The average budget for a wedding has almost doubled in twenty years: it went from 11,063 euros in 2006 according to Cofidis to 19,921 euros in 2026 according to Mariages.net, an order of magnitude confirmed by a large number of wedding planners in the field. “We are around 19,000 euros for a wedding of 100 people. It’s a good thing, it makes for nicer receptions: the French are realizing that if they want a beautiful marriage, they must put the means »summarizes Charlotte Beuvelet, wedding planner for twenty years and at the head of 208 premium weddings organized.
Obviously, inflation also has a responsibility in this increase: “Everything has increased: the price of flowerseven the florists are in trouble. The caterer too : we don’t realize it, but just the price of chicken has jumped”she explains. Raw materials weigh on the entire chain, but the wedding planner especially insists on a more profound change: that of the priorities of couples, who redistribute their budget rather than limit it.
The caterer dethrones the decoration
The meal has become the main item of expenditure, to the detriment of the decoration which dominated twenty years ago. “What has changed is the expectations of the bride and groom: provide an experience for their guests. It’s no longer the parents’ wedding in the village hall”explains Charlotte Beuvelet. Pan-fried foie gras workshops, cut charcuterie, linguine in a wheel of parmesan… The catering budget can now represent up to 40% of the total budget, a figure that the wedding planner assumes from its clients.
She contrasts this model with that observed across the Atlantic. “In the United States, it’s excessive, they’re all about Pinterest and Instagram ; the biggest budget is the decoration. For us, it’s the caterer »she observes. This cultural difference reflects, according to her, a broader awareness of the image of marriage: couples who have the means, in particular higher socio-professional categories, now call on professionals to offer an experience for their guests rather than just a party.
Despite the rise in prices, still more marriages
Contrary to popular belief, rising costs have not scared away couples. INSEE figures confirm 251,000 marriages celebrated in France in 2025, up 1.4% year-on-yeara level described as the highest in around twenty years. “Despite the inflation on catering and flowers, there are more weddings today than before Covid. We returned to a normal level, and in 2025 there were more than in 2019 »notes Charlotte Beuvelet, who mentions around 10,000 additional marriages even though prices have increased.
She sees this as a positive signal for the entire sector. “It’s very reassuring for the profession and for the profession. There is a lot of turnover among wedding service providers, and many new structures are created every year »she emphasizes. Structures that will be able to grow and make their place. The wedding market today is worth nearly 4 billion euros according to the agency, driven by a more demanding and better informed clientele.
A new, more digital generation… and more in a hurry
Today’s couples prepare their wedding differently than those of twenty years agounder the influence of social networks. “This new generation is very digital, and greatly influenced by stars, influencers and VIPs who organize spectacular weddings. It makes you want »notes Charlotte Beuvelet. But this permanent exhibition is accompanied by a new impatience in the organization. “We feel a change in the start dates: the deadline has shrunk enormouslywe have to be faster, more responsive. Everyone has been burned by the pandemic, couples are more impatient and project themselves less far into time”she explains.
Today, we are preparing for end-of-year weddings and those at the start of 2027 – not 2028. “We no longer see two years ahead like before”assures the specialist. A change of pace that shakes up the habits of agencies, historically built on long preparation times. Finally, the ecological dimension is gradually taking hold in the choices of the bride and groom, with seasonal flowers for example.
