C‘it’s a precise moment, when a couple decides to get marriedin which romance temporarily loses its effect. It’s that moment when you have to take out a pen and paper, or open a spreadsheet, and start doing the math. It is precisely in this passage that the estimates released by Federconsumatori leave even the most convinced impressed to take the big step. According to the consumer protection association, in 2026 a a wedding with one hundred guests can cost between 48 thousand and 118 thousand eurosif celebrated with all the luxuries. These are figures that explain well why more and more couples are postponing, why some are giving up, why the number of weddings celebrated in Italy continues to fall.
Wedding too expensive? Solutions can be found
Looking at the expense items, the largest hole is made by the so-called “central triad”: location, live music and banquet. Together, these three components eat up approximately 42% of the total budget. Immediately after come the look of the bride and groom and the honeymooneach around 15%. The rest is distributed between photography, flowers, invitations, wedding favors, make-up and hairdressing, transport, wedding cakes. Each item, taken alone, seems almost reasonable, but added together, they become a financial commitment that many couples struggle to sustain.
Few marriages, also for economic reasons
It is not surprising, therefore, that according to a survey commissioned by Facile.it, 21% of those who never get married cite economic reasons as the main reason for giving up. And that those who want marriage anyway should rely on the request for a loan: over 400 million euros have been disbursed in the last year in the form of personal loans dedicated to weddings and ceremonies. Those who applied were looking on average for just over 8,800 euros, to be repaid over five years with sixty monthly installments of around 175 euros. The average age of applicants rose from 39 to 43a fact consistent with the now structural tendency to marry later and later.
Weddings in Italy drop by 6%, but costs continue to rise (Getty Images)
The party as a total experience (for those who can afford it)
At the other end of the spectrum there is a segment that does not experience a crisis: the luxury wedding. Here the watchword is “endless wedding”, literally an ever-growing formula that transforms the wedding in a two, three, even five day event. Before the official day, brunch and welcome to guests; the day of the wedding, ceremony and banquet; the next day, after-wedding party and trips around the area. It is a growing market and that has nothing to do with the calculations that most couples have to do.
Saving without giving up: strategies that work
For those moving in the medium or medium-low range, however, there are concrete ways to keep costs under control. The most effective and perhaps the most obvious is to reduce the number of guests. Going from one hundred to thirty or forty people, opting for an aperitif or a buffet instead of a seated lunch, can reduce spending by up to 60%. Another very popular option is total or partial “do it yourself”.: wedding in the garden, selected catering, buffet built with the help of relatives and friends. In this case the estimated savings exceed 40%. Also Homemade wedding favors and invitations can make the difference: we are talking about a potential saving of 65%.
Villages, farms and kilometer zero
Another of the most significant trends of recent years concerns the location. The iconic destinationsin fact, like certain historic villas that are all too well known, have become inaccessible to many. For this reason, the choices for inland villages, farms and farmhouses are multiplying. Places where authenticity is part of the offer and where costs remain more manageable. This trend is intertwined with that of sustainability: zero kilometer menus, locally produced flowers, decorations made of recyclable materials, certified suppliers who guarantee zero waste of banquet leftovers.
An overpriced wedding, a fact that shows a change
In short, the Istat numbers on marriage in Italy also tell an economic story between the lines. If, in fact, 6% fewer weddings were celebrated in 2024 compared to the previous year and in the first nine months of 2025 the decline continued at the same rate, it is not just a question of values or life choices: as reported above, according to the investigation by Facile.it, 21% of those who never get married explicitly cite economic reasons. A fact that demonstrates how the cost of the wedding has stopped being a detail, but has become a decisive factor.