Mes Invités The price of wedding suppliers
A wedding price only makes sense if you know what it covers. In 2026, a photographer costs 200 to 600 € for a short ceremony and 1.100 to 3.200 € for the day and evening ; a DJ from €350 for a drinks reception to €2.500 and more for a full day; a venue from 150 € at the town hall to several thousand euros for an estate.
Updated on 7 October 2026
These ranges come from rates published by the suppliers themselves and by municipalities. They are not averages: they show the breadth of the market, from small packages to the top end.
The photographer, by duration
| Duration | Advertised prices | What this shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 hours, town hall or ceremony | 200 à 600 € | A professional photographer can cost less than 500 € if the booking is short. |
| 3 to 4 hours | 400 à 1 250 € | The price already depends on the style and on what is delivered. |
| 4 to 5 hours, half day | 500 à 1 200 € | A real share of the market falls below 1.000 €. |
| 6 to 8 hours | €700 to €1.800 and more | From simple to double depending on experience, season, region, retouching, album. |
| 10 to 12 hours, day and evening | €1.100 to €3.200 and more | This is the format usually cited as the “price of a wedding photographer”. |
Writing “a wedding photographer costs 1.000 to 3.000 €” without saying how long they stay hides a whole part of the market.
The DJ, by format
| Format | Advertised prices | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremony or cocktail, 2 to 3 hours | 350 à 550 € | Packages at €400 or €500 really do exist. |
| Simple evening, 5 to 7 hours | 500 à 1 200 € | Very common outside big cities and among independents. |
| Typical wedding evening | 800 à 1 500 € | The core of the specialist guides, but not the floor of the market. |
| Full day, substantial equipment | €1.200 to €2.500 and more | Set-up, ceremony, drinks reception, meal, lighting and effects push the price up. |
| High-end, entertainment | €1.500 to €3.500 and more | A segment, not a general benchmark. |
The reception venue, by type
This is the item where a single range makes the least sense: municipal rates show weekends at a few hundred euros, while venue directories go up to several thousand.
| Type of venue | Published ranges | To check |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal hall, function room | Most often €150 to €600, from €50 to €2.000 in directories | Resident or not, heating, tableware, cleaning |
| Standard private venue | €800 to €3.500 per day | Furniture, kitchen, hours |
| Renovated barn or farm | €1.500 to €4.000, sometimes more | A “bare” hire requires a lot of equipment |
| Estate or manor house | Commonly €1.500 to €6.000 | Accommodation and grounds change the price a lot |
| Castle | Commonly €3.000 to €15.000, and well beyond for some | Never compare without stating the level |
| Exclusive-use restaurant | €0 to €2.000 rental | Often replaced by a minimum spend |
Examples of village halls
| Venue | 2026 weekend rate |
|---|---|
| Room for 170 people | €220 for a resident, €340 for non-residents in summer, up to €470 with tableware in winter |
| Room for 80 people | €300 for a resident, €450 for non-residents, from Friday evening to Sunday evening |
| Village hall, two-day package | €300 for a resident, €400 for non-residents |
| Room for 185 people | €300 for a resident, €450 for non-residents, Friday to Monday |
To compare two venues, note at least: how long it is available, the furniture, the kitchen for the caterer, cleaning, heating or air conditioning, the curfew, the corkage fee, any mandatory suppliers, the sleeping places and the price of an extra day. A venue at €1.500 can end up costing more than one at €3.000 if everything else is optional.
For floor space, allow 1 to 1.3 m² per guest for a seated dinner, 1.3 to 1.8 m² with a dance floor, 0.7 to 1 m² for a standing drinks reception. The venue’s legal capacity always takes precedence.
The caterer
The price of a menu and the price of a full reception cannot be compared: the caterer’s rates, by level of service.
When to book
| Decision | Recommended lead time |
|---|---|
| Budget and guest list | 18 to 24 months |
| Venue | 12 to 24 months |
| Photographer | 12 to 18 months |
| Wedding planner, full organisation | 12 to 18 months |
| Caterer | 9 to 12 months and more |
| DJ and music | 9 to 12 months |
| Officiant | 6 to 12 months |
| Florist and decor | 6 to 9 months |
| Stationery, beauty, photo booth | 4 to 8 months |
| Drink quantities | 30 to 45 days |
| Final number for the caterer | depending on the contract, often 7 to 15 days |
| Seating plan | 7 to 15 days |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a wedding photographer cost?
- It depends on the length: €200 to €600 for one to two hours at the town hall or ceremony, €500 to €1.200 for half a day, €700 to €1.800 and more for six to eight hours, €1.100 to €3.200 and more for the day and evening.
- How much does a wedding DJ cost?
- From €350 to €550 for a ceremony or a two-to-three-hour drinks reception, €500 to €1.200 for a simple five-to-seven-hour evening, €800 to €1.500 for a typical wedding evening, and €1.200 to €2.500 and more for a full day with substantial equipment.
- How much does a wedding venue cost?
- From €150 to €600 a weekend for many village halls, €800 to €3.500 a day for a private hall, €1.500 to €6.000 for an estate and €3.000 to €15.000 for a château.
- When should you book your suppliers?
- Venue 12 to 24 months ahead, photographer 12 to 18 months, caterer and music 9 to 12 months, florist 6 to 9 months.
Sources and method
- Rates published by suppliers and local authorities, recorded on 7 October 2026: publicly displayed prices, by duration, type of venue and level of service; suppliers are not named.
- Directory of reception venues: rental ranges by type of venue.
Private studies and guides are described without being named; public bodies are cited with their link.
Each figure is labelled: Official public statistic; Observed expenses declared after the wedding; Survey declared intentions or estimates; Market price ranges seen among suppliers; Calculation calculated preparation benchmark, not a statistic.
These are orders of magnitude for mainland France. A local quote always takes precedence, and a price per person only makes sense if you know what it includes. Last updated: 7 October 2026.