first communions that look like ‘mini weddings’

Less (many less), but more expensive (much more expensive). In Spain it is increasingly more difficult meet families who organize first communions, but those who decide to celebrate the Christian ceremony dig deeper into their pockets than they did a few years ago. This is clearly shown by the latest report from the Spanish Consumer Association (BCE), which reveals that today the average cost of first communions exceeds 6,800 euros21% more than in 2025 and well above the 4,000 euros that were paid only three years ago.

There are those who already describe them as ‘miniature weddings’.

The data: 6,800 euros. There is nothing written about how a first communion should be celebrated. Beyond the requirements of the religious ceremony, the sacrament and catechesis, everything else is usually the family’s free choice: clothing, flowers, banquet, photography, gifts… latest AEC data show that, when considering these ‘extras’, more and more parents are reaching for their checkbook and putting themselves into budgets that easily exceed 6,000 euros.

To be more precise, the association calculates that the average cost of the celebrations already exceeds 6,800 euros.

What is the money used for? The first thing that makes AEC clear There are as many first communions as there are families. Parties may have become more expensive over time, but that does not mean that they have done the same in all cases. According to their study, it is common for celebrations to range between 3,200 euros for the cheapest parties and more than 15,800 euros for the most ostentatious ones, with around 50 guests. The most splendid ones even shoot up the bill to the 22,000 euros.

This is a considerable difference, but (as happens in weddings) the catalog of extras for first communions is also extensive. BCE calculate In the case of girls, dresses can cost between 90 and 1,900 euros, an amount to which shoes, gloves, stockings and jewelry must then be added. The hairdresser increases the bill even more, between 20 and 140 euros. If we talk about boys, the suits range between 110 and 820, depending on whether the parents want to dress him as a “sailor or admiral.”

like at a wedding. Clothing is just one of the (many) expenses that families make, which can also include photography services, souvenirs, gifts, music… And the biggest of all, food.

“First communions are being considered similar to wedding banquets, no longer being more intimate and strictly family celebrations as they were years ago,” explains AEC before specifying that the cover ranges between 50 and 220 euros, although the average price usually hovers around 90. If we invite fifty people, that raises the bill to 4,500.

Getting perspective. The most curious thing about the AEC study is not so much the figures it lists as the trend it draws. The association has been calculating the average cost of first communions in Spain for a few years now and when comparing their analyzes it is observed that the bill has not stopped increasing: in 2023 the average was around 4,000 eurosin 2025 it had already skyrocketed to 5,600 and now exceeds 6,800. In short: an increase of 70% in just three years.

“The celebration of this ceremony can mean a significant outlay for families, many of them going through great economic difficulties,” points out AEC. The increase in the bill is not explained solely by the increase in prices (not only have first communions become more expensive, the shopping basket has also become more expensive). Another key is the extra services that have become popular, such as photographic or video reports by professionals.

More expensive, less frequent. The most curious thing (or not) is that the only thing that increases is the average ticket for first communions. If we talk about the number of ceremonies, things are quite different. The activity reports published each year by the Spanish Episcopal Conference reflect that priests teach this sacrament less and less frequently. If in 2007 they were held 256,587in 2017 they were already 229,602 and in 2024 they did not reach 154,700.

This decline is explained by two factors: cultural changes and a loss of young population, especially in the last decade. Since 2015, the cohort of children between 5 and 9 years old has decreased almost 10%a reality that is especially noticeable in rural areas where catechesis sessions bring together a handful of applicants to the first communion.

Do we celebrate less? No. We celebrate differently. Perhaps the celebration of the Christian sacrament is in the doldrums, but in recent years other celebrations that reflect the transformation of Spanish society itself have gained strength.

For example, there are families that have changed Christian baptisms for others of a civil nature. In areas such as the Community of Madrid, where the Latin American population has been shot In recent decades, it has become increasingly easier to also encounter parties of quinceañeraan imported custom that has caught on among the natives.

Image | Shalone Cason (Unsplash)

In Xataka | 40,000 euros to say “yes, I want”: weddings in Spain have become events and their price is skyrocketing