Hi and congratulations!
Obviously there are lots of variables for the cost of a wedding, the biggest driver being guest numbers. However, I can give you a rough idea for a hotel wedding in Scotland.
Cost for registrar or celebrant to come out to the venue. Around £400.
This reduces to £125 for a registry office with no guests. Bigger room at a nice registry office somewhere in between. Humanist cost around the same but a more personalised ceremony.
Other notice paperwork etc
Around £90
Hotel wedding packages (general range)
£60-£120 pp
These normally include an arrival drink, 3 course meal, wine with meal, coffee, toast drink, staffing, a cash bar, light buffet (normally bacon rolls) in evening, and a master of ceremonies to run the day.
Some packages include a free room for the B&G on the wedding night, or include other extras such as table flowers, photographer or DJ.
Most hotels charge a venue fee on top of the pp charge. This can be anything from £300 to £7000 for 4/5 star venues.
On the other hand some hotels include free venue hire, but will normally charge a few hundred extra to use the hotel for the ceremony if you aren’t going to a registry office or church first.
Most hotels have minimum numbers, which tend to be lower on weekdays.
Other costs after can be cut to the bone if required, as long as the ceremony and reception are sorted.
These typically include...
rings, your dress and accessories, brides bouquet, bridesmaids dresses and flowers, buttonholes and suits/kilts, photographer, DJ or band, invitations, cake, decorations, accommodation for other family members, extra drinks/open bar, etc etc.
At the end of the day these things are just extras and not necessities, you could spend as much or as little as you like on them.
In my opinion, once you have a venue, someone to marry you, and a reception with food and drink appropriate to the time of day and the distance guests have travelled, you don’t need to worry about the rest.
For example, if you guests are fairly local and you invite them to a small reception from 3pm till 5pm, there is nothing wrong with just offering wedding cake and tea. However if people have travelled and your day starts at 1pm and ends at midnight, you will need decent food, lots of it, and some alcohol will be expected!
Did you have any ideas of numbers or budget? Or what type of day you want to have? Maybe we can help. I would also recommend reporting your post to mumsnet to ask for it to be moved to Weddings. It’s fairly busy and friendly over there!