Is It Cheaper to Get Married in Greece Than the UK? Greece vs UK Wedding Costs Compared
If you've fallen in love with the idea of a Greek destination wedding but assumed getting married abroad must cost more than getting married in England, you might be surprised.
The quick answer
Yes, getting married in Greece can be cheaper than holding a comparable wedding in the UK, particularly when you consider what your total budget buys and combine your wedding with your holiday or honeymoon.
But Greece isn't automatically cheaper.
Guest numbers, venue, destination, styling and the kind of wedding you're creating make an enormous difference in both countries.
I've been planning weddings in Greece through Greek Dream Planners since 2016, and I believe the fairest way to compare them isn't simply to ask:
"Which wedding is cheaper?"
Instead ask:
"What experience does the same amount of money create?"
Let's compare them.
How Much Does the Average UK Wedding Cost in 2026?
According to Bridebook's 2026 UK Wedding Report, based on data from more than 7,000 couples, the average UK wedding costs £20,604.
That figure covers the wedding itself and excludes the engagement ring and honeymoon.
Venue and catering account for approximately 51% of the average wedding budget.
The national average also hides enormous regional differences.
For example, Bridebook reports an average 2026 wedding cost of approximately:
£26,986 in London
£22,637 in South East England
£18,769 in Yorkshire and the Humber
£17,981 in the East Midlands
£17,342 in North West England
So just like Greece, where you choose to marry makes a substantial difference.
What Does a 50–70 Guest Wedding Cost in the UK?
This is where the comparison becomes more useful.
Bridebook's 2026 data shows an average total spend of approximately:
Wedding size | Average UK wedding spend |
50 guests | £15,162 |
70 guests | £21,791 |
100 guests | £22,510 |
The average UK wedding cost per guest is approximately £278, although the per-person cost can actually increase for smaller weddings.
These are averages, not quotations, but they give us something useful to compare with a real Greek wedding.
What Does a 60–70 Guest Villa Wedding in Greece Cost?
Rather than comparing the UK figures with another internet average, let's use a real Greek Dream Planners wedding.
One of our couples planned a villa wedding in Zakynthos for approximately 60–70 guests in June 2026.
Their working wedding budget was approximately £20,000 before certain personal items and additional styling costs.
Some of their actual costs included:
Wedding element | Greece |
Villa / venue | €9,820 / approx. £8,445 |
Catering, canapés and equipment | €2,200 / approx. £1,892 |
Evening bar | €2,000 / approx. £1,720 |
DJ | €500 / approx. £430 |
Cake | €350 / approx. £301 |
Celebrant | €450 / approx. £387 |
Hair and make-up | €800 / approx. £688 |
Guest transport | €650–€1,200 / approx. £559–£1,032 |
Photography/videography | approx. £2,000 |
The combined villa, food, drinks, cake and DJ came to approximately €15,320 (£13,175).
That's real-world Greek Dream Planners data, not a hypothetical wedding calculator.
Greece vs UK Wedding Costs: A 60–70 Guest Comparison
This is where we need to be careful.
It wouldn't be accurate to take one Greek wedding and claim that every comparable UK wedding will cost more.
What we can do is put our real Greek wedding alongside current UK market data.
A 70-guest UK wedding averages approximately £21,791 according to Bridebook's 2026 data.
Our real 60–70 guest Greek villa wedding had a working budget of approximately £20,000 before certain personal items and additional styling costs.
On wedding-day costs alone, therefore, the figures can be surprisingly close.
But that's only half the comparison.
Because now we need to talk about the holiday.
Wedding Plus Honeymoon: Where Greece Becomes Really Interesting
The average UK wedding figure of £20,604 doesn't include the honeymoon.
Bridebook's 2026 honeymoon research puts average UK honeymoon spending at approximately £5,833.
That means a couple spending around the UK average on both could potentially be looking at approximately:
£20,604 wedding + £5,833 honeymoon = £26,437
before considering the engagement ring.
With a Greek destination wedding, your wedding and holiday can happen in the same destination.
You can arrive several days before the wedding.
Spend time around the pool.
Go to the beach.
Eat in Greek tavernas.
Explore the island.
Welcome your friends and family.
Celebrate your wedding.
Wake up the next morning already somewhere beautiful.
And stay for another week if you want to.
Your holiday isn't free, of course.
But you're no longer necessarily paying for one destination for the wedding and then immediately paying for a second destination for your honeymoon.
Can Your Greek Wedding Venue Also Be Your Holiday Accommodation?
Sometimes, yes.
And this can completely change how you look at the numbers.
A private villa may potentially become:
your accommodation + wedding venue + preparation location + holiday base.
Instead of paying for a wedding venue for one day and then paying separately for accommodation, one property can potentially serve several purposes.
That doesn't mean every villa is economical.
Some have significant event fees, minimum stays, noise restrictions or supplier requirements.
The important thing is to compare the total value, not simply the headline venue price.
What Does £25,000 Buy You: Greece vs England?
Imagine two couples.
Both have approximately £25,000 available.
Both want around 60 guests.
Both want beautiful surroundings, wonderful food, drinks, flowers, photography and a brilliant party.
Couple One: Wedding in England
Their budget may need to cover:
Venue
Ceremony
Catering
Drinks
Photography/videography
Flowers
Entertainment
Cake
Hair and make-up
Transport
Planning or coordination
Accommodation where required
Then the wedding ends.
If they want a honeymoon afterwards, that is another budget.
Couple Two: Wedding in Greece
Their budget covers many of the same elements:
Venue
Ceremony
Catering
Drinks
Photography/videography
Flowers
Entertainment
Cake
Hair and make-up
Wedding planner
Transport
But the couple may already be staying in their wedding destination.
The days surrounding their wedding become part of the experience.
The difference isn't simply the price of the wedding day. It's what the total spend creates.
Are Wedding Venues Cheaper in Greece Than the UK?
Sometimes, but not always.
The average UK wedding venue cost excluding catering is approximately £6,040 in 2026.
Our real Zakynthos villa example cost approximately €9,820 (£8,445).
So on headline price alone, the Greek venue wasn't cheaper.
But that's exactly why comparing headline prices can be misleading.
A Greek villa may include accommodation or facilities that a one-day UK venue doesn't.
Conversely, a UK wedding venue may include furniture, staffing or services that need to be hired separately in Greece.
Always ask:
What exactly am I receiving for this price?
Are Food and Drinks Cheaper for a Wedding in Greece?
This is one of the areas where Greece can offer very attractive value.
In our real villa example:
Catering and equipment: approximately €2,200 (£1,892)
Evening bar: approximately €2,000 (£1,720)
UK venue and catering together account for more than half of the average UK wedding budget.
But again, packages vary enormously.
The best comparison is always a like-for-like quotation based on the same guest count and level of service.
Does a Destination Wedding Mean Paying for Your Guests?
Usually, no.
Guests normally pay for their own:
Flights
Accommodation
Travel insurance
Personal holiday spending
You should never assume everyone will be able to attend, which is why giving guests plenty of notice is important.
But many guests choose to turn a destination wedding into their own holiday.
And something lovely happens as a result.
Instead of seeing everybody for six or eight hours on the wedding day, families and friends spend several days together.
People meet around the pool.
They go for meals.
They visit beaches.
They explore.
By the time the wedding day arrives, everyone has already shared experiences together.
Can a Destination Wedding Reduce Your Guest List?
Often, yes.
Destination weddings naturally create more intentional guest lists.
Instead of inviting people because you feel you "should", you may find yourselves asking:
Who do we genuinely want beside us when we get married?
Reducing a wedding from 100 guests to 60 doesn't simply remove 40 meals.
It can reduce:
Drinks
Tables and chairs
Flowers
Centrepieces
Favours
Stationery
Transport
Staffing
Tableware
Venue requirements
That can allow you to invest more in the experience you're creating for the people who are there.
What About the Cost of Legally Getting Married in Greece?
If your Greek wedding is also your legal civil marriage, you'll need to budget for the required documentation and Greek legal process.
For British couples, that can include:
Certificates of No Impediment
Apostilles
Official Greek translations
Town hall fees
Registration/certificate costs
A standard UK paper Apostille currently costs £45 per document plus return postage, while official Greek translations may cost approximately €35–€50 (£30–£43) per document.
Some couples instead legally marry in England and have a symbolic ceremony in Greece.
That can considerably simplify the Greek paperwork.
I've broken down legal wedding costs, supplier prices and planning fees in my complete guide:
How Much Does a Wedding in Greece Cost? A Realistic Guide for 2027, 2028 & 2029
How Much Does a Greece Wedding Planner Cost?
My current Greek Dream Planners Full Wedding Planning Service is £5,500.
And importantly:
My travel and accommodation for your wedding are included in that £5,500 fee.
You're therefore not budgeting for an unexpected planner flight or hotel bill on top of my planning fee.
I help you plan and manage the wedding from the initial ideas through to the wedding day, including venues, suppliers, budgets, styling, timelines, legal-document guidance and wedding-day coordination.
So, Is It Actually Cheaper to Get Married in Greece Than England?
The answer: it can be.
Our real-world numbers show that a 60–70 guest villa wedding in Greece can sit within a similar range to current UK wedding averages.
But the biggest potential value becomes visible when you stop comparing one wedding day with another wedding day.
Instead compare:
Wedding + accommodation + holiday/honeymoon + overall experience.
A UK couple spending the 2026 average of £20,604 on their wedding and the current average of approximately £5,833 on their honeymoon is potentially spending around £26,437 across the two experiences.
A destination wedding in Greece can bring those experiences together.
And for me, that's the real comparison.
Not:
"Where can we have the cheapest wedding?"
But:
"Where will our money create the experience we actually want?"
Frequently Asked Questions: Greece vs UK Wedding Costs
Is Greece cheaper than the UK for a wedding?
It can be, especially when food, drinks, accommodation and the couple's holiday are considered together. However, premium Greek venues and luxury weddings can cost considerably more, so there isn't a universal rule.
How much does a 60-person wedding in Greece cost?
Approximately €25,000–€40,000 (£21,500–£34,400) is a useful planning range for many 50–70 guest weddings, depending on destination, venue and styling. A real Greek Dream Planners 60–70 guest villa wedding in 2026 had a working budget of around £20,000 before certain personal items and additional styling costs.
How much does a 70-person wedding cost in the UK?
Bridebook's 2026 data puts average spending for a 70-guest UK wedding at approximately £21,791.
Is a destination wedding cheaper if you include the honeymoon?
It can be. The average UK honeymoon currently costs around £5,833 on top of the wedding. A Greek destination wedding allows couples to combine their wedding location and holiday destination, although flights, accommodation and holiday spending still need to be budgeted.
Do couples pay for their guests to attend a destination wedding?
Usually not. Guests normally pay for their own flights and accommodation, although couples may choose to contribute towards particular guests or events.
Is it cheaper to have a symbolic wedding in Greece?
A symbolic ceremony generally has fewer legal-administration costs in Greece because the couple completes their legal marriage in the UK first.
Wedding Day or Wedding Experience?
A beautiful wedding in England can be absolutely perfect for the right couple.
And a Greek destination wedding won't be right for everyone.
But if you're imagining sunshine, warm evenings, dinner outside, your closest people around you and several days together rather than a celebration lasting only one day, Greece offers something very special.
Your wedding can become part of your holiday.
Your guests can turn the journey into theirs.
And instead of waking up the morning after your wedding thinking, "How did it go so quickly?", you can wake up in Greece knowing the experience isn't over yet.
Greek Dream Planners has been planning destination weddings in Greece since 2016.
If you're considering getting married in Greece in 2027, 2028 or 2029, get in touch and let's look at what your budget could realistically create.
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