From opulent local ceremonies to jet-setting destination weddings, the world of luxury weddings is always enticing. But, how much does a luxury wedding cost and what can you expect for your money?
The costs below are based on research by luxury wedding planners Matthew Oliver Weddings, who have over 15 years’ experience planning high-end weddings around the world.
What is a Luxury Wedding?
A luxury wedding is one with exceptionally high levels of quality, with thoughtful and detailed planning going into every element of the couples’ special day.
Whether that’s through artistic dinner settings, world-class dining or spectacular entertainment, a luxury wedding is one that exceeds expectations and creates a truly unforgettable experience for both the couple and the guests.
What is the Price Range for a Luxury Wedding?
Luxury weddings typically cost between $100,000 to $500,000 although more lavish affairs can stretch to over $1 million. Another important consideration is the cost per guest – fewer guests with a smaller budget could still be considered luxury as the costs are spread across the attendees.
A good rule of thumb would be $1,500 - $2,000 per guest to be considered luxury, for example a $50,000 budget for 30 guests could still be considered a luxury wedding.
We have tried to break down typical costs below as a percentage of the overall budget. Of course, these can vary greatly depending on how much importance the couple wants to put on certain elements, but hopefully this gives you a good overview of the typical costs involved:
| Cost | % of Budget |
|---|---|
| Venue and Catering | 30 - 40% |
| Decor and Flowers | 10 - 20% |
| Wedding Planner | 10 - 20% |
| Attire and Jewelry | 10 - 15% |
| Photography and Videography | 5 - 10% |
| Entertainment | 5 - 10% |
| Accommodation & Travel* | 5 - 30% |
*Expect higher % costs for a destination wedding
How about Getting Married Abroad? Luxury Destination Wedding Costs
If you are looking to have a destination wedding (get married in another country), it’s possible your costs will increase – although this varies greatly depending on the country you plan to get married in.
A wedding in the Maldives, for example, can range from $300,000 to over $1 million. European destinations like Tuscany or the French Riviera also command high prices due to their popularity and service costs.
Lesser-known wedding destinations can be much lower, but you can still expect higher accommodation and travel costs than a local wedding.
Booking entire hotels or resorts for privacy and exclusivity, along with travel costs for the couple, family, and sometimes guests, adds substantially to the budget.
With these increased costs you either need to reduce the budget elsewhere in your wedding or choose a wedding destination with lower costs than your home country to maximise this.
How Much does a Luxury Wedding Planner Cost?
Luxury wedding planners usually command a percentage of the total wedding cost – anywhere between 10 and 20%. For this fee, you can expect a much higher level of involvement than a traditional wedding planner; including event design, budgeting as well as extra special unique touches that come from their expertise of planning luxury weddings.
The luxury planner will also have a network of high-end suppliers to ensure that every aspect of the wedding reaches the same exacting standards. This network is not something that comes overnight so it’s important to look for a planner with several years planning weddings in your chosen destination.
Confused by Luxury Wedding Costs? We Can Help!
Luxury weddings, whether destination or local, are about creating unforgettable experiences, which obviously leads to a higher price tag.
If you are unsure about the costs involved, get in touch with the wedding planning team at Matthew Oliver Weddings. Having planned hundreds of high-end weddings all around the world, we can use our depth of planning expertise to outline example costs.
Get in touch with our friendly team of wedding planners today!
