The price of an average wedding in Spain is between €12,000 and €45,000, according to an analysis carried out by the budget site Cronoshare. This depends on what it’s like, as well as the time of year in which it is celebrated and where in the country it’s held.
Asturias tops the list of the most expensive places to get married with an average cost per guest of €267. Murcia is the cheapest community with a cost of €134. In between are the Basque Country and Galicia (€224), Madrid and Catalonia (€207), La Rioja (€196), Castilla y León (€194) Cantabria (€193) and Aragón (€177).
But no matter where you choose, there are ways to save money and keep costs down.
The average costs in this article were taken using information from event company Eventos Multiverso.
READ ALSO: The ultimate guide to Spanish wedding etiquette
Stick to a budget and open a separate bank account
Set a realistic budget. You should know how much money you are willing to spend and stick to it. It’s also advisable to open a specific bank account and only use the money in there for the wedding. This will help you be more aware of how much you spend and you will be able to set limits.
Think outside the box when it comes to a venue
If you go for places that are specifically advertised as wedding venues, they are typically going to be expensive. This includes hotels, big country estates etc. But, if you go for a venue that’s not actually a dedicated wedding venue, you may find it cheaper. For example, you can hire a villa on platforms such as Airbnb or VRBO. Remember it’s important to look at conditions to make sure you can have an event there or contact the owner to make sure. You could even hire a large villa for a week getting people to pay for their own rooms, instead of paying for individual accommodation in nearby hotels. In this way, the venue has almost paid for itself.
READ ALSO: Can non-residents or new arrivals get married in Spain?
Buy the alcohol yourself
Alcohol and having an open bar is an expensive part of a wedding. Couples can spend around €50/guest for each hour of an open bar. This can easily rack up costs. In order for this to be more affordable, buy the alcohol yourself instead of getting it from a caterer. You can buy large quantities of wine, cava and beer from supermarkets or wholesalers or directly from wineries. You can even mix your own cocktails and put them in large glass dispensers for people to help themselves. You don’t necessarily need to limit the amount of alcohol, they can still drink as much as they would at an open bar, but it will save you money.
Do the legal part elsewhere
If you want to get married in a court or town hall ceremony, you often don’t have to pay anything because it is a public service, however, if it is in the church or through a notary you may have to pay an amount of between €70 and €400. If you do the legal part at the town hall first then, you can have the party part of the wedding wherever you want afterward.
READ ALSO: Civil union or marriage in Spain: which one is better?
Limit the number of guests
The more guests the more expensive wedding will be. We know that that’s an important day and you want to invite as many friends and family as possible, but it all adds up. Try to agree on a specific number beforehand and don’t let other people take control of the guest list. Remember for some people you invite, there will be a plus one as well.
Shop around for caterers
Food at a wedding can be one of the most costly elements, but there are ways to keep the keep to a budget. Each menu costs on average €120 per head, but if you contact different caterers you can usually get a better deal. If alcohol isn’t included, this will usually bring the cost down too. Not having individual servers can again save you money – most people will be happy to go up and get the food, so you only need a couple of professionals to give out the dishes.
Choose large sharing dishes as opposed to individual ones. For example, in Spain paella works really well for this. You could even have three different types of paellas for vegetarians, seafood and meat eaters ensuring dietary needs are covered as well.
Do the decorations yourself
Decorations can be costly if you don’t set a budget and have something in mind. If you hire people to do this for you or the venue is in charge, you are not only paying for the materials but also for the manpower. Effective decorations can be bought online and customised yourself for example decorate old jam jars with lace to make cute candle holders or vases for the tables. If you set up the decorations by yourself, you will also be saving money. Keep in mind, some venues may let you do this but, if it’s a typical wedding venue they may not.
Get friends and family to help with hair and make-up
Hiring a professional hairdresser and makeup artist can be costly with prices between €120 and €300. In addition, accessories can range from €400 euros to €800. Of course, you want to look your best on your big day and it’s nice to be pampered by a professional, but most people usually know somebody who has great hair and makeup skills. Your friends, siblings and cousins may even have skills you didn’t know about and be willing to help out. Then you only have the cost of the make-up itself.
Go for dried instead of fresh flowers
Choose dried flowers for the bouquets instead. The cost fresh flowers can cost anywhere between €100 to €300 each in Spain. Typically dried flowers are cheaper than this and it’s actually a growing trend in the wedding market. This also means you can keep them as a a momento because they won’t die after a few days. Places such as Etsy are great for these, but you can also inquire at your local florist or online.
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