--- title: "Average Wedding Cost in Ireland 2026: €34,392, and Per Guest" url: https://decisionscalc.com/articles/wedding-cost-ireland/ description: "The average Irish wedding costs €34,392 for 154 guests (weddingsonline.ie 2025), about €230 per guest. Where the money goes, the cost for 100 or 120 guests, and the levers that cut it." updated: 2026-11-08 publisher: DecisionsCalc note: General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures name their source and the date they were read. --- Family · Ireland # Average wedding cost in Ireland (2026) **The average Irish wedding costs €34,392**, according to the weddingsonline.ie Irish Wedding Survey 2025, the latest edition, up 3.96% on the year before. The average guest list is **154**, so that is about **€230 per guest**, and the average meal alone is **€93 a head**. ## Where the money goes Our split of the survey average across the main costs, the same model as our calculator and planner: | Cost | Per guest | For 154 guests | | --- | --- | --- | | Venue | €50 | €7,240 | | Meal and drinks | €90 | €14,320 | | Photography and video | €20 | €3,390 | | Band or DJ | €10 | €2,160 | | Flowers and decor | €20 | €2,460 | | Dress, suit, hair and make-up | €10 | €2,160 | | Stationery | €0 | €620 | | Ceremony and legal fees | €0 | €310 | | Transport | €0 | €620 | | Favours and extras | €10 | €1,390 | | **Total** | **€230** | **€34,650** | ** Rounded to the nearest €10. The total is the survey average; the split by category is our model. ## What a smaller guest list saves Venue, meal, stationery and favours scale with headcount; photography, music, outfits and fees barely move. So cutting the list saves less than the per-guest average suggests: - **120 guests:** about €29,450 - **100 guests:** about €26,390 - **80 guests:** about €23,330 ## A 100-guest wedding, line by line The same model at 100 guests: the per-head lines (venue, meal, stationery, favours) fall with the guest list, while photography, music, outfits, flowers, transport and fees are held at the 154-guest average because they barely depend on numbers. | Cost | 100 guests | | --- | --- | | Venue | €4,700 | | Meal and drinks | €9,300 | | Photography and video | €3,390 | | Band or DJ | €2,160 | | Flowers and decor | €2,460 | | Dress, suit, hair and make-up | €2,160 | | Stationery | €400 | | Ceremony and legal fees | €310 | | Transport | €620 | | Favours and extras | €900 | | **Total** | **€26,390** | ** ## 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. Our planner [Wedding Budget Planner](https://decisionscalc.com/wedding-budget-planner/) Your Irish wedding budget pre-filled with these averages, with a payment schedule, quote tracker, guest list and a dated checklist that includes the three-month notice. US$15 one-time · Excel and Google Sheets · US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and Switzerland editions [See inside the planner →](https://decisionscalc.com/wedding-budget-planner/) Run your own numbers in the [Irish wedding cost calculator](https://decisionscalc.com/ie/tools/wedding-cost-calculator/), or compare countries in [wedding cost by country](https://decisionscalc.com/articles/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](https://www.weddingsonline.ie/blog/weddings-cost-3-96-more-this-year-according-to-new-irish-wedding-survey/): €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. **** DecisionsCalc An independent publisher with no advertisers or sponsors. Every figure is traced to an official source and dated, and an automated check flags figures that are due for review. See [how we research and check](https://decisionscalc.com/editorial-standards/) and our [methodology](https://decisionscalc.com/methodology/). Spotted a mistake? [Tell us](https://decisionscalc.com/about/#contact). Cite this article DecisionsCalc. (2026). Average Wedding Cost in Ireland 2026: €34,392, and Per Guest. DecisionsCalc. https://decisionscalc.com/articles/wedding-cost-ireland/ Share this guide: 𝕏 Twitter LinkedIn ## More guides like this ## Get an email when Irish rules change Tax bands, allowances and benefit rates change every year. We email you when a rule our Irish calculators use changes, usually a few times a year. Confirm by email; unsubscribe in one click. 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