Australian couples are increasingly turning their backs on lavish, budget-busting ceremonies in favour of simple 'pub weddings', as the average cost of tying the knot soars above $35,000.
The Rise of the 'Pop-Up Pub Wedding'
In response to this trend, marriage celebrant Bec Page is now offering couples the chance to book a 'Pop-Up Pub Wedding' slot. She has launched a special Valentine's Day event for February 2026 at the Bateau Bay Hotel on the New South Wales Central Coast. "We're doing a pop-up registry, so there are bookable slots you can come and have a little, very quick, legal ceremony at a pub," Ms Page explained. She aims to keep it simple for those who want to marry "without having to feel pressure", suggesting couples can afterwards "go and have a schooner or a cocktail".
Couples Prioritise Life Over a Single Day
This shift is powerfully illustrated by stay-at-home mother Taya McDonald, 34, and her roofer husband Evan, 35. The couple, who have been together since 2014 and have two children, were married at the Terrigal Beach House pub on the NSW Central Coast on September 27. For them, a traditional wedding was never the dream. "I honestly couldn't think of anything worse than standing up in front of like 100 people," Mrs McDonald told the Daily Mail. "I was never one of those girls who dreamed of the big white dress."
The low-key ceremony saw the couple sign their documents in the pub garden, Evan with a beer and Taya in a green sundress with a glass of non-alcoholic wine. As a single-income family, the choice was financial as much as personal. "Weddings are expensive," Taya said. "We'd rather use that money to do stuff with the children... to give them a good childhood, rather than just one day."
High Costs Fuel a Lasting Cultural Shift
The move towards micro-weddings is being driven by stark financial realities. The 2025 Australian Weddings Industry Report by Easy Weddings, which surveyed over 4,000 couples, revealed the average spend on a wedding day has hit $35,315. On average, couples spend 29% more than their original budget.
Celebrant Bec Page notes a "huge shift" in mindset post-Covid, where scaled-back celebrations have led many to reassess their priorities. "People started to say, 'You know what, let's just get married. That's what we really want'," she said. She argues that smaller ceremonies allow couples to redirect funds towards a mortgage, family holidays, or other life goals. "All of the little costs of the traditional big wedding can really add up, and that can be really unrealistic for a lot of people," Page added.
Another couple, Simone and William Parker, both 32, exemplify this pragmatic approach. They abandoned a dream wedding in a Scottish castle—which would have cost around $40,000 plus flights and accommodation—for a small service and lunch with 23 loved ones at The Olive Grove Wedding and Function Centre in Forresters Beach on September 21. "I didn't want that stress," Simone, a train driver, said. "I wanted my day with the person I cared about. It was perfect."
Despite the growing popularity, some stigma remains. Taya McDonald admitted that some close to them did not treat their pub wedding day as significantly as they might have a traditional event. "There's probably a stigma around the fact that it's not as celebrated," she reflected. However, for a growing number of Australians, the value of marriage is being firmly separated from the extravagance of its celebration.
