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

Greece is two wedding markets under one flag. The headline number that reached the press this summer describes one of them, and most UK couples are shopping in the other. Here is what the published 2026 data says, in the currency it was published in.

How much does a wedding in Greece cost

Weddings Abroad Guide (updated March 2026) puts an elopement or micro-wedding of up to 20 guests at €6,000 to €15,000, a mid-size wedding of 30 to 60 guests at €10,000 to €35,000 and a large wedding of 60 to 120 guests at €25,000 to €60,000 and above.

Big Fat Greek Day, a planning site whose author married in Crete, publishes her own receipt: 96 guests near Chania in May 2024 at €26,400 for venue, catering, bar, photography, flowers, music and transport, rising to €37,933 once upgraded lighting and rooms for close family were added.

The UK benchmark is Hitched’s 2026 report, drawn from 2,020 newlyweds: an average of £21,990 and £272 a head.

Wedding size Guest count Published range Source
Elopement or micro-wedding Up to 20 €6,000 to €15,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, March 2026
Mid-size 30 to 60 €10,000 to €35,000 Weddings Abroad Guide, March 2026
Large 60 to 120 €25,000 to €60,000 plus Weddings Abroad Guide, March 2026
One real receipt, Crete 96 €26,400 base, €37,933 with extras Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026
UK average, for comparison Varies £21,990 (£272 a head) Hitched, January 2026

Why did the news say a Greek wedding costs €157,000

Because a different market was being measured. Greek City Times reported on 1 August 2026 that a Focus Bari study, presented at the Destination Weddings Tourism Forum Greece 2026, put the average destination wedding at €157,000 to €160,000 before VAT, with around 130 guests staying an average of four nights. That is a real figure for large, professionally planned weddings. It is the wrong benchmark for forty people at a taverna in Crete.

What does a wedding cost on each Greek island

The island moves the bill more than anything except the guest count. Big Fat Greek Day publishes all-in budgets for 100 guests by location, and Weddings Abroad Guide says a change of region can cut costs by 30 to 40 percent, naming Zakynthos, Kos and the Ionian islands as priced below the Cyclades.

Location All-in budget for 100 guests Per guest Source
Crete €20,000 to €40,000 €200 to €400 Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026
Corfu €25,000 to €44,000 €250 to €440 Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026
Athens Riviera €25,000 to €45,000 €250 to €450 Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026
Santorini €40,000 to €70,000 €400 to €700 Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026
Mykonos €60,000 to €150,000 Not published Big Fat Greek Day, August 2026

For a sterling view, The Wedding Travel Company lists Greek packages from £2,349 in Rhodes, £2,759 in Corfu, £3,299 in Kos, £3,649 in Crete and £5,779 in Santorini, up to £10,659 in Mykonos. The page does not state guest counts or inclusions, so treat these as opening prices and ask what each covers.

What is in the number and what is not

Weddings Abroad Guide’s 2026 line items: venue hire at €1,500 to €15,000 and above, catering at €50 to €150 per guest, an open bar at €20 to €40 and above per guest, a planner at €1,200 to €4,000 and above, photography at €1,500 to €3,000 and above, florals and décor at €800 to €4,000 and above, music at €1,000 to €4,000, and hair and make-up at €200 to €1,000.

Two items catch UK couples out. Big Fat Greek Day gives Greek VAT as 24 percent at the standard rate, 13 percent on catered food and 24 percent on drinks, and notes a service charge of 10 to 20 percent on food and drink that is separate from VAT. Guest flights and rooms sit on top of every figure on this page.

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

Usually, yes, and the difference is paperwork. Big Fat Greek Day puts the total at €800 to €1,500: a registry fee of €50 to €150 that varies by municipality, official translations at €80 to €150 per document, a translator at the ceremony at €150 to €300, and apostille stamps at around €50 to €100 per document. Weddings Abroad Guide gives legal and administrative fees of €200 to €800.

What usually applies: a civil marriage runs through the town hall of the municipality where you marry, UK documents generally need to be legalised and officially translated into Greek, and a certificate of no impediment from your UK register office is normally part of the file. Who confirms it: the municipality sets the documents, the fee and whether the ceremony can happen anywhere other than the town hall. GOV.UK’s guidance is to get advice from the authority that registers marriages in that country, the person conducting the ceremony or a wedding planner, and it says a marriage abroad is recognised in the UK if it was lawful where it took place and would be allowed under UK law. Treat this page as a map, not the paperwork. Many UK couples marry at a register office at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Greece, which removes the Greek paperwork entirely.

When is Greece cheapest for a wedding

Weddings Abroad Guide gives June to September as peak season and May, late September and October as shoulder season, with lower prices and better availability, and notes that venues often discount dates that are not a Saturday. Big Fat Greek Day puts shoulder season at 20 to 30 percent below peak. For most UK couples the value date is a weekday in May or early October.

I Do Abroad Top Tip

Ask every venue for one number: the all-in price per guest, with VAT, service charge and any boat or transfer costs included, at your real guest count. Then ask for the same date in May. On Santorini and Mykonos the gap between the brochure price and the all-in price is where budgets break, and a venue that will not put both numbers 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 Greece is the right fit, or whether Crete would give you the Santorini feeling for roughly half the per-guest price? Take the Dream Wedding Quiz and get a shortlist built around your guest count, your budget and how far you want people to fly.