How Much Does the Average Wedding Cost?
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Your wedding day is meant to be the happiest of your life, but getting to that day can be extremely stressful, thanks to the high cost of anything wedding-related. Even with your family's help, you might spend tens of thousands of dollars on just that one day. But how much does the average wedding cost, and what are the best ways to cut back on your wedding expenses? We break it all down here so you can focus on the most important aspects of your wedding.
Wedding website The Knot surveyed 10,000 engaged couples in 2023 and found the average cost of a wedding was $35,000, $5,000 higher than in 2022.
The following table shows the average cost of weddings from 2019 to 2023, according to The Knot. With the exception of 2020, the height of the pandemic, costs have risen steadily for the most part.
Year | Wedding Costs Over the Years |
---|---|
2019 | $28,000 |
2020 | $19,000 |
2021 | $28,000 |
2022 | $30,000 |
2023 | $35,000 |
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the annual inflation rate in 2023 was 4.1%. Thatโs down from a high of 8% in 2022 and more in line with the 4.7% inflation rate in 2021. But what does that have to do with weddings?
When the annual inflation rate is high, the cost of goods and services also rises. This means your money wonโt go as far. For wedding planning, you may have to settle for a lower-quality bouquet or a buffet dinner instead of a multi-course meal with table service. And if you donโt want to lower your expectations, youโll probably have to increase your wedding budget to compensate for increased prices.
Data from The Knot shows that 51% of engaged couples in the U.S. went over their wedding budget in 2022. Thatโs why itโs vital to research the average costs of everything wedding-related where you plan to have the wedding to develop a realistic budget based on the current prices of goods and services.
According to online wedding planning resource Zola, the average cost of a wedding in 2024 is $33,000. Thatโs up 13.8% from 2023, when the average cost was $29,000.(The Knot doesnโt have data on 2024 costs yet).
The cost of a wedding varies significantly by state. Alaska is the cheapest state to get married in ($14,444), while Rhode Island is the most expensive ($49,207). The following are the average costs of a wedding by state (and in the District of Columbia), as reported by Zola.
State | Average Wedding Cost in 2024 |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,321 |
Alaska | $14,444 |
Arizona | $26,096 |
Arkansas | $18,438 |
California | $36,068 |
Colorado | $31,025 |
Connecticut | $39,844 |
Delaware | $32,381 |
District of Columbia | $47,917 |
Florida | $31,020 |
Georgien | $30,127 |
Hawaii | $36,351 |
Idaho | $22,895 |
Illinois | $38,364 |
Indiana | $23,737 |
Iowa | $17,770 |
Kansas | $21,574 |
Kentucky | $22,378 |
Louisiana | $34,375 |
Maine | $40,086 |
Maryland | $37,121 |
Massachusetts | $41,579 |
Michigan | $28,983 |
Minnesota | $25,926 |
Mississippi | $24,808 |
Missouri | $24,731 |
Montana | $18,958 |
Nebraska | $21,200 |
Nevada | $17,337 |
New Hampshire | $35,474 |
New Jersey | $45,586 |
New Mexico | $32,600 |
New York | $45,422 |
North Carolina | $30,928 |
North Dakota | $25,000 |
Ohio | $26,489 |
Oklahoma | $21,094 |
Oregon | $25,474 |
Pennsylvania | $31,892 |
Rhode Island | $49,207 |
South Carolina | $35,845 |
South Dakota | $15,625 |
Tennessee | $28,625 |
Texas | $29,432 |
Utah | $23,750 |
Vermont | $46,157 |
Virginia | $32,815 |
Washington | $24,923 |
West Virginia | $19,688 |
Wisconsin | $27,172 |
Wyoming | $42,000 |
While the average cost of a wedding in your state can be a good resource to help determine your budget, costs will likely be higher in large metro areas. For example, the average wedding in New York City costs $49,866โseveral thousand dollars higher than the New York state average of $45,422.
Even within the same state, costs can vary significantly by metro area. For example, the average wedding cost in California is $36,068. But getting married in Sacramento ($29,167) is much cheaper than in San Francisco ($44,229).
City | Average Wedding Cost in 2024 |
---|---|
Atlanta | $30,514 |
Boston | $43,949 |
Chicago | $42,192 |
Cleveland | $32,688 |
Dallas | $30,763 |
Denver | $30,061 |
Houston | $28,346 |
Los Angeles | $37,154 |
Miami | $35,731 |
Minneapolis | $29,094 |
New York | $49,866 |
Orlando | $28,000 |
Philadelphia | $40,161 |
Phoenix | $26,558 |
Sacramento | $29,167 |
San Francisco | $44,229 |
Seattle | $26,651 |
Tampa | $29,968 |
Washington, D.C. | $41,824 |
Getting married in another country is a memorable experience, but those memories come with a hefty price tag. According to The Knot, the average destination wedding in 2023 cost $41,000, compared to an average of $35,000 for weddings overall in that same year.
If youโre considering getting married overseas, it helps to know the average wedding cost in numerous countries before choosing where to get married. Remember that these costs donโt include travel to the country, hotel, car rental, or other travel-related costs.
(Before you pick a low-cost-for-the-event distant destination, consider travel expenses for your guests. High-ticket travel is, of course, one way to limit the number of invitees who actually attend your wedding, thus further paring the price tagโmore on that in the next section.)
Land | Average Wedding Cost in 2023 |
---|---|
Argentinien | $3,700 |
Brasilien | $6,600 |
Kanada | $21,900 |
Chile | $7,400 |
Kolumbien | $3,300 |
Frankreich | $17,600 |
Indien | $15,000 to $22,000 |
Italien | $22,500 |
Mexiko | $8,600 |
Peru | $7,700 |
Portugal | $16,700 |
Spanien | $23,400 |
Vereinigtes Kรถnigreich | $19,300 |
Unsurprisingly, what youโll pay for your wedding will increase the more guests you invite. If you keep it small and intimate, you should be able to plan a wedding for under $12,000. But if you want to go all out and invite a big group (including your second cousin once removed, your childhood neighbor, and your favorite grocery-store clerk), expect to spend a lot more.
Number of Guests | Average Wedding Cost in 2024 |
---|---|
10 or less | $11,667 |
10 to 30 | $17,048 |
30 to 50 | $18,768 |
50 to 75 | $20,581 |
75 to 100 | $24,769 |
100 to 150 | $33,957 |
150 to 200 | $41,286 |
200 to 300 | $42,751 |
500 or more | $54,500 |
The most expensive wedding in 2023 was likely the marriage of Madelaine Brockway (an heiress to a car dealership empire) and Jacob LaGrone (a former production assistant to country singer Jason Aldean), which cost around $59 million.
It occurred just outside Paris at the Chateau de Villette over five days. The wedding festivities included an overnight stay at the Palace of Versailles, a rehearsal dinner at one of the most famous opera houses in the world, and a performance by Maroon 5โs Adam Levine.
According to data from Zola and The Knot, the most expensive wedding features include the reception venue, food, engagement ring, wedding entertainment, photographer, flowers, and the dress.
On the other end of the wedding-expenses spectrum are items such as wedding favors, invitations, cake, transportation, and hair and makeup. According to Zola and The Knot, these take the smallest bite out of nuptial budgets.
Your wedding will likely be expensive, no matter how you plan. But there are ways to stretch your budget and make your dollar go further. Consider these five strategies to save money and still have pretty much the wedding youโve always wanted.
Traditionally, the brideโs family paid for the wedding. But modern weddings are less likely to be funded solely by the parents. Zolaโs 2024 Wedding Trends survey found that almost 57% of respondents were receiving some money from their family to help pay for their wedding, while almost 42% were getting help from their partnerโs family.
Zolaโs research also found that more than 50% of couples will save for several years before getting married to pay for their wedding expenses without going into debt. Another 32% use credit cards to help cover some or all of their wedding costs. Almost 17% of the couples open a cash fund as part of their wedding registry, allowing guests to foot the bills.
If you donโt have help from family and havenโt been able to save much money to pay for your wedding, a loan may be a good option. The best wedding loans are actually unsecured personal loans with terms ranging from one year to 20 years. Depending on the lender, you could borrow anywhere from $600 to $100,000, with an APR of 5.99% to 35.99%.
Numerous factors affect the total cost of a wedding. Two of the top contributors are the location of the wedding and the number of guests. Although the average wedding cost in 2024 is $33,000, your costs could be significantly lower (or higher) depending on your choices when planning your wedding.
Although not required, wedding insurance is a smart buy for anyone planning a wedding. Wedding insurance can help protect you if the wedding is canceled unexpectedly or if thereโs an expensive issue, such as a ruined dress. Without wedding insurance, you could lose a lot of money.
The average wedding in 2024 costs $33,000, but that doesnโt mean all engaged couples will spend that much. A reasonable budget will vary, depending on how many guests you invite and how extravagant you want your day to be. Itโs possible to get married on much less than $33,000 with careful planning.
A $10,000 budget should be enough for a small, intimate wedding. Invite more than a handful of guests and this amount will likely fall shortโmaybe a lot shortโof what youโll need.
A $30,000 budget for a wedding is just below the average cost of $33,000 in 2024 . It definitely sounds like a lot of money (because it is), but there are ways to get married for less than $30,000.
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