How much does a destination wedding cost?
A transparent index of venue and catering estimates across thousands of destination wedding venues — by guest, by country, and by destination.
- Venues analyzed
- 5,962
- Countries
- 40
- Updated
- June 2026
By Walt Lafky, Founder · Updated June 2026
A destination wedding’s biggest single line item is the venue and catering, and it swings widely by location: for 80 guests, that piece alone runs from about $6,100 in Algarve to $16,000 on the priciest end. The full budget lands higher once you add photography, flowers, planning, attire, and getting everyone there.
How to read this
These are modeled estimates researched per venue across 5,962 venues in the Aisle marketplace and currency-normalized to US dollars — not prices from booked weddings. Use them as planning ranges and confirm with the venue directly. Full method is at the bottom.
Cost by destination
The most-searched destination wedding spots, sorted from most to least expensive by venue-plus-catering for 80 guests. Tap a destination for its full guide.
| Destination | Reception / guest | Ceremony fee | Lodging / night | Venue + catering, 80 guests | Venues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ParisFrance | $90–160 | $1,600–3,200 | $130–300 | $8,800–16,000 | 190 |
| Amalfi CoastItaly | $90–160 | $1,700–3,200 | $160–395 | $8,900–16,000 | 36 |
| CapriItaly | $85–160 | $1,600–3,200 | $130–325 | $8,400–16,000 | 48 |
| TuscanyItaly | $85–160 | $1,600–2,700 | $130–270 | $8,400–15,500 | 346 |
| SorrentoItaly | $85–160 | $1,600–2,700 | $130–300 | $8,400–15,500 | 147 |
| SantoriniGreece | $90–160 | $1,000–2,200 | $180–430 | $8,200–15,000 | 101 |
| ProvenceFrance | $85–155 | $900–2,200 | $130–270 | $7,700–14,600 | 308 |
| Lake ComoItaly | $80–145 | $1,300–2,400 | $110–215 | $7,700–14,000 | 160 |
| RavelloItaly | $70–130 | $1,600–2,700 | $120–215 | $7,200–13,100 | 67 |
| MykonosGreece | $85–135 | $900–2,000 | $140–335 | $7,700–12,800 | 132 |
| Cinque TerreItaly | $70–110 | $900–1,600 | $130–215 | $6,500–10,400 | 124 |
| AlgarvePortugal | $65–105 | $900–1,600 | $95–215 | $6,100–10,000 | 188 |
Cost by country
A wider view across the 40 countries in the marketplace with enough venues to estimate reliably.
| Country | Reception / guest | Ceremony fee | Lodging / night | Venue + catering, 80 guests | Venues |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $120–200 | $2,000–4,000 | $200–500 | $11,600–20,000 | 117 |
| Dominican Republic | $120–180 | $1,500–3,500 | $200–450 | $11,100–17,900 | 41 |
| USA | $85–150 | $1,500–3,500 | $150–400 | $8,300–15,500 | 124 |
| Italy | $70–130 | $1,300–2,700 | $130–240 | $6,900–13,100 | 2109 |
| France | $75–130 | $900–1,600 | $130–215 | $6,900–12,000 | 953 |
| Portugal | $65–130 | $900–1,600 | $110–215 | $6,100–12,000 | 374 |
| Indonesia | $60–120 | $800–2,000 | $120–350 | $5,600–11,600 | 111 |
| Australia | $65–120 | $800–1,500 | $120–250 | $6,000–11,100 | 46 |
| UK | $65–110 | $600–1,900 | $115–230 | $5,800–10,700 | 49 |
| Spain | $65–110 | $900–1,600 | $95–215 | $6,100–10,400 | 87 |
| Greece | $65–105 | $900–1,600 | $110–215 | $6,100–10,000 | 1274 |
| Brazil | $50–95 | $800–1,500 | $90–285 | $4,800–9,100 | 54 |
| Thailand | $45–85 | $800–1,500 | $80–200 | $4,400–8,300 | 66 |
| South Africa | $40–75 | $300–600 | $65–160 | $3,500–6,600 | 41 |
| India | $20–40 | $600–1,800 | $50–145 | $2,200–5,000 | 63 |
What these numbers include— and what they don’t
Counted here
- Venue hire
- Ceremony fee
- Reception catering & service
- Room rates (per night, where listed)
Not counted
- Photography & video
- Flowers & décor
- Wedding planner
- Music & entertainment
- Attire, stationery, welcome events
- Guest travel & your own flights
For a full estimate that layers in those categories — and adjusts for season, length of stay, and guest count — use the Aisle budget calculator, or estimate what your guests will spend with the guest travel estimator. For broader US context, The Knot’s Real Weddings Study puts the average US wedding around $33,000 in recent years.
How we built this index
Every venue in the Aisle marketplace carries a structured cost estimate — a ceremony fee, a reception cost per guest, and a nightly room rate. For this index we took every venue with a cost estimate (5,962 venues across 40 countries) and computed the median of each figure per destination and per country.
Estimates in other currencies were converted to US dollars at approximate mid-2026 exchange rates. The “venue + catering for 80guests” column is the median reception-per-guest × 80 plus the median ceremony fee; it is a venue-and-catering subtotal, not a full wedding budget. Destinations and countries are shown only where there were enough venues to produce a stable median.
Important: these figures are AI-researched estimates generated per venue, not prices from booked weddings. We publish them because real destination-wedding pricing is almost never on the open web, and a transparent estimate is more useful than none — but they are a starting point for planning, not a quote. Always confirm with the venue. Last updated June 2026.
Destination wedding cost,
answered.
- It depends heavily on the destination. Across 5,962 venues we analyzed, the venue and catering for an 80-guest wedding ranges from roughly $6,000 in the most affordable spots to $16,000 in the priciest — before photography, flowers, planning, attire, and guest travel, which typically push the full budget well above that. Algarve is the most affordable of the destinations we cover; Paris is the most expensive.
- Reception and catering run roughly $45–$200 per guest depending on the country. Italy and France land around $70–$130 per guest, Greece and Portugal around $65–$110, and Mexico higher at roughly $120–$200. These are venue-level estimates and exclude vendors like photography and flowers.
- Among the European destinations we track, Algarve has the lowest venue-and-catering estimates (about $65–$105 per guest). Looking by country, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and India estimate lower still — though those carry higher guest-travel costs that don't show up in venue pricing.
- Paris tops the list at roughly $90–$160 per guest for reception and catering, with venue-plus-catering for 80 guests around $8,800–$16,000. The Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Tuscany sit close behind.
- No — and we want to be clear about that. These are modeled estimates researched per venue across the Aisle marketplace and currency-normalized to US dollars, not figures pulled from booked weddings. Treat them as planning ranges and always confirm directly with the venue. Methodology is described in full below.
- The index covers venue hire, ceremony fees, and reception catering. It does not include photography and video, flowers and décor, a wedding planner, music, attire, stationery, welcome events, or guest travel and accommodation. For a full estimate with those categories, use the Aisle budget calculator.
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