Australian couples opt for micro-weddings and elopements amid cost-of-living crisis
Averill and Lloyd Johnson chose to buck tradition with their wedding. (Supplied)
In short:
Australians are increasingly choosing small weddings over elaborate events, according to wedding planners and registry data.
The average price of a wedding in 2013 was $36,000, according to a federal government website, and some industry groups put the average now at close to $40,000.
However, demand for cheaper packages and destination wedding is growing.
Melbourne couple Averill and Lloyd Johnson were not interested in having a conventional wedding ceremony.
"Imagine a steampunk gothic vampire aesthetic. So black top hats, lots of fabric, buckled biker boots and play swords," Mr Johnson said.
They had children from other marriages and a mortgage and wanted to keep the cost down by exchanging their vows at a park in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs.
The wedding cost $3,000 in total.
"We had about 30 people there. We said there is no dress code. Wear whatever you want. We want everybody to feel comfortable and be happy. And it was so much fun," Mrs Johnson said.
Wedding costs are climbing
The average amount Australians are spending on the big day in 2026 varies among industry experts.
The most recent data from the federal government's financial literacy website, MoneySmart, quoted an average price of $36,000 in 2013.
Thirteen years later, wedding planning website Easy Weddings predicts that number has only jumped by $2,000, to $38,000.
Averill and Lloyd Johnson are pleased with their decision to have a small wedding. (Supplied)
But with inflation soaring over the past few years, the small price increase might not make a lot of sense to some people.
Experts say it is because Australians are spending less.
According to data from Easy Weddings, couples spent an average of $38,252 on a wedding in 2025.
The website surveyed more than 4,000 engaged and recently married couples and 540 wedding businesses.
The average cost of a wedding in Australia is about $38,000, according to Easy Weddings. File photo. (Supplied)
It also differed depending on the state and territory.
In Tasmania, the average cost was estimated to be $25,423, but in New South Wales, the price tag came in at $42,322.
Micro-weddings on the rise
Data from Easy Weddings also signals that Australian couples are ditching elaborate weddings for micro-weddings.
A micro-wedding is a smaller, downscaled celebration with typically 20 to 50 guests.
Easy Weddings data showed 15 per cent of those surveyed opted for a smaller wedding, while only 5 per cent had a larger wedding with more than 150 guests.
It also showed that since 2024, there was a 12 per cent jump in the number of Australians switching to a smaller wedding.
"A lot more people are trying to be more cost-conscious and look at something that feels special but still manageable from a budget perspective," said Lauren Madex from Easy Weddings.
Destination weddings are also trending upwards.
"Australians are still gravitating towards Bali and Fiji … Italy, in Spain, and even Vietnam is one of the newer regions that is increasingly popular. In a nice way, it does cut down on their guest list as well because there's usually a percentage of people that won't be able to make it," Ms Madex said.
Registry weddings a popular option
According to data from Births, Deaths and Marriages in both Victoria and New South Wales, there have been 553 more registry marriages in Victoria over the past three years.
In New South Wales, that number rose by 1,119, and in Queensland, the number jumped by 357.
The average cost of a ceremony differs slightly in each state and territory, but it hovers around the $500 mark, which includes a celebrant, official marriage certificate and venue hire.
That price has jumped by about $100 in the past three years.
In the Northern Territory, the cost of a registry wedding in 2021 was $350. It has now increased to $500.
Wedding planners see more budget celebrations
Victorian wedding planner Naomi Korolew first saw the demand for budget weddings back in 2016.
Her business is now booming.
"The past year, our best-selling package by far has been our cheapest package," Ms Korolew said.
"The average age to get married, I think, is 31 for a woman and 32 for a man. So, they're the most squeezed people financially at the moment in our society. They can't afford a house, or they've bought a house, and they can't afford anything else.
"There's just not the money there for weddings that there was."
'Worth every penny'
Mr and Mrs Johnson said they would not change a thing about their budget wedding.
Mrs Johnson had a big Italian celebration for her first wedding, but said her "intimate wedding" was worth it.
And her husband agreed.
"Compared to what people can spend on these things, it's worth every penny. And we have fond memories and a lovely story to boot,"he said.