It's wedding season — and maybe you're just engaged or are already in the middle of wedding planning? Congratulations! A wedding is a wonderful event — but also one that can quickly cost money.

In Germany, the average cost of a wedding is loud Bridebook Wedding Report 2025 at around 15,700€. This makes it clear that a well-thought-out wedding budget is essential — regardless of whether you want to celebrate large or small.

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Calculate your wedding budget correctly — and stick to

Before you dive into the details of wedding planning, you should set a realistic budget for your wedding. A wedding budget calculator or our free template for budget planning your wedding will help you with this (download at the end of the article).

Ask yourself:

• How much wedding budget can and do we want to spend?
• Which costs are particularly important to us?
• Where can we save money?

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How much does a wedding cost? An overview of the biggest cost points

Here are the most important expenses for a wedding — including rough averages from 2024:

• Location: Ø 2.500 — 10.000€
• Catering (per person): ø50-150 €
• Photographer: Ø 1,000 — 3,000€
• Wedding dress & suit: Ø 500 — 3.000€
• Flowers & decoration: Ø 500 — 2.000€
• Wedding cake: Ø 200 — 600€
• Styling & makeup: Ø 200 — 500€
• DJ/music: Ø 500 — 2.000€
• Stationery & gifts: Ø 100 — 500€
• Wedding car: Ø 200 — 500€

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How much does YOUR wedding cost?

But much more important than averages is the question: What does your wedding really cost? Because every marriage is as individual as the couple themselves. Maybe you're dreaming of a small garden wedding or a big party with live band — so decide for yourself which costs are a priority for you.

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Wedding savings tips: How to cleverly reduce your wedding costs

Yes, you can also celebrate romantically and stylishly — without breaking the bank. Here are a few practical saving tips:

• Flexibility when it comes to appointments: Partying during the week or in off-season often makes it cheaper.
• Shorten the guest list: Fewer guests mean less costs for food, seating and decoration.
• Do it yourself (DIY): Stationery, decoration, party gifts — many things can be made by yourself with a little creativity and are therefore easy on the budget.
• Second-hand or rental clothes: Sustainable and budget-friendly.
• Compare offers: Get multiple offers — for everything.
• Camouflage instead of paying the wedding fee: For example, prefer to order “birthday arrangements” from the florist — wedding flowers are often more expensive, even with the same composition. Of course, you have to consider whether you want or need to communicate that it is a wedding after all.

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Financing a wedding: What to do if the budget is not enough?

Many couples want gifts of money at the wedding to cover the costs — completely legitimate.

But: If the budget is still not enough, you can also ask the family for support. However, care should be taken when it comes to real financing à la personal loans. Although there are now even wedding loan comparisons or tools to calculate your credit burden — but: Don't get into debt for the best day of your life.

A loan should only be considered in exceptional cases and after careful consideration. Pay attention to reputable providers and honestly calculate what you can afford.

Cancellation insurance: security in case of plan changes

Sudden cancellations, illness, or other unforeseeable events? In such cases, wedding cancellation insurance can protect you financially. Depending on the provider, this covers cancellation costs for location, service providers and other booked services. Take your individual situation into account here and consider whether taking out such insurance might make sense.

Conclusion: Plan a wedding with a cool head and a warm heart

Whether you spend 5,000€ or 25,000€ — it is crucial that you have your wedding budget under control and set priorities correctly. This allows you to enjoy your big day without taking over financially.

And one good thing about all financial planning: If finances haven't been an issue in the relationship yet — which they definitely should be — now is at least the perfect opportunity to catch up. Because marriage not only includes saying yes, but also honest conversations about money, goals and the future.

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Do you need support?

To plan your wedding budget, you can use our free template download.

If you want to find out more about relationship finances, marriage, marriage contracts, security and wealth creation, simply use our app.

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