I Do Abroad

Written and checked by the I Do Abroad team · Last updated 10 November 2026 · Sources listed at the end of this page

Italy is the destination UK couples name first and budget for last. The honest answer is that the food and the ceremony are usually better value than the UK, the venue is where the number moves, and the region you choose can double the bill before you have booked a single flower. Here is what the published data says, in the currency it was published in.

How much does a wedding in Italy cost

The most recent published guide, from Weddings Abroad Guide (updated January 2026), puts an elopement of up to 20 guests at €6,000 to €15,000, a mid-size wedding of 30 to 80 guests at €18,000 to €40,000 and a large wedding of 80 to 120 guests at €30,000 to €60,000. Luxury weddings with more than 100 guests start at €60,000 and often pass €100,000.

The Wedding Travel Company, a UK operator, published a sterling view in July 2025: an average of around €40,000 (about £34,000 at the time), elopements for the couple alone at £5,000 or less including accommodation and legal fees, and luxury weddings with large guest counts at £50,000 and above. Both sources exclude guest flights and accommodation unless a package says otherwise.

Wedding size Guest count Published range Source
Elopement Up to 20 €6,000 to €15,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Mid-size 30 to 80 €18,000 to €40,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Large 80 to 120 €30,000 to €60,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Couple only, all in 2 £5,000 or less The Wedding Travel Company, July 2025
Average, all sizes Varies About €40,000 (about £34,000) The Wedding Travel Company, July 2025

What does a wedding in Italy cost by region

Region is the biggest single lever. Weddings Abroad Guide gives venue hire at €6,000 to €20,000 in Tuscany, €15,000 to €50,000 and above on Lake Como, €3,000 to €12,000 in Puglia and Sicily, and €5,000 to €15,000 and above in Rome and other cities. The Amalfi Coast is quoted at €35,000 to €80,000 for a wedding of around 100 guests, with catering at €150 to €300 a head against €100 to €250 elsewhere.

The Wedding Travel Company’s sterling examples agree: Tuscany from £13,800 (typically £25,000 to £60,000), a civil ceremony at Bellagio Town Hall on Lake Como at just under £4,000, and the Amalfi Coast at roughly £30,000 for 25 guests.

Region Venue hire (published) Source
Puglia and Sicily €3,000 to €12,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Rome and cities €5,000 to €15,000 plus Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Tuscany €6,000 to €20,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Lake Como €15,000 to €50,000 plus Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026
Amalfi Coast €35,000 to €80,000 for around 100 guests, all in Weddings Abroad Guide, January 2026

What is in the number and what is not

The line items published for 2026 are consistent across sources: catering at €100 to €250 per person, an open bar at €50 to €100 per person, a wedding planner at €2,500 to €10,000 (about 10 to 15 percent of budget), photography and videography at €2,000 to €12,000, florals and styling at €1,500 to €20,000, music at €1,000 to €7,000, and hair and make-up at €300 to €1,600.

Three items catch UK couples out. Italian VAT (IVA) is 22 percent and is often left off the first quote. SIAE music licensing runs €100 to €500. And a civil ceremony at a comune carries a registry fee published at roughly €400 to €800 or more, varying by town hall. Guest travel sits on top: the I Do Abroad Italy guide puts a guest’s own cost at £900 to £2,500 for flights, accommodation and meals.

Is a legal ceremony in Italy more expensive than a symbolic one

Usually, yes, and the difference is mostly paperwork. Wise’s UK guide (updated August 2025) lists the administrative costs for a legal Italian marriage as a Certificate of No Impediment at £35 to £40 from a UK register office, apostille stamps at £45 per paper stamp or £35 for an eApostille, translation from £40 per document and church fees of £200 to £500 where a Catholic wedding is chosen. Weddings Abroad Guide puts legal fees and a translator at €300 to €1,000 on the day.

What usually applies: a civil marriage takes place at the comune (town hall), UK documents generally need to be legalised and translated into Italian, and a sworn declaration of no impediment (the nulla osta) is normally part of the file. Who confirms it: the comune where you intend to marry sets the documents and the fee, and the UK government’s guidance on marrying abroad says to check the process with the authority that registers marriages in that country, the person conducting the ceremony or a wedding planner. Treat this page as a map, not the paperwork. Many UK couples complete the legal marriage at a register office at home and hold the ceremony in Italy as a celebration, which removes the Italian paperwork entirely.

When is Italy cheapest for a wedding

The I Do Abroad Italy guide puts peak season at May, June and September, when around 80 percent of weddings happen. April and October are quoted at 30 to 40 percent cheaper with less predictable weather. November to March at 50 to 60 percent cheaper, with many venues closed. July and August carry peak pricing and 28 to 38 degree heat. For most UK couples the value date is a weekday in late April or early October, with an indoor plan agreed in writing.

I Do Abroad Top Tip

Ask every venue for its quote with IVA included and with your real guest count, then ask separately what the price of the same date is in October. Two numbers on one page will tell you more than any brochure, and a venue that will not put the October price in writing has answered a different question.

Where the numbers come from

Figures are quoted in the currency the sources published. Sterling equivalents move with the exchange rate. Check on the day you budget.

Not sure whether Italy is the right fit, or whether Puglia would give you the Tuscany feeling for half the venue fee? Take the Dream Wedding Quiz and get a shortlist built around your guest count, your budget and how far you want people to fly.