How Much Does Wedding Decor Cost? The 2025 Average Revealed
Choosing your wedding venue is just one step in the planning process. Even if you’ve found the perfect spot, it might not fully reflect you and your partner’s style — and that’s where wedding decor comes in. It’s your chance to personalise your day with details that show off your story, your tastes, and what matters to you.
Your wedding is a celebration of your love, so why not make it feel uniquely yours with decor that brings your vision to life?
In this guide, we’ll break down the average cost of wedding decor, what can influence the price, and whether hiring a professional decorator is the right move for your big day.
What is wedding decor?
Wedding decorations are the additions you make to your chosen venue to help create a beautiful, romantic and — most importantly — personalised setting. Your decor can be as bold or as subtle as you want and can help to create an overall theme for your wedding that goes beyond a simple colour scheme.
For example, you could have something traditional like a rustic or vintage theme, or even something out there like a superhero or steampunk theme — whatever you choose is up to you. Your decor will ensure that your theme resonates throughout your entire wedding, from signage through to the table decorations.
When it comes to wedding decor, you can be as creative as you like. Examples of what to include are:
- Candles
- Table centrepieces
- Fairy lights
- Table runners
- Chalkboards
- Photo collages
- Balloons
- Chair covers
- Unique signage
You can even incorporate your theme into the ceremony, with plenty of opportunities to add that personal touch, such as altar decor, a ring pillow, or an aisle runner. Just remember, you’ll only spend a small portion of your wedding at the ceremony, so don’t blow your entire decor budget on something your guests won’t get to appreciate for very long.
What’s the average cost of wedding decor?
As our ultimate wedding budget breakdown will show, we found that couples tend to spend around R8,000 and R150,000 on average on professionally sourced wedding decor (as opposed to DIY wedding decor), excluding the cost of flowers.
Should you hire a wedding decorator?
Wedding decor is something many couples choose to arrange for themselves, but if you’re looking for custom items, then you may want to consider hiring a professional to take care of it for you. Similarly, you may have a vision for your wedding that you could struggle to make a reality by yourself — wedding decorators have the skills and experience to bring your ideas to life in ways that you might not.
It should also be said that some decor can take a lot of time and energy to put together. When planning your wedding, you’ll have a lot of plates to spin, and custom decorations can be one of the most time-consuming. Yes, hand-making your own bunting may save you money, but it might add unnecessary stress to what can already be a stressful process.
That being said, if you’re on a tight budget, then organising your decor yourself is one of the first cuts you can make.
What factors can affect the cost of wedding decor?
Whether you decide to hire décor items, bring in a professional decorator, or go the DIY route, there are a few key factors that can push the cost of wedding decor up or down. It all comes down to your style, venue, guest numbers, and how much you want to handle yourself.
- The venue: The larger the venue, the more expensive it’s likely to be to decorate to your own tastes. It’s also important to check with the venue whether they restrict certain items.
- The location: Is the venue difficult to get to, or in a less populated area which means sourcing decorations from nearby may be challenging?
- Date: If you’re hiring decorations, then expect to pay a little more during peak times, such as during the summer months or at weekends.
- The number of tables: If you have fewer tables, then you’ll need fewer centrepieces.
- Style and theme: The more grandiose your style and theme, the more expensive it will be to hire the relevant decor.
- Customisation: Custom decorations are more expensive than those that are off-the-shelf. A DIY approach may save you a lot of money!
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