How Much Should Your Budget for Your Wedding Decorating?
Planning a wedding in Melbourne and wondering how much it will cost to decorate your big day? You’re not alone. One of the most common questions we get asked is: “How much should I budget for wedding decorating?” In 2024, the average spend of a wedding in Australia was around $35,000-$40,000 varying slightly from state to state. The average cost in Melbourne was more around the high-end of the scale. The average budget for the decorating/styling component was approx. 10%-15% or around $3,500-$6,000.
For the amount of $3,000-$5,000, this is typically the bottom end of decorating budgets when it comes to styling a wedding. For this budget range, you would be getting more of the basic essentials. This is not to say that you can’t have a nicely decorated wedding with this budget. What you spend will vary greatly depending on what your wedding priorities are.
In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about wedding decoration costs in 2025/26. We will discuss what influences pricing and what you can expect for different wedding decorating budget ranges. Whether you’re dreaming of a lavish floral wonderland or a stylish minimalist setup, this post will help you plan smarter. Before we start, there is quite often some confusion over the difference between a wedding stylist and a wedding decorator.
What's the Difference Between a Wedding Stylist and a Wedding Decorator?
While the terms Wedding Stylist and Wedding Decorator are often used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same. Understanding the difference can help you choose the right service for your wedding.
What is a Wedding Stylist?
A Wedding Stylist is like the creative director of your wedding’s look and feel. They work closely with you to design a cohesive visual concept that reflects your personality, venue, and wedding vibe. A stylist will help you with:
- Choosing your wedding theme, colours, and mood
- Designing the overall guest experience and aesthetic
- Creating mood boards, style guides, and floor plans
- Sourcing or recommending décor that fits your style
- Ensuring consistency across every visual detail, from florals and furniture to lighting and signage
Think of a Wedding Stylist as the “vision maker”. They translate your wedding styling ideas into a curated, beautiful reality.
What is a Wedding Decorator?
A Wedding Decorator is focused on the execution and setup of your chosen décor. They may not be involved in the design process from the beginning, but they bring your dream wedding look to life by:
- Supplying hire items like furniture, lighting, drapes, and props
- Setting up and styling the wedding venue on the day
- Handling installation, pack down, and logistical setup
- Following your pre-planned theme or design brief
Think of a Wedding Decorator as the “hands on expert”. They handle all the details that make the visual magic happen.
So, Which One do You Need?
- If you know exactly what décor products you want and just need help setting it up a wedding decorator may be enough
- If you’re unsure of your style, feeling overwhelmed, or want a full visual plan, you’ll benefit from a wedding stylist (who may also handle decorating in a lot of cases).
At Feel Good Events, we offer both wedding design + styling support, and full décor setup. This means you don’t have to choose between vision and execution and then source all your decorations from somewhere else. At Feel Good Events, we do everything to make your wedding decorating journey as easy as possible. Dealing with just one company means less moving parts and less chance of things going wrong on your big day.
What Influences the Cost of Wedding Styling?
Wedding styling isn’t one size fits all. Your budget will depend on many variables and some you may not have considered yet.
1. The Type of Wedding Experience You Want
Start by asking:
- What do I want my guests to feel when they walk into the venue?
- Do I want a subtle “Oh, that looks lovely” or a jaw dropping “Wow, this looks amazing!”?
- The amount of styling you do and the style you choose will greatly influence how your guests feel and the reaction they have when they enter your wedding. The wow factor will cost a lot more than the ‘’oh that looks nice’’ experience.
The more visual impact you want, the higher the cost, it’s that simple.
2. DIY vs Professional Styling
Want to save money? You can DIY your wedding decorating, but it comes with using a lot of your time, effort, and may cause potential stress.
Consider:
- Can you set everything up in the time allowed?
- How will items get delivered and packed down?
- Do you have the creative skills to achieve your desired look?
- Will the venue require safety inductions or documentation?
The less work you do yourself, the more you’ll pay in labour.
3. Venue Type and Setup
- Wedding Venue: May already have stylish elements, reducing your décor needs.
- Blank canvas or marquee venue: You’ll need to bring in more décor, which increases cost.
- Home weddings: Often require full setup including furniture, lighting, and flooring.
4. Indoor vs. Outdoor Weddings
Outdoor events often need extra equipment, weatherproofing, and have more restrictions. These can significantly increase decorating costs.
5. Guest Numbers
This is one of the biggest cost drivers. More guests = more tables, chairs, centrepieces, and overall styling.
The Impact of Wedding Style on Budget
Different styles and décor trends come with different price tags.
- Rustic or boho: Often more budget friendly (especially with artificial florals).
- Modern luxe or romantic elegance: Typically more expensive due to premium materials and styling.
- Fresh vs. artificial flowers: Fresh flowers can drastically increase your budget, depending on the season and quantity.
- Wedding trends: Keeping up with wedding trends can sometimes add more cost. In 2025/26 dramatic draping is all the trend but isn’t a cheap thing to do especially if you want to drape both walls and ceiling.
What makes Melbourne Wedding Styling Unique?
Weddings in Melbourne come with their own quirks, and opportunities. Here’s how the local scene shapes decoration planning:
- Unpredictable weather: Melbourne’s four seasons in a day climate means outdoor weddings require backup plans, sheltered setups, and often extra costs for securing down décor items.
- Venue diversity: From industrial warehouse venues in Brunswick to elegant winery spaces in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne couples often choose blank canvas spaces. This then means you’ll need more styling to bring them to life.
- Cultural diversity: Melbourne hosts a wide range of multicultural weddings, each with unique styling traditions that often require more complex décor setups.
- Local event demand: High demand for quality suppliers and venues (especially in peak season) means wedding stylists and decorators book out early. Planning ahead is essential.
If you’re booking a popular venue or a Spring/Summer date, lock in your decorator 12+ months in advance.
Hire Wedding Décor vs. Buy: What's Cheaper?
Hiring your wedding décor is almost always cheaper and more sustainable than buying. Plus, you don’t have to deal with storage, resale, or logistics after the wedding.
Hidden Costs You Might Miss
When calculating your wedding decorating budget, don’t forget the extras:
- Travel and delivery fees
- After hours labour or pack down costs
- Venue access restrictions (stairs, lifts, bump in times)
- Labour for setup and pack down
- Damage waiver (usually 7.5% of hire cost)
- GST – Be careful that you don’t miss the GST component as a lot of wedding decorating hire companies don’t always show this in their pricing.
Cost Saving Tips Without Sacrificing Style
Want the wedding WOW factor without blowing the budget? These decorating strategies can help you save smart:
- Reuse ceremony décor at the reception: A floral arbor can become a photo backdrop or head table feature.
- Focus on high impact zones: Style key areas like the entryway, bar, bridal table, and dance floor. Skip over decorating areas or corners that guests won’t use.
- Mix real and artificial flowers: Use fresh blooms in focal points, and artificial florals elsewhere to cut costs without losing beauty.
- Hire instead of buy: Save money (and stress) by hiring specialty items like lighting, lounge furniture, and florals.
- Choose a venue that needs less decorating: Venues with strong architectural features or garden surrounds can cut your styling costs in half.
Biggest budget impact: Lighting can make a massive difference to your wedding venue and isn’t that expensive. Lighting can change the look and feel of the whole venue, quite often more than other wedding decorations.
How Wedding Decorating Prices are Typically Calculated
When you hire a wedding stylist and decorator like Feel Good Events, the cost is made up of:
- Design fee: For planning your styling concept
- Hire or purchase costs: For furniture, draping, lighting, florals, etc.
- Labour & delivery fees: For setup, pack down, transport, and after hours styling
- Damage waiver: Often around 7.5% of hire products costs. In Melbourne this is pretty standard for most wedding hire companies. The damage waiver is for wear and tear or hire equipment and in some cases covers very minor damage or breakages.
Wedding Decorating Budget Ranges & What You Can Expect
Here’s a breakdown of what you might get at different budget levels in 2025/26:
| Budget Range | What You’ll Get |
|---|---|
| $3k – $5,000 | Essential décor only – basic table styling, minimal ceremony setup, simple lighting. |
| $10k – $15,000 | A more polished look — upgraded centrepieces, ceremony arches, draping, mood lighting. |
| $20k–$50,000 | Full room transformation — large floral installs, ceiling decor, luxe furniture, full venue styling, custom dance floors. |
| $100,000+ | Luxury weddings — custom builds, premium florals, theatrical lighting, total wow factor styling. |
The size and layout of your venue can influence how far your budget goes.
So, How Much Should You Spend on Wedding Decorating?
There’s no one size fits all answer, but here’s how to decide:
- If styling is a top priority, allocate 15-25% of your total budget to décor
- If it’s less important, stick to essentials and spend closer to 5-10%
- Start with your end goal in mind – what do you want your guests to remember?
Remember:
Decorating is just one part of your overall guest experience. The food, music, people, and vibe also shape your wedding memories. It is important to know that your wedding décor is what sets the scene and affects how you and your guests will feel. You and your guests might not always remember all the decor details or everything that happened on the night but you will remember the feelings you had.
Wedding Decorating Timeline: When to Book, Plan, and Finalise
Here’s a recommended decorating timeline to keep everything on track for both your ceremony and reception:
| Timeline | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 12–18 months before | Book your wedding venue (style and layout will impact décor needs). Start collecting inspiration for themes, colours, and mood. |
| 10–12 months before | Research and hire your wedding decorator or stylist. Discuss high level vision and get initial ballpark pricing. |
| 8–10 months before | Finalize guest count range. Start narrowing down styling elements for both ceremony and reception. |
| 6 months before | Approve a draft styling concept. Confirm ceremony & reception layouts with your venue. Begin locking in hire items (arches, tables, lighting). |
| 3 months before | Finalise full quote. Confirm access times with venue. Book any specialty florals or feature installs. |
| 1 month before | Walk through logistics and finalize bump in and bump out times. Double check any weather back up plans for outdoor weddings. |
| 1 week before | Touch base with your decorator or stylist to ensure everything is ready to go. Provide emergency contacts if needed. |
Tip: If you’re doing any elements DIY, allow double the prep and pack down time.
Common Decorating Budget Mistakes to Avoid
When it comes to styling your wedding, these are the decorating budget traps many couples fall into:
- Underestimating labour and setup costs: Decorating takes time and muscle. Professional setup, delivery, and pack down fees add up, especially for large installs.
- Not asking your venue about restrictions: Some venues limit what can be hung, placed, or used (especially candles or hanging décor). Not checking early can mean costly last-minute changes.
- Overcommitting to DIY: DIY is cheaper up front but expensive in time and stress. Plus, rushed setups often under deliver on your vision.
- Choosing a style without pricing research: Luxe or high floral styles can cost more than rustic or minimalist ones. Lock in your wedding style/theme after you understand what it costs to bring it to life.
- Assuming fewer guests = smaller décor bill: Even small weddings often need the same core items – ceremony décor, signage, lighting, feature table décor. Guest count doesn’t always cut costs every time.
Avoiding these missteps can easily save you thousands and protect your sanity leading up to the big day.
Wedding Decorating Costs FAQs
How much does wedding decorating cost in Melbourne in 2025/26
In 2025/26, most Melbourne couples spend $5,000 to $15,000 on wedding decorating. This varies based on guest numbers, venue type, and your chosen style. Luxury weddings can exceed $100,000 for high end custom setups.
What percentage of my wedding budget should go toward decorations?
On average, you should allocate 10-15% of your total wedding budget to styling and decorations. If décor and atmosphere are a big priority, you may want to invest up to 25%.
Is it cheaper to hire or buy wedding decorations?
Hiring décor is usually cheaper, more convenient, and more sustainable. It saves you time, storage space, and the stress of reselling items after the wedding. Hiring also includes professional setup and pack down in many cases.
Can I save money by doing my own wedding decorating?
Yes, but it comes with trade-offs. DIY decorating can save money but requires significant time, planning, transport, and setup effort. Many couples find it more stressful than expected, especially on the wedding day.
What's the difference between a wedding stylist and a decorator?
A wedding stylist designs the visual concept, the look, feel, and mood. A wedding decorator handles the execution and setting up the actual décor on the day. At Feel Good Events, we offer both services under one roof.
When should I book my wedding decorator?
In Melbourne, we recommend booking your wedding decorator or stylist at least 10-12 months in advance, especially for spring and summer weddings or popular venues.
Final Thoughts: Decorating Your Wedding the Way You Want
At the end of the day, how much you spend on decorating your wedding comes down to what matters most to you. If creating an unforgettable visual experience is a priority, it makes sense to invest more in styling. But if you’re working with a tighter budget or prefer simplicity, there are still plenty of beautiful and meaningful ways to style your wedding.
The most important thing is that your wedding feels authentic to you and creates an atmosphere your guests will enjoy and remember, whether that’s subtle elegance or a full blown wedding wow factor.
And remember, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Whether you need help with the entire styling process or just want someone to bring your wedding style to life on the day, our team at Feel Good Events is here to make it easy, stress free, and absolutely stunning.
Need Help Budgeting or Styling?
At Feel Good Events, we’ve helped hundreds of Melbourne couples bring their wedding style to life, whether you’re keeping it intimate or going all out. Get in touch for a free consultation and let us help you create a look that fits your venue, your vision, and your budget.
Author – Marcus Prentice – Event & Wedding Planner/Partyologist
