How much does a wedding in France cost?
A wedding in France costs, in most cases, between €17,000–31,500. Per guest that works out at somewhere between €170–315.
The range is wide on purpose, because what drives the total is not the country — it is how many people you invite, in which region, and at what time of year.
These are the figures that come up most often in industry surveys and in what couples report after the fact. They are not an official average: use them to tell whether you are in normal territory, not to build your budget.
What each part costs
The lines that appear in nearly every quote:
| Line | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Venue hire | €3,400–10,000 |
| Catering, per head | €90–170 per head |
| Photography | €2,000–4,500 |
| Film | €1,700–3,900 |
| Flowers and styling | €1,700–5,000 |
| Music (DJ or band) | €1,000–3,400 |
| Dress | €1,350–3,900 |
| Suit | €560–1,700 |
| Rings | €900–2,800 |
| Stationery | €450–1,350 |
In France the domaine and the traiteur are almost always booked separately. The venue hire comes on its own, and the food is a separate invoice — do not compare a French quote with a Portuguese one without checking this.
Where it costs more
The gap between regions is wider than the gap between countries. Dearer: Paris, the Côte d'Azur and Provence. Cheaper: Brittany, the centre and the rural south-west.
Season matters too. June, July, September and the first weekend of October are the most fought over; the same wedding in April or November can cost 20% less for the same service.
A hundred-guest wedding, line by line
To put shape on the numbers, here is a budget built from the middle of each range, for a hundred guests.
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| Venue and catering (€105 × 100) | €10,500 |
| Venue hire | €4,500 |
| Photography | €2,500 |
| Film | €1,900 |
| Flowers and styling | €2,250 |
| Music (DJ or band) | €1,350 |
| Dress | €1,900 |
| Suit | €800 |
| Rings | €1,350 |
| Stationery | €560 |
| Total | €27,610 |
| Per guest | €276 |
Mid-range figures, for a hundred guests. Everything moves with region, season and what the package already includes.
It is not your budget — it is one to compare yours against. If a line of yours sits far above this, it is worth understanding why before you sign.
Where budgets blow up
What catches people out is almost never the headline price:
- TVA. The standard rate in France is 20%. Check whether the quote already includes it — between one that does and one that does not there is 20% of difference.
- Overtime. Nearly every contract has a finish time, and going past it is charged by the hour.
- Corkage. If you bring your own drinks, many venues charge per bottle opened.
- Guest minimums. Below the venue's minimum, you pay for it anyway.
- The rain plan. The marquee or the indoor alternative is rarely included.
- The extra guests who turn up. Each one costs the per-head price, and they always turn up.
Doing the sums in Vowly
In Vowly every vendor has their own card, with the quote, what has been paid and what is outstanding. The total shows with and without TVA, and the cost per guest is worked out as the RSVPs come in.
When someone cancels, the cost per head changes by itself. It is the number that matters, always current.