Photography and video tell the story of the day in different ways. A photographer delivers a series of images you can print and pass on. A videographer keeps the voices, the movement, the speeches and the sound of the day.",[165,256,258],{"id":257},"the-dj-or-musicians","The DJ or musicians",[10,260,261],{},"For a professional DJ, allow €900 to €1,800 as a rule. A package covering the ceremony, the drinks reception, the sound system, the lighting and the evening will naturally cost more than a set limited to the dance floor.",[10,263,264],{},"In Dordogne, the average price quoted for wedding music is currently close to €1,092.",[165,266,268],{"id":267},"flowers-and-decoration","Flowers and decoration",[10,270,271],{},"A bouquet and a few buttonholes are not the same work as a floral arch, arrangements for every table and a full installation at the venue.",[10,273,274],{},"Allow roughly:",[276,277,278,282,285],"ul",{},[279,280,281],"li",{},"€150 to €400 for very simple floral decoration;",[279,283,284],{},"€500 to €1,500 for the main spaces;",[279,286,287],{},"€2,000 and up for a large-scale floral design.",[10,289,290],{},"In Dordogne, the average amount spent on floral arrangements is estimated at €1,197.",[10,292,293],{},"Out-of-season flowers, hanging installations and large arrangements push the bill up quickly. On the other hand, working with local flowers and reusing arrangements from the ceremony at dinner helps keep costs down.",[165,295,297],{"id":296},"wedding-rings","Wedding rings",[10,299,300],{},"Wedding rings can cost €500 to €2,500 for the couple, depending on the metal, the width of the bands, whether there are stones and how they are made.",[10,302,303],{},"They are not always the largest item, but they are among the few parts of the wedding you will still be wearing every day years later.",[165,305,307],{"id":306},"hair-and-make-up","Hair and make-up",[10,309,310],{},"For hair, make-up and trials, allow €200 to €700 as a rule.",[10,312,313],{},"The stylist's travel, getting other people ready and a change of hairstyle during the day may be charged as extras.",[165,315,317],{"id":316},"stationery","Stationery",[10,319,320],{},"Invitations, envelopes, stamps, menus, place cards, the seating plan and thank-you cards often add up to €100 to €800.",[10,322,323],{},"Going digital cuts part of the cost, but printed pieces are still useful for everything that will be seen on the day.",[165,325,327],{"id":326},"the-cake","The cake",[10,329,330],{},"For a pièce montée (the traditional French tower of cream-filled choux buns), a wedding cake or a dessert table, allow around €5 to €12 per person.",[10,332,333],{},"Check whether dessert is already included in the caterer's quote before setting aside a separate budget.",[165,335,337],{"id":336},"the-wedding-planner","The wedding planner",[10,339,340],{},"Full planning, on-the-day coordination and lighter support are not the same service.",[10,342,343],{},"In Dordogne, a wedding planner's services most often cost between €1,500 and €2,800, with a reported average of €2,251.",[10,345,346],{},"It is an additional expense, but it can also help you avoid certain mistakes, negotiate sensible solutions and take a great deal of the mental load off your shoulders.",[32,348,350],{"id":349},"the-costs-everyone-forgets-in-the-first-spreadsheet","The costs everyone forgets in the first spreadsheet",[10,352,353],{},"A budget does not necessarily run over because of one huge surprise. More often it creeps over, one small item at a time.",[10,355,356],{},"Suppliers' meals, travel costs, dress alterations, accessories, stamps, gifts for the witnesses, the brunch the next day and overtime all seem modest on their own.",[10,358,359],{},"Added together, they can come to several thousand euros.",[10,361,362],{},"Remember to check as well:",[276,364,365,368,371,374,377,380,383,386,389,392],{},[279,366,367],{},"cleaning and restoring the venue afterwards;",[279,369,370],{},"hire of tables, chairs, tablecloths and decorative items;",[279,372,373],{},"delivery and set-up charges;",[279,375,376],{},"corkage;",[279,378,379],{},"electricity or heating;",[279,381,382],{},"beds for the two of you and your loved ones;",[279,384,385],{},"transport between the town hall (the French mairie, for the civil ceremony), the ceremony and the reception;",[279,387,388],{},"childcare;",[279,390,391],{},"any insurance you may be asked for;",[279,393,394],{},"extra charges after a set time.",[10,396,397],{},"Build in a margin of 10 to 15% from the outset. It is not only there in case something goes wrong. Above all, it saves you from giving up something important because several small costs have appeared along the way.",[32,399,401],{"id":400},"how-much-does-a-wedding-cost-in-dordogne","How much does a wedding cost in Dordogne?",[10,403,404],{},"Dordogne has a wide range of venues: village halls, restored barns, estates, manor houses and châteaux with accommodation.",[10,406,407],{},"The setting may seem more affordable than a big city, but venues with character and weddings spread over a whole weekend are still significant undertakings.",[10,409,410],{},"Here is an example of a wedding held at an estate, with professional suppliers and nothing especially lavish:",[46,412,413,423],{},[49,414,415],{},[52,416,417,420],{},[55,418,419],{},"Item",[55,421,422],{},"Budget",[68,424,425,433,441,448,456,464,472,480,486,493,501],{},[52,426,427,430],{},[73,428,429],{},"Reception venue",[73,431,432],{},"€6,100",[52,434,435,438],{},[73,436,437],{},"Caterer",[73,439,440],{},"€6,300",[52,442,443,445],{},[73,444,200],{},[73,446,447],{},"€1,500",[52,449,450,453],{},[73,451,452],{},"Photographer",[73,454,455],{},"€1,600",[52,457,458,461],{},[73,459,460],{},"DJ",[73,462,463],{},"€1,100",[52,465,466,469],{},[73,467,468],{},"Flowers",[73,470,471],{},"€1,200",[52,473,474,477],{},[73,475,476],{},"Outfits, alterations and beauty",[73,478,479],{},"€2,700",[52,481,482,484],{},[73,483,297],{},[73,485,471],{},[52,487,488,491],{},[73,489,490],{},"Stationery, decoration and cake",[73,492,455],{},[52,494,495,498],{},[73,496,497],{},"Travel, extras and contingency",[73,499,500],{},"€2,500",[52,502,503,509],{},[73,504,505],{},[506,507,508],"strong",{},"Estimated total",[73,510,511],{},[506,512,513],{},"€25,800",[10,515,516],{},"This example is neither a minimum nor an official average. It simply shows how a wedding for 100 people can reach around €25,000 without anything extravagant.",[10,518,519,520,524],{},"The \"Travel, extras and contingency\" line is sized for a wedding close to home. Coming from abroad, your flights and accommodation will probably cost more than that, so give them a budget of their own. My page on ",[240,521,523],{"href":522},"\u002Fen\u002Fdestination-wedding-dordogne","getting married in Dordogne from abroad"," may also help.",[32,526,528],{"id":527},"how-to-trim-your-budget-without-it-feeling-cut-back","How to trim your budget without it feeling cut back",[165,530,532],{"id":531},"invite-fewer-people-not-less-thoughtfully","Invite fewer people, not less thoughtfully",[10,534,535],{},"Taking twenty people off the list can save several thousand euros without changing the venue, the photos or the atmosphere of the day.",[10,537,538],{},"The question is not only \"who can we leave out?\", but rather \"who do we truly want to share this day with?\".",[165,540,542],{"id":541},"choose-your-three-priorities","Choose your three priorities",[10,544,545],{},"A budget becomes simpler once it serves clear choices.",[10,547,548],{},"For some couples, that will be the dinner, the photos and the venue. For others, the music, the flowers and the accommodation.",[10,550,551],{},"Not everything can come first. If you try to give every item exactly the same weight, you mostly risk spending a lot without being fully happy with any of it.",[165,553,555],{"id":554},"look-at-fridays-and-quieter-times-of-year","Look at Fridays and quieter times of year",[10,557,558],{},"A wedding on a Friday, in autumn or in early spring can open the door to venues and suppliers that are harder to book at the height of summer.",[10,560,561],{},"In Dordogne, estates are mainly booked in June, July and September, and the vast majority of weddings take place on a Saturday. Choosing another time of year can therefore make your search easier, although a lower price is never guaranteed.",[165,563,565],{"id":564},"hire-and-buy-second-hand","Hire and buy second-hand",[10,567,568],{},"Tableware, decorative pieces, accessories and some outfits don't need to be bought new.",[10,570,571],{},"Second-hand does not have to look any less elegant. Above all, it lets you put your budget into the things a lucky find cannot replace.",[165,573,575],{"id":574},"dont-mistake-diy-for-free","Don't mistake DIY for free",[10,577,578],{},"Making all the decorations yourselves can be expensive in materials, tools, trial runs and time.",[10,580,581],{},"DIY is worthwhile when you genuinely enjoy it. It is far less so when it turns the weeks before the wedding into a production line you never signed up for.",[165,583,585],{"id":584},"compare-what-is-offered-not-just-the-prices","Compare what is offered, not just the prices",[10,587,588],{},"Two quotes for €1,500 can cover very different things.",[10,590,591],{},"Look at the hours, travel, deliveries, options, overtime, insurance, cancellation terms and everything that will have to be paid for separately.",[10,593,594],{},"The cheapest price is only a saving if it genuinely matches what you need.",[32,596,598],{"id":597},"so-how-much-does-a-wedding-really-cost","So, how much does a wedding really cost?",[10,600,601],{},"A wedding can cost €5,000, €20,000 or €50,000. None of those amounts guarantees a more beautiful day than the others.",[10,603,604],{},"The right budget is not the one that looks like a national average. It is the one that doesn't put your finances under strain and leaves enough room for what matters most to you.",[10,606,607],{},"Start with the number of guests. Then add the essential costs, pick your priorities and keep a margin for everything the first spreadsheet could not foresee.",[10,609,610],{},"The rest comes down to choices.",[10,612,613],{},"And a wonderful wedding is not measured by the figure at the bottom of a spreadsheet.",[10,615,616],{},"Speaking for myself, if I had to choose, I would put the budget where things truly last: with the people you love most, in the rings you will wear every day, and in the photographs that will bring the day back long after it has passed.",[10,618,619],{},"The rest matters, of course. But those three things are often what we keep the longest.",{"title":621,"searchDepth":622,"depth":622,"links":623},"",2,[624,625,626,642,643,644,652],{"id":34,"depth":622,"text":35},{"id":146,"depth":622,"text":147},{"id":162,"depth":622,"text":163,"children":627},[628,630,631,632,633,634,635,636,637,638,639,640,641],{"id":167,"depth":629,"text":168},3,{"id":183,"depth":629,"text":184},{"id":199,"depth":629,"text":200},{"id":209,"depth":629,"text":210},{"id":222,"depth":629,"text":223},{"id":247,"depth":629,"text":248},{"id":257,"depth":629,"text":258},{"id":267,"depth":629,"text":268},{"id":296,"depth":629,"text":297},{"id":306,"depth":629,"text":307},{"id":316,"depth":629,"text":317},{"id":326,"depth":629,"text":327},{"id":336,"depth":629,"text":337},{"id":349,"depth":622,"text":350},{"id":400,"depth":622,"text":401},{"id":527,"depth":622,"text":528,"children":645},[646,647,648,649,650,651],{"id":531,"depth":629,"text":532},{"id":541,"depth":629,"text":542},{"id":554,"depth":629,"text":555},{"id":564,"depth":629,"text":565},{"id":574,"depth":629,"text":575},{"id":584,"depth":629,"text":585},{"id":597,"depth":622,"text":598},"Weddings","2026-08-06","md","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Fcombien-coute-un-mariage\u002Fcombien-coute-un-mariage-mobile.png",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-much-does-a-wedding-cost-in-france",{"title":5,"description":12},"How Much Does a Wedding Cost in France in 2026?","en\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-much-does-a-wedding-cost-in-france",[653,422,664,665],"2026","Dordogne","combien-coute-un-mariage","-jkiryRb_txNnm5y9VQUaVb1P3ujAe2R4whHLwL7mfQ",1790263277184]