When we imagine the most expensive wedding in France, we immediately think of the luxurious châteaux of the Ile-de-France region or the sumptuous villas of the French Riviera. However, economic reality has a major surprise in store for future brides and grooms.
Saying “Yes!” for life has a price, and the bill often adds up very quickly. Between the rental of the reception venue, the caterer to entertain the guests, the DJ to ignite the dance floor, the photographer to immortalize the moment, without forgetting the wedding dress you dreamed of and the florist’s arrangements… The bill can make you dizzy. For the future spouses, the objective is clear: treat themselves to the most beautiful day of their lives, and make it unforgettable for their loved ones as well. This means, very often, that it means making a few deviations from the initial budget: one couple in two exceeds the budget initially planned.
According to the recent “Real Wedding” study conducted by the specialist portal Mariages.net, the average cost of a wedding in France is 19,293 euros. But behind this national average lie strong geographical disparities. Logically, one might think that the capital, the city of love par excellence, or the very popular Côte d’Azur, take the prize for the most expensive places to celebrate your union. Well, make no mistake: another region surpasses them.
Against all expectations, it is in New Aquitaine that organizing a wedding is the most expensive! With an average budget reaching 21,641 euros, this vast region of the South-West is ahead of the rest of the country. How to explain this record? These differences are explained by differences in price of reception venues, the availability of local service providers and the cost of living on site, which influence the distribution of the budget. Less surprising, Île-de-France and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region still complete the podium with respective average budgets of 20,794 euros and 20,333 euros. But with almost 1,000 euros difference compared to New Aquitaine, the difference is absolutely not negligible when you already spend such a sum.
If budgets reach such heights, it is also because the profile of lovers has evolved. Couples are getting married later and later: the average age of the bride and groom is now 37, and many already have a well-established family life. With a more stable professional situation and potentially higher income than young workers starting out in life, these thirty- or forty-year-olds have greater purchasing power. For them, marriage is no longer the first major milestone in adult life, but a true celebration of a love already consolidated, justifying a more substantial financial investment.
Fortunately, there are tips to reduce the bill without sacrificing the magic of the big day. Calling on a wedding planner may seem paradoxical when you are looking to save money, but this professional has a solid address book and can negotiate preferential rates with service providers. Other reliable alternatives, frequently recommended by event experts, are to get married off-season or during the week, times when wineries and caterers often undercut their prices.
