Average Cost Of Wedding Breakdown

Average Wedding Costs By Type Of Wedding

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:

• Destination weddings average $32,000, while hometown weddings average $27,000.
• First marriages weddings average $30,000, while second weddings average $14,000.
• Millennials typically spend $30,000, while members of Gen Xers spend $20,000.

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 2019.

Sexual orientation made almost no difference at all in average wedding costs. Opposite-sex couples spent an average of $28,000 while same-sex couples spent just $500 more.

Summer Kicks Off The Most Popular Time Of Year For Couples To Tie The Knot Which Means Its Also The Season When Couples May Be Shelling Out A Lot Of Cash On Their Weddings

The average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000 for the ceremony and reception , according to The Knots 2021 Real Weddings Study. The average cost per guest was $266.

Once you start planning for your wedding, you might get hit with sticker shock and find yourself paying for a number of items you werent quite prepared for. Wedding Wire found that more than half of the couples who had set a wedding budget ended up increasing their initial budget in some cases because of unexpected costs or having underestimated costs.

We asked wedding experts to share some common unexpected wedding costs, and weve also included how much you might expect to pay for them .

Cake And Cupcakes $330

The original plan was to go for a full sheet cake. However, one month before our wedding, our baker fell ill and had to close down her shop. It was unfortunate but we scrambled and found a second option.

We got 100 cupcakes and a small cake we could cut!

They ended up looking really pretty and were delicious. Atop the cake is our awesome wedding topper which Ill talk about soon.

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Why Is The Average Wedding Cost So Expensive

A wedding is an exciting way to celebrate your love and the start of your marriage. It’s probably one of the most elaborate events you will ever throw and ask your loved ones to celebrate with you.

Of course, the average cost of a wedding and the median cost of a wedding depends on many factors.

There’s food, music, location, and outfits to consider for your big day. Also, the bigger the guest list, the higher the price tag. Another reason a price can increase for a wedding is what day of the week and season you have it in.

So, that being said, let’s dive into what the common wedding expenses are. Then you can decide how much money you really want to spend on your big day.

Not Included In This Template

The purpose of this budget template is to provide a comprehensive list of expenses for the wedding day itself. You will most likely have more costs when you are getting married, such as:

• Wedding attire for the bride and groom
• The wedding ring or band
• Hairdresser, make-up, manicure
• Pre-wedding parties such as an engagement party, a bridal shower, and bachelor and bachelorette parties

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Flowers & Decorations: $1900

Flowers decorations and floral arrangements will eat up a major chunk of your flower and decorations budget with an average cost of $613 and $644 respectively. If you are going for floral centerpieces as well, you can expect to shell out an average of $326 on that.

The rest of the budget will be used up by the bridal bouquet, which can cost about $300 to $350, and the boutonnieres and corsages, which will cost about $148 in all.

Favors And Gifts: 2% Of Total Wedding Budget

Providing wedding favors to your guests, whether they are edible or keepsakes, is a nice gesture and dont forget about buying gifts for your wedding party and family members! These favors and gifts are a lovely way to say thank you to those who helped you prepare for your big day, and those who traveled to attend the celebration.

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Determining A Reasonable Budget

Most couples do not have an infinite budget, and that’s all right. Your wedding budget should be something you both feel comfortable spending, and there’s no need to go into debt celebrating your marriage. In this chapter, we’ll show you how to set the right budget for your ideal wedding and a happily ever after.

Venue Catering & Rentals: $14355

The biggest part of the wedding budget goes into booking the venue itself which can cost you about $3,611 depending on the location. The food service and bar service also cost a hefty sum at an average rate of $ 1,736 and $ 2,374 respectively.

Secondly, you will also need to book hotel rooms for your outstation guests which will cost approximately $4,000 to $5,000 depending on the quality of the hotel. You will have to set aside the remaining budget for smaller expenses such as the wedding cake, paying the ceremony officiator, even accessories, limo rental, rehearsal dinner and so on, all of which will be less than $500 individually.

We are sure that our breakdown of the average price of a wedding will help a lot of couples in making and executing their wedding plans without any major glitches or budget overhauls.

If you have just started planning a wedding, you can also use a wedding cost estimator to know how much money you will probably need. Do let us know what you think of our approximations and whether they helped you with your wedding plans or not.

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Average Cost Of Weddings By State

In 2019, the amount spent on weddings varied widely between states. In areas where costs of living tend to be less expensive, weddings tended to be less expensive, and vice versa.

The Knot compiled data from all 50 US states here’s how your state’s average wedding cost stacks up.

While more expensive states like New York and Washington, DC had couples spending an average of over $40,000 for a wedding, couples in Wyoming and Utah spent less than $20,000 on average.

Average Cost Of A Wedding With A Budget Breakdown

The average cost of a wedding in the US is approximately $22,500 in 2021, according to data from WeddingWire. The venue is the single most expensive part, at an average of $6,000 alone. The real cost of a wedding depends on the state. Other popular spendings in average are: photographer is $2,000, flowers around $1,500, wedding dress is $1,000, wedding cake is $500, hair & makeup $300.

Keep in mind that the $22,500 average includes expenses like an engagement ring.

And letâs address the masked elephant in the room: Covid has changed the entire wedding landscape. Thanks to the pandemic, smaller, outdoor ceremonies are all the rage â something that will ultimately save money for many happy couples.

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Chalk Boards And Watercolor Materials $2563

We had a chalk board at the entrance of the venue. It told people to grab their name tags and look at them for their seating. The name tags were custom made by my wife again. She just cut out some hard pieces of paper and painted them with various fall watercolors.

We also had another chalk board or two at the table with all the activity stuff. These boards told people how to use the instant camera and book, to take a ring pop and where to leave their advice cards.

These werent anything fancy, just basic chalkboards that my wife painted with watercolors.

How To Budget For Your Wedding

You can tailor your wedding to your preferences and priorities, giving you the flexibility as a couple to splurge on wedding costs that are important to you and to be frugal elsewhere. You may, for example, choose to have a destination wedding with a small guest list, or rent your wedding dress or tux instead of buying.

To help make your wedding more affordable, heres a few budgeting strategies you can implement:

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Research Prices In Your Area

The cost of wedding venues, vendors and other wedding items may vary depending on various factors, including your location.

The average price of wedding expenses ranges from state to state. Wedding planning websites and search engines will be your best friend as you research different vendors in your area. You can compare prices on catering, entertainment, photography and other services. It’s also helpful to ask around for vendor recommendations to see if you can find wedding vendors that fit your price range.

You can go to wedding conventions near you that have various vendors and wedding ideas, as well. Wedding and bridal conventions are a great way to meet local businesses and get an idea of what different aspects of your wedding may cost.

How Much Does A Wedding Planner Cost

With so many moving parts to make up a perfect wedding, many couples turn to a professional for help planning it all. An estimated 30% of couples hire a wedding planner to take care of some or all of the logistics, according to Wedding Wire.

While the average cost of this professional help comes at a price of around $1,500, the price tag depends what type of assistance your planner provides.

Couples have the option of choosing

• a full-service planner
• a day-of coordinator
• a wedding-weekend or destination-wedding coordinator or
• a professional who offers a-la-carte services and assists with only a specific aspect of wedding preparations.

Obviously, the less assistance a planner provides, the lower the price will be.

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Other Average Wedding Costs

The Knot collected data from U.S. couples to determine just how much they paid for certain services at their weddings.

It probably comes as no surprise that one of the priciest expenses couples face is renting a venue for the wedding reception. Some other services, like photographers and musicians, can be expensive, too.

Here were the average costs for certain wedding services in the U.S. in 2021, as listed by The Knot:

• Reception venue: $10,700
• Catering: : $75
• Transportation: $900

Wedding Trends Affecting Cost

Weddings have seen major shifts over the years, many of which impact the bottom line. Lets take a look at some of the trends taking shape:

Sustainable wedding planning: Almost 70% of couples put significant effort into planning eco-friendly weddings. Half of the couples surveyed by the Knot said they bought items for their wedding secondhandan excellent way to save some money while also helping the planet.

Pandemic impacts: COVID has impacted both wedding costs and size, with 2020 seeing a steep drop in head count and total spend. However, 2021 was almost back to normal.

And research indicates that 2022 will be a record year for weddings, with 2.6 million weddings in the workscompared to the 2.2 million average. Guest counts should also go back to pre-pandemic levels with the average expected guest count at 129.

Popular venues: The three most popular wedding venues are banquet halls , farms or barns and historical homes or buildings . Destination weddings are also popular, with 19% of couples opting to travel to a dream location in 2021. Destination weddings are significantly more expensive, with the average 2021 destination wedding costing $32,700.

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Makeup Hair And Manicure $383

My wife didnt have a wedding party so it was just her and the two flower girls. Haircut was done the day before the wedding, manicure was a few days before and the makeup and hair styling was done at the venue.

I didnt get anything special done, just my regular haircut which was planned a few weeks before the wedding. I dont count that as a wedding cost since its a regular cost.

Average Wedding Cost By Goods And Services

Wedding expenses can quickly add up, with some of the largest costs being your venue, band and wedding planner. In 2021, couples hired, on average, 14 vendors to supply goods and services for their wedding, including catering, decor and entertainment, according to The Knot.

When trying to get a sense of what you might need to budget for your wedding, start by looking at typical wedding prices, such as for the venue, food and drink, and attire. In particular, the average price for renting a venue $10,700 can take up about a third of the average wedding cost, so youll want to keep that in mind when budgeting.

Heres about what you may end up paying when it comes to hiring vendors:

Data based on a study by The Knot and the WeddingWire

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Cupcake Stand And Cornhole Materials $11112

My wife loves creative projects so she definitely wanted to make something for the wedding. One of our friends wanted to do something too so we came up with two projects!

My wife, using the free days at a local maker space, put together the cupcake stand that you saw in the cupcake pictures earlier.

One of our friends put together a cornhole board for us we could use to have something to do outside during the wedding. We also picked up some high quality bags off of Etsy.

Overall, this was a fun little project for everyone. The cost included mainly wood and paint. It actually likely would have been cheaper to just buy cheap versions of these things. However, now we have some high quality items and the projects were fun as heck! I even helped on the cupcake stand.

Decide Whats Most Important

Every couple and dream vision is different. For most, the priority is having all of their loved ones in attendance, and often other details fall into place. Sit down as a partnership and decide on the top three ingredients you must have and go from there, whether it be a live band, top-shelf open bar, videographer, or steakhouse meal. There are no wrong answers only your answers for your wedding.

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Average Wedding Cost By Number Of Guests

Some wedding cost line items, like photography, are less dependent on guest count and more on other factors, such as services provided and time. But other line items, such as catering and decor, are greatly impacted by the size of the wedding.

Zeroing in on your estimated number of guests and the size of your wedding party early on in the wedding planning process helps when evaluating everything from venue size to catering.

If youre unsure how many invitations youll send, our team found the average wedding guest list was 130150 people, and about 75% of guests usually RSVP yes. This is a good starting point for budget conversations if youre unsure where to begin. Have open and honest discussions with vendors about how your guest count may impact the pricing of their services, such as how the price of fifteen table centerpieces might differ from the price of ten. Vendors are there to support you and help you get the information you need to make decisions, after all!

As with all things, the average cost per person for a wedding has a lot of variables. But we can derive some data based on the size of your guest list.

• Over 200 guests: $40,000 and up
• 150200: $36,000

• Alaska: $12,083

How Do You Pay For A Wedding

Paying for your wedding can seem like an impossible task, but figuring out your budget will help it feel more manageable. If you are wondering how to pay for your big day, there are a few strategies for managing the cost of wedding arrangements more easily.

For some couples, it makes sense to save up for the cost of a wedding over time. Parents can also employ this strategy to prepare for the weddings of their children. By taking a look at the average cost of a wedding in your area and setting aside money in a wedding budget for these expenses in advance, when the time comes, the wedding costs may feel less overwhelming.

If saving up for your wedding costs is not possible due to your engagement timeline, your current financial situation, or any other reason, you may also be able to take advantage of financing options. For example, we recently introduced a Buy Now, Pay Later option for wedding venues that can make it much easier for you to manage the costs of your wedding venue over time, instead of having to make one big daunting payment up front in order to lock in your wedding date. Buy Now, Pay Later breaks your biggest payments up into manageable monthly amounts, you can often enjoy greater flexibility when managing wedding costs for your upcoming ceremony and reception.

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