Nobody enjoys this conversation, which is exactly why I want to have it properly. Most couples arrive with a number in their head that came from a magazine, a friend's wedding in 2018, or thin air.

Here's what weddings in Dorset actually cost, based on the ones I plan and coordinate.

The short answer

A wedding here for around 80 guests typically lands somewhere between £20,000 and £30,000. I've planned beautiful weddings under £10,000 and others that have comfortably passed £50,000. The number itself tells you very little — what matters is where it goes.

Where the money goes

Category	Typical Dorset range	Notes
Venue hire	£3,000 – £8,000+	Country houses, barns and marquee sites sit at the top; village halls and dry-hire spaces at the bottom.
Catering	£60 – £120+ per guest	For 80 guests that's roughly £4,800 – £9,600. Evening food is usually extra.
Drinks	£1,500 – £3,000	Welcome drinks, wine with the meal, a toast. Corkage changes this enormously.
Photography	£1,500 – £3,000	Full-day coverage from an experienced photographer.
Videography	£1,200 – £2,500	Optional, and the thing couples most often add late.
Flowers & styling	£800 – £3,000+	Seasonal and locally grown will always stretch further.
Entertainment	£1,200 – £2,500	Band, DJ, or both if the band only plays two sets.
Cake	£250 – £800
Stationery	£300 – £800
Dress, suits, hair & makeup	£2,000 – £4,000	Including alterations, which people forget.
Celebrant or registrar	£350 – £900
Planning or coordination	£1,500 – £2,800+	Coordination from £1,500, full planning from £2,800.
Contingency	5 – 10% of the total	Not optional. Something always comes up.

What makes a Dorset wedding more expensive

Dry hire and blank-canvas venues. Gorgeous, and the reason a lot of people move here. But a field or an empty barn means marquee, loos, power, kitchen, furniture, lighting — often £8,000–£15,000 before a single flower.
Peak Saturdays, June to September. Same wedding, higher price, less supplier availability.
Distance. Suppliers travelling down from London or Bristol will charge travel and sometimes accommodation.
Guest numbers. Everything scales. Twenty extra people is usually £2,000–£3,000 once you've counted food, drink, chairs, favours and stationery.

Where couples genuinely save

Friday, Sunday or off-season. Often 20–30% off venue hire, and a proper choice of suppliers.
Fewer guests, better day. The single most effective saving there is, and nobody ever regrets it.
Seasonal, local flowers. Dorset growers in June will always beat imported blooms in February.
Spending where it shows. Food, drink, music and how people feel. Chair covers have never made anyone cry.

The costs people forget

Postage. Alterations. Supplier meals. Overnight accommodation for you. Transport home for guests. Cleaning and skip hire on dry-hire sites. Insurance. Tips. Together these can add £2,000–£5,000, so build them in from the start rather than finding them in the last six weeks.

Is a planner an extra cost or a saving?

Honestly, a bit of both. I'm a line on the budget, and I also stop the expensive mistakes — the venue that needed £4,000 of hire you hadn't costed, the caterer who couldn't work in that kitchen, the second band because the first only played until nine. Most couples I work with end up spending the same money more deliberately.

Wedding coordination starts at £1,500 and full planning from £2,800. There's a full breakdown on the investment page, and if you'd like me to look at your numbers before you commit to anything, just ask.

How much does a wedding in Dorset really cost?