On average what does a wedding cost

Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Bad news for anyone with wedding planning in their future or, alternately, good news for lovers of luxury : In just the last year alone, average wedding costs have skyrocketed. For example, the proportion of the total wedding cost spent on things like the wedding cake, favors, rehearsal dinner, after-party, and stationery all remained the same from to , and most other proportional costs saw only slight increases or decreases.

The biggest shift occurred in terms of the engagement and wedding rings , with the price of engagement rings making up 14 percent of the total wedding cost in , down from 17 percent in , and the wedding rings adding up to 3 percent this year, compared to 5 percent in These massive increases come even as almost every couple reported setting a budget for their nuptials—perhaps because nearly half of those also reported going over budget.

To make up for that difference, 35 percent of those surveyed said they have cut down on other costs to save for the big day, but another 24 percent said their overall purchases, even those not wedding-related, had increased since getting engaged. Head count affects expenses across the board, says Deborah Moody, executive director of the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants.

That sunny summer wedding probably comes with a trade-off: price. Ceremony sites, reception halls and photographers are known to offer lower rates during off-peak months, such as January or February. Saturday is the most popular day for weddings, and high demand often comes with a higher price tag.

You might be able to save by scheduling your big day on a Sunday or weekday — unless it coincides with a popular holiday. Once you've picked the services you want, the best way to identify fair prices and approximate the total bill is to ask around. Get quotes from multiple vendors. Then choose the options you think are the best value. Some venues provide tables, chairs, linens and audio equipment at no additional cost. Others charge extra or require you to rent these items from outside sources.

Compare apples to apples as you evaluate costs. If you find it necessary to negotiate, do it carefully and respectfully. Weddings aren't cheap. In the U. This trend toward spending less has to do with the fact that people are becoming more cost-conscious about wedding planning, The Knot says. Deciding which components to have at your wedding is a highly personal decision. However, it doesn't tell the whole story in terms of how much a wedding is likely to cost couples, as the price tag can vary substantially from state to state as well as based on the type of wedding.

Where you live can have a major impact on how much you spend to say "I do" to your beloved. Where you live isn't the only factor that affects how much you're likely to spend when you celebrate the start of your life with your beloved. The type of wedding also makes a difference:.

Hometown weddings come at a lower average cost than destination weddings for obvious reasons -- it's cheaper to stay local than to incur the costs of travel. However, some of the extra wedding costs of a destination ceremony may be offset by a lower price tag for the honeymoon, assuming the couple celebrates in the location where the wedding was held.

It's surprising, though, that millennials -- who have faced unprecedented financial struggles -- tend to spend more on their nuptials than their older counterparts. This discrepancy could be explained by the fact that social media has played an increasingly important role in driving the price of weddings up.

More than half of all couples set up their own wedding hashtag in Sexual orientation made almost no difference at all in average wedding costs. For many betrothed couples, weddings will look very different in -- and perhaps beyond -- due to COVID With most states imposing limits on the number of people attending gatherings and with coronavirus continuing to spread, lavish affairs are being replaced with alternatives, including these three options:.

While shift weddings will likely retain the high average cost of more traditional affairs, microweddings and minimonies come with much smaller price tags. While average wedding costs can provide insight into what couples are spending, they don't always tell the whole story and can establish unreasonable expectations.

Median cost can shed more insight into what typical couples are spending, as it is the middle number in the list. Unfortunately, median cost isn't as widely available. However, a quick look at the most recent year in which median wedding cost data was published shows a substantial discrepancy between the median and average cost. With tens of thousands of dollars on the line, it's important to understand what couples prioritize and where this money goes.

For most couples, budget increases are driven by five primary factors, according to Wedding Wire :. The data below shows average wedding costs for different spending categories, according to Wedding Wire :. Not all couples will incur all of these expenses, and some will choose to spend far less on certain areas in order to splurge on others. Where you get married can be one of the biggest drivers of cost, as the price tag of the most expensive venues can be several thousand dollars more than the least expensive.

In fact, according to Wedding Forward , here's the average cost of different wedding venues:. Wedding flowers are surprisingly complicated, with more than 15 different types of possible arrangements to consider. Mixing low- and high-priced florals can help keep budget costs down, as can reusing flowers from the ceremony at the reception and choosing flowers that are in season.

Most brides dream of finding the perfect gown, but the price of perfection isn't cheap. However, as this data from Wedding Forward shows, the cost depends on the skill level of the person taking the pictures. Here's what you can expect to spend if you hire photographers with varying levels of experience:. Factors that affect the price include. With so many moving parts to make up a perfect wedding, many couples turn to a professional for help planning it all. The average wedding size is guests, according to The Knot.

Having so many people present for your big day is a wonderful way to celebrate, but it's also one of the reasons weddings have such a high price tag. With such a high price tag, it can be hard for many couples to cover the costs of the typical wedding.