Savills insight 🔍

After several years of strong demand driven by post-pandemic catch-up, the UK wedding venue sector experienced a natural slowdown in 2025. This likely reflects the final ripple effects of Covid-19, with fewer relationships forming in 2020/21, resulting in fewer weddings four years later. According to the Office of National Statistics, many weddings cancelled during the 2020/21 lockdowns were never rearranged.

Looking ahead, the outlook is more positive with bookings for 2026 and 2027 already tracking ahead of last year, signalling renewed confidence.

Budget sensitivity remains a key market feature, contributing to growth in midweek weddings, off-peak and smaller guest numbers.

Demand for destination-style wedding venues continues to rise, with two-day or weekend-long celebrations becoming more popular. Couples are moving away from rigid, package-led formats and instead seeking celebrations that feel highly personalised, authentic and reflective of their story. Properties such as Errol Park in Perthshire and Pylewell Park in Hampshire are good examples of locations that cater to this growing appetite for extended, immersive experiences.

Food and beverage trends mirror this shift, with informal options, particularly food trucks, gaining popularity for their atmosphere, choice and cost control. Venues must ensure that external caterers meet the required standards in licensing, insurance, experience, and staffing, including adequate staffing to serve and clear tables.

With cost pressures persisting, robust financial forecasting is crucial so that weddings sold today are priced accurately for delivery in future years.

Regulatory change is also emerging, with proposed reforms in England and Wales that aim to allow greater flexibility over ceremony locations by shifting regulation from the venue to the officiant. Scotland is also considering raising the minimum age for marriage from 16 to 18.

Despite cost pressures and evolving consumer preferences, well‑located and well-managed venues continue to offer strong commercial potential.

Renewed momentum following post-pandemic

Industry insight  🔍

“2025 was quieter than previous years, but bookings for 2026 and 2027 are back up. The most popular venues are architecturally beautiful and easy to decorate, and more brides and grooms are looking for a dedicated space to get ready.

We are also receiving a steady flow of enquiries from landowners who want us to assess their barns, as well as more conversations about taking on the day-to-day running of existing wedding venues. The biggest obstacle is not demand, it is government policy: turnover-based business rates, extortionate electricity standing charges, and the employers’ NI increase are all adding to bills, which is the opposite of what rural businesses need.”

Ed Coke-Steel, Development Director, Cripps & Co

2025 IN NUMBERS

Communication

• 82% of couples use social media to research venues.¹³

• Venues must ensure a strong online and social media presence, as over 66% of couples say they value decent imagery of spaces and real weddings.¹³

• The first contact with couples remains crucial, with 4 in 5 couples booking within a month.¹³

Product

• Price, package inclusions, and on‑site accommodation remain key differentiators for couples when selecting a venue.

• 83% of couples make at least one sustainable choice in their wedding planning, such as using biodegradable confetti, paperless invitations and upcycled décor.¹³

• 31% of couples said that an outside space set their chosen wedding venue apart from others.¹³

Pricing

• The average total cost of weddings continues to rise, with Bridebook reporting an average spend of £20,604 and Hitched reporting £21,990, reflecting a 5% increase compared to last year. Despite rising costs, 25% of couples still spend over £26,000 on their wedding.^12/13

• The cost per guest has risen to £272, despite guest numbers falling.¹²

• Transparency matters: 72% of couples will not contact a venue unless clear pricing is available online.¹³

Seasonality

• While the traditional “summer Saturday” remains popular, couples are increasingly flexible. According to Bridebook, 47% of weddings take place on a Saturday, 27% Monday to Thursday, and 17% on Fridays.¹³

• Couples are less likely to compromise on seasonality, reflecting strong demand for premium dates. In 2025, 40% of bookings fell in high peak periods (May – August), up from 33% in 2024.¹³

• August remains the most popular month (17%), followed by May (13%) and September (12%), with 15 September the most popular wedding date in 2025.¹³

_{¹² Hitched, ¹³ Bridebook 2026 report}

_{Read the articles within Spotlight: Tourism, Leisure & Events below.}