How Much Does a Wedding Venue Cost? The Average 2025
When it comes to planning your wedding, there will be plenty of important choices to make — ranging from the enormous to the teeny tiny. Many of these choices will be optional, but one of the biggest will be making sure you choose the right venue. After all, it’s where you and your guests will spend the entire day and can’t be changed once the big day arrives.
As you work out your wedding budget, you’ll need to make sure you dedicate enough toward your ideal venue. Whether it’s a hotel, a golf course, a vineyard, a village hall, or anywhere else you want to marry that special someone, you’ll need to budget accordingly.
Below, we’re going to take a look at the average cost of a wedding venue, what’s included in that cost, and any unexpected fees you should look out for.
How much does the average wedding venue cost?
With the average total cost of a wedding in South Africa sitting around R200,000, a large portion of that — often a third or more — typically goes toward the venue. In 2025, the average cost of a wedding venue in South Africa ranges between R40,000 and R150,000, though this can vary widely depending on location, type of venue, and what’s included.
Venues in major cities like Cape Town, Johannesburg, or Durban tend to be R5,000 to R10,000 more expensive than those in rural or smaller towns, due to higher demand and operating costs. That said, a countryside or winelands venue may offer more space, natural beauty, or flexibility — while a city venue can offer convenience and modern amenities. Ultimately, it comes down to your budget, your style, and how far you and your guests are willing to travel.
How can the cost of a wedding venue vary?
There’s a range of wedding venues available across South Africa, so whatever your budget you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something to your taste:
- Affordable: R20,000 – R60,000
- Moderate: R60,000 – R90,000
- Luxury: R90,000 – R150,000
- Super luxury: R150,000+
How does the type of venue affect the cost?
The type of wedding venue you choose affects the price, with certain types of venue costing significantly more than others on average. According to our 2024 Wedding Reports, couples are more likely to spend the most on venues for weddings at castles, stately homes and country houses, and the least on registry offices, places of worship and restaurants.
Here’s a breakdown of the average cost depending on the venue type, based on data gathered from couples planning their wedding on our platform in 2024:
- Castle or private estate: R120,000 – R150,000
- Stately home or winelands estate: R90,000 – R130,000
- Country house or lodge: R70,000 – R100,000
- Golf course venue: R60,000 – R90,000
- Dedicated event venue: R50,000 – R80,000
- Hotel function venue: R45,000 – R70,000
- Barn-style venue: R40,000 – R60,000
- Outdoor venue (beach, park, garden): R35,000 – R55,000
- City venue (rooftop, gallery, warehouse): R40,000 – R70,000
- Restaurant function space: R30,000 – R50,000
- Place of worship (with hall hire): R20,000 – R35,000
- Registry office ceremony: R5,000 – R15,000
What does the cost of a wedding venue include?
The cost of the venue will include rental of the space itself, however, it can also include additions and the use of certain facilities, such as:
- Tables and chairs
- Linens, such as tablecloths, napkins and chair covers
- Lighting and sound
- Wine and bubbles for the tables
- Bar services
- Catering
- Coordination and setup
Exactly what’s included in the cost of the venue is something that you’ll need to confirm with the venue. For example, some venues won’t have catering facilities and will require you to arrange your own vendors. For more information check out our post featuring questions to ask your wedding venue.
Why are wedding venues so expensive?
Mark Dawson, the former owner and operator of Brookfield Barn in England and expert on all things venue-related, explains why wedding venues are often so expensive:
“Couples benefit from being “one-time customers” that venues are trying to attract and therefore price is a key lever. The venue market has become extremely competitive with diminishing margins. So many features at the top of couples’ lists come with high maintenance costs. For example, listed and historic buildings, extensive grounds. Remember you are paying such that the venue is maintained in a way to be at its best on your big day – and every other couple has the same expectation.”
“Exclusivity on your day means you are the sole revenue stream for the venue. So when faced with budget challenges, take time to prioritise what is most important. Is it exclusivity on the day for your wedding, is it the historic setting, is it the extensive grounds, is it having it for multiple days to set up and clear up, is it having lots of staff support from the venue for planning it all – they all drive the price point that the venue needs to continue to operate.”
What factors can affect the cost of a wedding venue?
We’ve already highlighted how the type and location can affect the cost of a venue, but there are plenty of factors that can contribute towards how much you might pay for your dream venue.
Size
Naturally, the higher the number of guests you’d like to invite, the larger the venue will need to be. Of course, it makes sense that a venue with a 30-person capacity will usually be more affordable than one that can accommodate several hundred.
Region
Dates
As you might imagine, venue prices vary depending on the season. When it comes to choosing a wedding date, spring, summer, and even fall dates are more popular than winter. As a result, you’ll likely find that it’s more affordable to secure a date in July or August than it is in January or February.
Similarly, Fridays and the weekend – particularly Saturday – are more expensive than weekdays, as well as specific dates like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve.
It may be possible to grab a bargain if you’re open to a last-minute booking during off-peak times or based on a cancellation – though this risks you missing out by catching vendors and guests off-guard. Here at Bridebook, we offer late availability deals at many of our partner venues – just filter by ‘Special Offers’ when searching for a wedding venue.
Packages
The majority of wedding venues will have packages that can include anything from a glass of bubbly for the guests on arrival to a free stay for the newlyweds on the night. If you definitely don’t want one of these, you can ask your chosen venue if they can exclude some items to give you a lower price.
Catering
According to recent data on South African weddings, many couples prefer venues that offer in-house catering as part of their package. This is especially common in major cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg, where popular venues often provide all-inclusive options that bundle venue hire, catering, furniture, and sometimes even staffing.
While convenient, these packages can significantly increase the overall cost — often by tens of thousands of rands. Couples typically spend between R60,000 and R120,000 on venues that include catering, depending on the menu, guest count, and level of service. On the other hand, venues that don’t offer catering tend to be more affordable for hire alone, with prices starting from around R20,000. If you’re working with a tight budget and prefer to choose your own caterer, a venue-only option may give you more flexibility and control over your overall spend.
Exclusive use
Exclusive use of the wedding venue means that you and your guests will be the only ones on the premises during your special day, so you don’t need to worry about anybody accidentally stumbling in and helping themselves to the buffet. Normally, venues that offer exclusivity will charge slightly more, but it’s definitely worth it.
What are some unexpected costs or fees at a venue?
When speaking with the venue, you should clarify early on what is and isn’t covered, otherwise you may find yourselves being hit with one or two (or six or seven!) surprise costs that can cause your budget to spiral.
Some potential hidden fees to be mindful of include:
- Taxes
- Gratuities
- Security deposit to cover loss and damages
- Cleaning fees
- Insurance
- Overtime fees
- Corkage fees
How much does it cost to decorate a wedding venue?
Once you’ve chosen your venue and signed on the dotted line, there may be additional costs to bear in mind to make sure it’s decorated to perfectly match your tastes. Decoration hire, such as unique lighting and features, may not be included in the cost and is another cost to factor into your budget.
Have you discovered your dream venue?
Are you planning your wedding and umming and ahhing over the perfect venue? Bridebook’s wedding planning tools provide you with everything you need to plan your wedding stress-free!
And if you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding venue, we’ve got plenty of money-saving tips to help you stay firmly within your budget.
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