In short: there is no neutral ranking of Europe’s wedding costs, and the sources we found differ in method, year and guest count, so use them as ranges, not averages. Where a source gives a figure for about 50 guests, a destination wedding runs from €15,000 to €35,000 in Croatia and €20,000 to €45,000 in Portugal up to €45,000 to €80,000 in Tuscany. The sources point to Portugal, Croatia and the Greek islands outside Santorini and Mykonos as the cheaper end, and Italy and France as the dearer end. Guest count moves the bill more than the country does.
Destination wedding in Europe: what it costs by country
As of November 2026, here is one sourced range per country. Six of the seven sources are businesses describing their own market (planners, vendor platforms, a photographer); one is a survey of couples. None uses the same method, guest count or inclusions, so the rows are not directly comparable. We show who said it, when, and for how many guests.
| Country | Range (EUR) | Guests | Source, date, type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 15,000 to 35,000 | 50 to 60 | BeachBride, May 2026, referral and affiliate site, mid-range |
| Portugal | 20,000 to 45,000 | about 50 | Zankyou, February 2026, wedding platform |
| Greece | 20,000 to 30,000 | not stated | EasyWedding, November 2025, vendor platform, mid-range |
| Spain | 25,183 average | 123 on average | Bodas.net 2026 report via Euronews (June 2026): survey of 2,000+ couples married in 2025, not of destination weddings |
| France | 25,000 to 55,000 rural; 80,000 to 200,000+ Provence | 80 | French Wedding Style, April 2026, destination platform |
| Italy (Tuscany) | 45,000 to 80,000 | 50 | A Tuscany photographer’s guide, undated (© 2026), medium tier |
| Austria | no total found | none | Only legal fees: about €500 to €650 per the tourist board |
The Spain row is the odd one out: it is the only survey, it counts weddings of all kinds in Spain, and it is an average for 123 guests, so do not set it beside the 50-guest ranges. The same Euronews article reports a second survey, by Raisin, at €32,355 for 108 guests on average, which shows how much two surveys of one country can differ.
For a second view on three places from one publisher, BeachBride compares 100-guest budgets: Croatia €25,000 to €55,000, Santorini €30,000 to €70,000 and Amalfi or Tuscany €40,000 to €100,000+. BeachBride is a referral and affiliate service and it markets Croatia, so read its ranking with that in mind.
Nacho & Bea · Mallorca · see the full wedding →Cheapest country to get married in Europe
If you want the lowest bill, the evidence points in a direction but does not crown a winner:
- Portugal starts low in Zankyou’s guide, but its 50-guest range of €20,000 to €45,000 overlaps with Croatia’s.
- Croatia is described by BeachBride as roughly 30% to 50% cheaper than France or Italy for similar quality. Treat that as a marketing claim.
- Greece is cheaper off the two famous islands. EasyWedding puts Crete, Naxos and Paros venues at €2,000 to €5,000, against about €10,000 a day on Santorini.
- Italy and France sit at the top of every source, except when you choose rural regions: French Wedding Style gives €25,000 to €55,000 for 80 guests in the Gers, Lot, Corrèze and Creuse.
We did not find sourced wedding costs for Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary or Montenegro, so we will not rank them. Ask planners there for written quotes.
What a wedding costs per person
Per-guest catering figures are the easiest line to compare. We multiplied each range by 50 guests (our sum, an estimate, food only unless the source says otherwise).
| Country | Catering per head | For 50 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Greece | €60 to €150 | €3,000 to €7,500 |
| Portugal | €85 to €250 | €4,250 to €12,500 |
| France | €100 to €280 before drinks | €5,000 to €14,000 |
| Croatia | €110 to €300 | €5,500 to €15,000 |
| Italy | €150 to €300 | €7,500 to €15,000 |
| Spain | €120 to €500 | €6,000 to €25,000 |
Sources: EasyWedding (Greece, drinks extra), Zankyou (Portugal), French Wedding Style (France, by region), BeachBride (Croatia), a Tuscany photographer’s guide (Italy) and Spain4Weddings, a planning company (Spain, from a fully inclusive menu to a tasting experience). Spain’s top end is a tasting menu, which is why the range is so wide. For the all-in per-guest cost, the Tuscany guide uses €800 to €1,200 and Euronews quotes an average of €225 per guest in Spain without naming a survey. These two numbers are far apart because one includes everything and the other does not.
If you wonder what this is in US dollars: we do not convert, because rates move. Multiply the euro figure by today’s rate.
Europe wedding venues and packages with prices
Venue prices are where countries differ most, and the sources describe venues, not packages.
- Croatia: €2,000 to €10,000 for rental per BeachBride.
- Portugal: rustic or vineyard €3,000 to €7,000, beachfront €5,000 to €12,000, resort €7,000 to €15,000, castle or palace €10,000 to €20,000 per Zankyou.
- Greece: Crete, Naxos or Paros €2,000 to €5,000; Santorini from about €10,000 a day per EasyWedding.
- Spain: from around €1,000 to €20,000 a day per Spain4Weddings.
- France: weekend venue fees from €2,000 to €8,000 in the Gers, Lot, Corrèze and Creuse, up to €15,000 to €45,000 in Provence per French Wedding Style.
- Italy (Tuscany): agriturismo €3,000 to €7,000 a night, castle one-day rental €12,000 to €18,000 per the Tuscany guide.
A cheaper entry is possible: a January 2026 article on FXCompared lists Spanish venues from €3,000 in Catalonia, taken from third-party listings. That is a starting price, not a wedding.
All-inclusive packages across Europe
A package is one fixed price with a guest limit. The cheapest we can document are ceremony-only packages: Weddings Abroad Guide lists €900 for Greece, €1,400 for Austria and €2,400 for Italy for 2026, described as starting estimates for ceremony-only packages that typically cover venue, officiant and paperwork guidance, with legal documents and the reception extra. Full-day wedding packages vary too much to compare. Always ask what the guest limit is, whether the couple counts as guests, and what happens above the limit. Our guide to micro weddings in Europe covers small groups, where a package can work out cheaper than building the day line by line.
Why the sources disagree
Four things explain most of the gaps. First, guest count: a 50-guest and a 123-guest wedding cannot be compared. Second, what is counted: some figures include the venue and food only, others add flowers, music, photo and film, and a few add guests’ hotels. Third, who is speaking: planners, venues and affiliate sites sell weddings, so their ranges describe what they sell, while the Bodas.net figure comes from a survey of couples. Fourth, the year: the Greek guide is from November 2025, the Tuscany guide carries no date, and the rest are from 2026. When two sources for the same country disagree, trust the one that tells you what is included.
Edward & Rachel · Bordeaux · see the full wedding →Taxes and fees people forget
- VAT everywhere: standard rates are 25% in Croatia, 24% in Greece, 23% in Portugal, 22% in Italy, 21% in Spain and 20% in France and Austria, per the European Commission’s Your Europe VAT table (checked July 2026). Reduced rates apply to some services, so ask whether each quote includes VAT.
- Italy: the Tuscany guide says 10% VAT applies to food and venue rental, and the SIAE music licence is €268 to €574.
- Croatia: BeachBride notes that not every vendor charges VAT. The registry fee is €27.87 per the gov.hr marriage page.
- Greece: licences, translations and administration are €500 to €1,500 per EasyWedding.
- Austria: the official portal lists €74 for the eligibility procedure and €193 for foreign documents.
For other countries, ask the registry or town hall for current fees. Our guide to where foreigners can legally marry in Europe covers the paperwork by country.
compare countries on the same guest count and the same inclusions. A 50-guest wedding in a rural region of a dear country can cost less than 100 guests in a cheap one.
Photo and film: our prices are the same everywhere
We work across Europe with one price list. Photography and film packages from €1,390, with no extra travel fees, so a Greek island and an Austrian lake cost the same. Photo and film are priced equally and separately:
| Coverage | Photo or film | Photo + film |
|---|---|---|
| 5 hours | €1,390 | €2,780 |
| 6 hours | €1,590 | €3,180 |
| 7 hours | €1,790 | €3,580 |
| 8 hours | €1,990 | €3,980 |
| Full day, no time limit | €2,190 | €4,380 |
For comparison, EasyWedding lists Greek photographers and videographers at €1,500 to €3,500 each, Zankyou lists Portuguese photo and video at €1,600 to €5,000, and BeachBride lists Croatian full-day photography at €2,500 to €10,000. See our Europe photographer cost guide for what changes the price.
Wedding ideas on a budget, and winter weddings
Four levers beat any country choice:
- Cut the guest list. Catering is per head; BeachBride quotes €4,000 to €11,000 of extra catering for 20 more guests.
- Pick a rural region or a lesser-known island. French Wedding Style and EasyWedding both show the gap.
- Choose a weekday or shoulder month. BeachBride’s package guide mentions Saturday and public-holiday surcharges in Croatia. Our guide to the best time to marry in Europe shows the months.
- Marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony abroad. Read symbolic versus legal.
We found no sourced price list for winter packages in Europe, so we will not quote one. Ask venues for off-season quotes next to their July price.
Kyrisma & Benjamin · Positano · see the full wedding →The easiest place to get married
Legally, Austria is simple on paper: the tourist board says you can marry there without a place of residence, and oesterreich.gv.at says there is no minimum waiting period. Croatia asks you to contact the registry three months ahead per the foreign ministry. For same-sex couples, Austria has allowed marriage since 1 January 2019 per the portal, while Croatia offers same-sex couples a life partnership, not marriage, per gov.hr. We did not research the other countries here, so use the legal guide linked above. For one country in depth, read our guide to Croatia costs.
ask for two written quotes in two countries, with the same guest count, and compare the totals after tax. Averages will not tell you what your wedding costs.
FAQ: Europe wedding costs
How much does a wedding in Europe cost?
For about 50 guests, the sources range from €15,000 to €35,000 (Croatia) to €45,000 to €80,000 (Tuscany). These are business estimates, not statistics.
What is the average destination wedding cost?
We found no average for destination weddings in Europe that we could trace to its original survey, so we do not quote one. The only survey average in the table is Spain’s €25,183, which covers weddings of all kinds there. Use the country ranges.
What is the cheapest place to get married in Europe?
No source ranks all countries fairly. Portugal, Croatia and the Greek islands other than Santorini and Mykonos come out low in the sources above.
Are there affordable Europe wedding venues?
Yes. Rural France, Crete or Naxos, and Spanish country venues listed from €3,000 show lower venue fees, as listed above.
How much does a wedding in Europe cost in USD?
Multiply the euro numbers by today’s exchange rate. Every figure on this page is in euros.
Are there Europe villa wedding packages?
Yes, but we found no sourced villa package prices to compare. Ask for a written list of inclusions.
What is the best place to get married in Europe?
It depends on date, guests and budget. Use the table for cost, and ask us which of these places we photograph most often.
Related guides. Budgets for single regions: the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como, Tuscany, Mallorca and Santorini.
Planning yours?
We document rather than stage. Photography and film packages from €1,390, with no extra travel fees. Book any package and change it later; what matters is locking the date with a 20% deposit. Check your date (we reply within 24 hours) and see prices and the calculator.