Average wedding cost in Ireland (2026)

Saving for it

Most of the bill falls due in the last few months, when the venue balance and supplier final payments are paid, so the saving needs to start early. Setting aside the money in equal monthly amounts:

• The €34,650 average: about €2,890 a month over 12 months, €1,930 over 18 months or €1,440 over 24 months.
• A 100-guest wedding (€26,390): about €2,200 a month over 12 months or €1,100 over 24 months.

Venue deposits are usually paid a year or more ahead, so a longer engagement mostly buys time to save rather than lowering the total.

Questions to ask every venue

• What is in the per-head price? Drinks reception, wine with the meal, evening food and the cake cutting are often priced separately.
• Is there a minimum number of guests, and what do you pay if you fall below it?
• Can you bring your own wine, and what is the corkage charge?
• When are the deposit and the balance due, and what happens to the deposit if you move or cancel the date?
• Are there accommodation blocks for guests, and is a minimum number of rooms required?
• Are you tied to their suppliers (band, florist, photographer), or free to choose your own?
• When are final numbers due, and can they still go down after that date?

Dublin costs more

Our regional estimates, applied in the calculator: Dublin about +20%, Leinster (excl. Dublin) about +5%, Munster about -5%, Connacht / Ulster about -10% against the national average. These are our estimates, not survey figures.

The legal side

• Three months’ notice to a Registrar, in person, before the ceremony.
• A registered solemniser must conduct the ceremony, at a venue approved for it.
• After marrying you can choose joint assessment for income tax, and gifts and inheritances between spouses are free of capital acquisitions tax.

Run your own numbers in the Irish wedding cost calculator, or compare countries in wedding cost by country.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the average wedding cost in Ireland?
€34,392, according to the weddingsonline.ie Irish Wedding Survey 2025 (the latest edition), up 3.96% on the year before, with 154 guests on average. That is about €230 per guest.

How much is a wedding meal per head in Ireland?
The survey puts the average meal at €93 per guest. Drinks receptions, evening food and wine are usually extra, so the full catering cost per head is higher.

How much does a wedding for 100 guests cost in Ireland?
About €26,390 on our model: the survey average, less the venue, meal, stationery and favours for the 54 guests you are not inviting. Photography, music, outfits and fees stay much the same.

How much notice do you need to get married in Ireland?
You must give three months’ notice in person to a Registrar before the ceremony, and a registered solemniser must conduct it at an approved venue.

Sources

• weddingsonline.ie Irish Wedding Survey 2025: €34,392 average, up 3.96%, 154 guests, €93 meal per guest (latest edition, checked 8 November 2026)

General information, not advice. Category split, guest-count savings and regional differences are our own estimates from the survey average.