Wales’ capital city, Cardiff, is a place where history and culture come together with modern amenities and charm to create a fantastic destination. From the stunning Cardiff Castle in the heart of the city to the tranquil beauty of Bute Park and the lovely waterfront at Cardiff Bay, the city is bursting with pride and life. With a thriving arts and music scene, loads of green spaces and bags of history, Cardiff makes for a great city to host your wedding.
Our 2025 Wedding Report found that 4% of UK weddings take place in Cardiff and the rest of Wales, with more than four out of every five couples (83%) choosing to stay in the area to tie the knot. The average cost of a Cardiff wedding is £18,368, which is more than £2,000 cheaper than the UK average of £20,822. It’s also way below the cost of a wedding in the English capital (£28,629) and a little less than the cost of a wedding in the Scottish capital (£18,617), making it a fantastic choice for a city wedding if you’re conscious of your budget.
With loads of beaches nearby, brilliant transport options, unbeatable landscapes and a huge range of affordable venues, Cardiff may just be able to provide exactly what you’re looking for on your big day.
Cardiff’s mix of history, industry and natural beauty makes for some truly special wedding trends. Many couples lean into the city’s heritage, choosing castle venues or incorporating Welsh traditions, such as featuring a harpist or Welsh colour schemes, or including traditional Welsh love spoons as wedding favours.
Rustic and countryside weddings are also popular, with many couples opting for barn venues or outdoor ceremonies that embrace Wales’ breathtaking landscapes. Just imagine getting married with the backdrop of the rolling hills and mountains of the Welsh countryside behind you.
Festival-style weddings with food trucks, live music and laid-back vibes are on the rise, with couples happy to risk the rain. Just make sure you have a backup venue if this is something you decide to go for.
Sustainable weddings are also a growing trend in Cardiff, with many couples choosing eco-friendly venues, locally sourced catering and minimal-waste decor to lower the carbon footprint of their wedding.
Cardiff’s rich history, combined with its modern and creative vibe, means there are so many different types of wedding venues to choose from. Whether you’re dreaming of an ancient and elegant castle ceremony, a quirky and unique celebration or something that celebrates Welsh national pride, you’re spoilt for choice in and around the city of Cardiff.
Wales has the nickname of the castle capital of the world, thanks to it being home to more than 100 castles (down from 600 once upon a time). Many of those castles make for stunning wedding venues you can use to this day. Hensol Castle is set in wonderful grounds with its own lake and woodland, providing the perfect fairytale backdrop. Cardiff Castle, in the middle of the city, is world-famous and has some absolutely breathtaking interiors. St Donat’s Castle is a fantastic 12th-century structure with an inner courtyard that makes for the best wedding pictures.
For something not quite as old but still just as luxurious, there are plenty of stately homes and country houses around Cardiff. You really can’t go wrong with the likes of St Mellons Country Club, Gileston Manor and Sant Ffraed House if you’re after a touch of class and elegance on your big day.
To make the most of the Welsh countryside and clean fresh air, there are plenty of outdoor venues around Cardiff. The Secret Garden, Dyffryn Springs and Pencoed House each have charm and character, brilliant for a wedding surrounded by the great outdoors.
For a venue a little bit different, the city also gives you loads of opportunities to choose a venue like no other. Swalec Stadium is home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club, and the National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans National History Museum are brilliant attractions that let you tie the knot among artefacts from years gone by.
Being such an affordable place to get married, there are also plenty of venues around Cardiff that are kind to smaller budgets. Ridgeway Golf Club, Portland House and Temple of Peace are just a few of the venues you need to check out for a lower-cost wedding around the city.
The average cost of a wedding venue in Cardiff (as well as the whole of Wales) is £5,924, which is a smidge lower than the national UK average of £5,945. While this is more or less in line with elsewhere in the country, couples can make great savings on other aspects of their wedding in Cardiff, with the likes of caterers, photographers and florists all costing less on average.
Cardiff is an increasingly popular place to host a wedding, so if it’s something you’re keen to do, then you should book your venue as early as possible. Most couples book their venue at least 12 to 18 months in advance, especially for summer weddings. For particularly high-demand venues, or if you want to get married during the busy summer season or at the weekend, booking two years in advance isn’t uncommon.
If you’re flexible with your date or venue, you may be able to book as little as six months in advance, especially if you’re happy to get married on a weekday or during the off-season. But we’d never recommend leaving anything to chance – once you know when and where you want to get married, you should try to secure it as far ahead as you can.
Cardiff’s weather, like the rest of Wales and the wider UK, can be up and down. And rain is always a possibility – in fact, Cardiff is the wettest city in the UK. But don’t let that put you off, there’s still plenty of sun to take advantage of, which means a well-timed wedding can be everything you’ve dreamed about.
Spring (March - May) is a beautiful time for a wedding in Cardiff, with parks and gardens coming to life in bloom. Bute Park, Roath Park and the National Botanic Garden of Wales make for stunning photo backdrops. Temperatures range from 9°C (48°F) in March to 15°C (59°F) in May, though remember, showers are a possibility.
Summer (June - August) is peak wedding season in Cardiff, with longer daylight hours and the warmest temperatures of the year, averaging between 18°C (64°F) and 22°C (72°F). It’s the best time for outdoor weddings, with everything from beaches to mountains just a stone’s throw from the city centre. Venues like St Tewdrics House have amazing grounds, so you can have a beautiful outdoor wedding to take advantage of the sun.
Autumn (September - November) brings cooler temperatures, from 13°C (55°F) in September to 8°C (46°F) in November. Lovely autumnal colours like yellows and oranges begin to replace those summer greens, which look fantastic in wedding photos. Many venues offer cosy indoor spaces so you can keep warm and dry, like Ridgeway Golf Club and Canada Lodge.
Winter (December - February) is cold in Cardiff, with temperatures ranging between 2°C (36°F) and 7°C (45°F), though frequently dropping below freezing. It’s definitely the time to book an indoor venue, but the city’s history and architecture look great when covered in a light layer of frost – perfect for your photographs.
Cardiff is well-connected and easy to navigate, making it a great choice for wedding guests travelling from across the UK, as well as the rest of Europe.
Cardiff Central Station is right in the city centre and offers direct trains to major cities like London, Bristol and Manchester. London to Cardiff by train takes around an hour and 45 minutes. The city also has a good bus network, plus plenty of taxis so you can get around with ease.
Cardiff Airport (CWL) is just 12 miles from the city centre and offers flights to and from various UK and European destinations. Guests travelling from further afield can also use Bristol Airport, just a short hop over the Severn Bridge (which you no longer need to pay to use – result!).
For those driving, Cardiff is easily accessible via the M4, which stretches from the M25 right down to Swansea, where it becomes the A48 and takes you further west.
As a popular tourist city, Cardiff has a fantastic selection of hotels to suit every budget. There are also plenty of hotels that double as lovely wedding venues, so you can spend the entire day under one roof and not have to concern yourself over the weather. Hotels like The Bear Hotel, The New House Country Hotel and Coed-Y-Mwstwr Hotel are all fantastic options.
