How much does a wedding cost in Portugal in 2026 (with calculator)

How much does a wedding cost in Portugal in 2026?

A wedding with 100 guests costs €21,127 on average in 2026. The figure comes from a 2026 market study by a Portuguese platform for hiring suppliers, published in May. In 2025 the same wedding cost about €18,570. Divided by the guests, that is close to €211 a head.

The average hides a wide range. For 100 guests, a simple wedding costs €12,000 to €17,000 in 2026. A mid-range wedding sits at €20,000 to €25,000, and a premium one at €30,000 to €45,000 or more. Another way to do the sum: a full wedding costs €150 to €250 per guest.

Couples expect to spend in the same range. In a 2023 Portuguese study, 29.6% of respondents expected to spend €10,000 to €20,000. Another 22.2% expected €20,000 to €40,000.

Why weddings cost more in 2026

Almost every supplier raised prices, according to the same market study. Catering for about 100 people went from €9,000 to €10,000. Venue rental and decoration stayed the same. These were the biggest rises on 2025:

• Hair and makeup: up 33%
• Photography: up 31%
• Video: up 28%
• Flowers: up 25%
• Outdoor marquee: up 19%, celebrant: up 18%
• DJ, cake, band, invitations and menus: up 10%

The budget comes before everything else. For what follows and when, see the guide on how to plan a wedding.

Calculator: what your wedding will cost

Choose your guest count and the level of venue and catering. Then switch each item on or off. The calculator shows the total, the cost per guest and the weight of each part. The starting values come from the prices in the table in the next section.

Start with the guest count, because it moves the total most. With 100 guests and the starting choices, the sum comes to €22,100, close to the market study's average. If your total is more than you can spend, cut guests before you cut items.

How much does each part of a wedding cost?

The venue and catering are the biggest cost and are charged per person. Almost everything else has a fixed price. The table brings together 2026 prices published by Portuguese suppliers and platforms. They are ranges: the same service costs less in the Alentejo than in Sintra, and less in March than in September.

Keep two questions for every quote. First: does the price per guest include drinks? Often it does not. Second: does it include IVA, Portugal's VAT? Only then can you compare quotes on the same terms.

Where does the money go at a wedding?

More than half goes on the venue and catering. In 2026 this share is 55% to 65% of the budget: between half and two thirds of the total. The chart shows the calculator's 100-guest wedding with the starting choices.

This gives the most useful budget rule: decide first how many guests you want and what each one costs at the venue. Everything else adjusts afterwards. To split your total into categories, see how to split a wedding budget.

How much does a wedding for 60, 100 or 150 guests cost?

With the same choices, 60 guests cost about €16,940, 100 guests €22,100 and 150 guests €28,550. These are the calculator's sums at mid-range, with photography, video, a DJ, flowers, outfits, rings, cake, invitations and a Saturday civil ceremony.

Notice that the cost per guest falls as the list grows. The photographer, the outfits or the DJ cost the same for 60 or 150 people, so they are shared by more guests. But the total always rises: each extra guest costs at least the venue and catering price.

To see what each person on your list costs and what ten fewer would save, read what each wedding guest costs. To settle the list without arguments, start with the wedding guest list.

How much does a civil or church wedding cost?

A civil wedding costs €120 on a weekday at the Conservatória, the civil registry office, and €200 on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, or anywhere outside the registry office. The figures come from the gov.pt guide, updated in September 2026. This is the legal minimum to marry in Portugal. A prenuptial agreement, if you choose a property regime, is paid separately.

For a church wedding there is no national fee table: each parish sets its fee and the offering. In 2026 the total is usually €250 to €600, with the ceremony fee, the offering and the marriage preparation course. Ask your parish before you count on a figure. The process always goes through the registry office, and the priest can start it for you, says gov.pt.

What makes the price go up or down?

Four things move the total most: the guest count, the region, the month and the day of the week. The region weighs mostly on venue hire. In Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra and Porto, the most sought-after venues charge well above the national average.

The rest is down to your choices. These are the cuts with the biggest effect, in the order worth thinking about them:

1. 1

   Settle the guest count

   In 2026, each guest fewer saves €80 to €150 in catering. Twenty fewer guests can save more than €2,000.

2. 2

   Marry in the low season

   At 2026 prices, almost everything can cost 15% to 25% less between November and March. The venue can cost 20% to 30% less between October and April.

3. 3

   Choose a Friday or a Sunday

   A Friday afternoon or a Sunday morning can take up to 20% off the venue hire. Ask the venue, because not all of them offer it.

4. 4

   Choose the type of service

   A buffet costs €50 to €75 per guest and table service €75 to €110, as the table above shows. With 100 guests, switching from one to the other changes the total by €2,500 to €3,500.

5. 5

   Get three quotes for the same menu

   Comparing three catering quotes can save €2,000 to €3,000. Ask everyone for the same menu, the same drinks and the same hours.

6. 6

   Marry at the registry office on a weekday

   Registration costs €120 instead of €200, and you do not pay for the registrar's travel. If you like, the party can be on another day, with a symbolic ceremony.

Where couples spend more than they planned

Budgets tend to slip on small things nobody put on the list. Before you sign each contract, check these points:

The other slip is about timing, not price. Many suppliers ask for a deposit when you sign and the rest closer to the date. A spreadsheet shows what you have paid, but it is easy to lose track of what you still owe, and when.

In joinVows

Your wedding budget in joinVows

In Budget, you type the total and how many guests you expect, and the total is split into 11 categories. Each payment holds the supplier, the amount and the date it is due. You see what you have paid, what is left to pay and what the wedding costs per guest. It is on the Elegante and Único plans (how it works).

Create your free account

How much money comes back from guests' gifts?

In Portugal each guest usually gives €100 to €150, meant to cover the cost of the meal. At restaurants or simpler venues, €50 to €100 is common. If you are a guest from abroad, this is the custom to follow.

Do this sum with care. With 100 guests, €100 to €150 each would come to €10,000 to €15,000. The real figure is lower: children do not give, a couple may give one envelope and some people prefer a present. Treat the number as a cushion, not as guaranteed income.

If you would rather receive gifts by bank transfer, the joinVows gift list shows guests your IBAN or MB WAY, Portugal's phone payment app. The money goes straight to you, with no commission (how the money reaches you).