What an Ibiza wedding really costs

The honest headline

There is no single number, but there is a useful one. For a wedding of 80 guests at a private villa or finca, most couples land between 1,200 and 2,200 euros per guest once everything is counted. That figure surprises people because it includes production costs that a hotel wedding at home would absorb invisibly.

Where the money actually goes

A private venue in Ibiza is usually an empty beautiful space. Everything else arrives on a truck: kitchen, tables, chairs, glassware, lighting, generators, bathrooms, staff.

• Venue hire — 8,000 to 40,000 euros depending on size, exclusivity and month
• Catering — 180 to 350 euros per guest for a full day of food and drink
• Furniture and production — 15,000 to 60,000 euros; the single most underestimated line
• Florals and styling — 6,000 to 30,000 euros
• Photography and film — 6,000 to 20,000 euros
• Music — 5,000 to 25,000 euros, more if you want a name DJ
• Planning — typically 10 to 15 percent of total spend

The costs couples forget

Guest transport, licences for late music, generator hire, wet-weather cover, welcome dinner, day-after beach club, and the 21 percent IVA that some suppliers quote separately.

Build a 10 percent contingency into the first version of your budget. You will use it.

Where to save without it showing

Reduce the guest list before you reduce the quality. Fifty guests hosted generously will always feel more luxurious than a hundred hosted carefully. After that: choose a venue that already has infrastructure, marry midweek, and use the island's natural setting instead of building a set.