Average Cost Of A Wedding In The Us By State
The average wedding cost by state from The Knot 2019 Real Weddings Study is likely a good cross-reference point for couples who are moving forward with both their ceremony and reception in 2021. As with previous years, keep in mind too that these couples come from all over the U.S. and have entirely different wedding budgets, locations, number of guests and styles.
What they end up spending naturally variesâa lot. Throwing a wedding in a densely populated, expensive destination costs more than it does in a smaller or less populated location . See the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. by state , below:
- Alabama: $25,500
Our respondents are also tapping professionals to help them pull it all off, as our study shows that nearly a third of couples hired some form of a wedding planner . Many wholeheartedly embrace or blend their cultural customs, while others intentionally turn tradition on its head by paying homage to pop culture , nixing old-school activities or reinventing big moments to suit their individual style . Today’s couples want their wedding to be a true expression of their unique love story and for guests to leave saying, “That was so them.”
Tips To Save Money On Your Wedding
Feeling dizzy yet? Dont worrywhile the costs are adding up quickly, there are ways to save without compromising on your dreams. Here are some tips from experienced wedding planners.
Revisit the guest list. There, we said it. You can quickly drive your wedding costs down by trimming the guest list, as the headcount affects expenses across the board, from invitations, to food and drink, to venue costs. Cutting your guest list by 1020 people could save you as much as $1000.
Off-peak wedding, anyone? A warm summer wedding sounds lovelybut it costs handsomely. Opting for a less popular wedding season, such as winter, could help you save on ceremony venues, photographers, reception halls, and many other expenses.
Ask a friend. A great way to save on wedding costs is by calling in favors from friends. Rather than hiring a professional at a premium rate, you could ask talented friends to help out with things like the invitation design, flower arrangements or your wedding website. Every little bit helps!
Now youre aware of how much things cost, arm yourself with the tools to track your budget. Read more on how spreadsheets can transform your wedding budgeting here.
The Average Cost Of A Wedding In 2020
By: Christy Bieber | Published Sept. 2, 2020
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Weddings have become more than just a chance for a couple to express their commitment to each other — they’ve become big business.
Couples budget, on average, around $23,000 for their wedding but end up spending around $30,000, with more than half of all couples increasing their projected spending during the planning process according to Wedding Wire’s 2020 Newlywed Report.
With couples spending enough money to buy a car or put a down payment on a home on a one-day event, let’s take a look at where this money goes, where it comes from, and who covers the costs.
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Which Are The Most Extravagant States
New York and Rhode Island are the biggest spenders when it comes to weddings. New York stands out because, on average, couples spend 89% of the median annual household income for the state. If you include engagement and honeymoon expenses, New Yorkers literally blow a years worth of wages on their weddings.
Make Friends Paparazzi For The Day
Many of your guests will record the day for posterity, so why not ask them for a copy of their photos and videos?
You can encourage this further by leaving disposable cameras on the tables at the reception .
Even though they’re not pros, if they take enough shots, hopefully some of them will be good ones. Use our Free Digital Prints guide for free prints and cheap photo books.
If you want a professional photographer, get your haggling hat on, like forumite Tiger_greeneyes.
We went to a wedding show last week and got chatting to a photographer. She charged £575, which we couldn’t afford. So I asked if she would charge less for a weekday and she said she’d discount £50. It still wasn’t great for us, so we mentioned that we’d only want a dozen or so photos. She said “make me an offer”. I replied “£250 cash” and she accepted! Don’t ask, don’t get. – Tiger_greeneyes
This is what former MSE Dan managed to get, after using some charm and chutzpah:
The photographer can be tricky to haggle with, as they sit you down, give you tea and biscuits and put you at ease. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
We wanted a pre-wedding shoot, plus the photographer to stay for an extra couple of hours to catch speeches and cake cutting, but this added a fair whack to the overall cost.
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What Is The Average Cost Of A Small Wedding
Some estimates put the average cost of a small wedding as under $10,000. Size matters, so it really depends on what you mean by small wedding.
The average cost per guest mentioned above is around $300, so if you have a wedding for 25 at that price point, your wedding would cost around $7,500. A small wedding of 50 guests at the same cost per head would be $15,000, however.
As always, the cost will depend on various details like location, your venue, and more.
Final Thoughts On Wedding Cost
All in all, when it comes to asking, how much does a wedding cost? The answer is not quite a simple one. The old saying how long is a piece of string comes to mind.
There are so many moving factors in the price of a wedding. The most important thing is to sit down together and work out what your priorities are together, then allocate how much you are prepared to spend on your wedding.
Dont underestimate the value of your time and hiring a professional wedding supplier either. Wedding suppliers pour their heart and soul into their craft and more often than not, spend more time on weddings than events and parties.
Never, ever be pressured into any financial worry. You want to start married life in the best possible place you can.
Further Reading
Recommended Reading: Self-uniting Marriage California
Average Wedding Cost By State
Wedding budgets often boil down to location. States like Kentucky and Utah can offer gorgeous venues without a hefty price tag. If youâre set on getting married somewhere where real estate can come at a premium â like New York or New Jersey â the cost of your venue will be much higher.If you do choose your small hometown for the big event, you may want to consider the cost of transportation for your friends and family.
| State |
|---|
| $19,800 |
How Much Do Weddings Cost In The Covid
For many betrothed couples, weddings will look very different in 2020 — and perhaps beyond — due to COVID-19.
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:
- Shift weddings still involve a large guest list, but guests attend at appointed times
- Microweddings are typically small gatherings with under 50 guests. Most couples plan a larger reception at a later point.
- Minimonies normally involve 10 or fewer guests, mostly including close family members.
While shift weddings will likely retain the high average cost of more traditional affairs, microweddings and minimonies come with much smaller price tags.
In fact, one venue that normally charges approximately $30,000 for a standard wedding with 300 guests has indicated microweddings cost an estimated $2,750 for up to 30 guests or $4,500 for up to 50 guests.
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Make Your Own Confetti
Forumites suggest making your own confetti using small heart or flower punches and colourful paper, which should all be found in your local craft shop.
You can also dry your own rose petals in the oven if you have friends or family with rose bushes you’re onto a winner, but some forumites have managed to haggle cheap roses from flower markets at the end of the day.
Make pretty cones to hold the confetti using doilies, which can be found in pound shops, craft shops and on eBay*.
What Is The Average Cost Of A Wedding
According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2020 was $19,000. This is nearly one-third less of the costs from 2019, which averaged $28,000 for both events.
According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2020 was $19,000.
The drop in spending can be directly attributed to Covid-19, although one-third of couples who kept their 2020 wedding dates opted to hold mini ceremonies that averaged fewer than 20 guests. This tactic allowed them to keep their special days, conform to any covid gathering restrictions, and significantly cut costs in the process. But what do these trends mean for 2022 planning?
As brides and grooms rush to reclaim the large celebrations they were denied in 2020, theyve budgeted approximately $22,500 for 2021 receptions, similar to the $23,000 spent on receptions in 2019. With the worst of the pandemic seemingly behind us, these couples are planning ahead with no inhibitions. Its important to note however, that true wedding costs will vary based on how elaborate the event and the unique vendor and venue costs of the region.
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Buy A Basic Cake And Decorate It Yourself
The cake is one of the easiest places to save a stash of cash, as wedding specialists can charge an arm and a leg for these. By this stage most guests will be too stuffed to put away much cake anyway.
Here are a few tips to cut the cost of a cake.
My mum and I baked 120 cupcakes for my sister’s wedding the week before, but didn’t have enough freezer space to store them. So we called the local Iceland supermarket. It kindly agreed to lend us one of its industrial freezers free of charge. – Former MSE Debs
Have A Stag And Doe Party
If you need a little more financial help, embrace a Canadian wedding tradition and have your wedding party plan a stag and doe party. This pre-wedding event is essentially a fundraiser to help the bride and groom with wedding costs. Usually held at a Legion hall or rec centre, funds are raised for the happy couple through admission, drink and snack sales, 50/50 draws and games.
Plan your budget and keep track of your spending with WeddingWire’s FREE Budget Planner tool »
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Millennials Tend To Spend More On Their Wedding
The average millennial tends to spend more than older Gen Xers on a wedding. In fact, in 2019, the average cost of a millennial wedding is $31,000, while a Gen X couple only spends an average of $21,000. Why this disparity? Well, millennials tend to invite more people and include such amenities as an open bar and late-night snacks than their older counterparts.
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How Much Does An Wedding Cost
Modified date: Oct. 19, 2020
The average American wedding costs $30,000, according to The Knot, a popular wedding planning website.
$30,000!
That money could buy a nice new car or be a 20% down payment on a $150,000 home. Its also more than many Americans earn in a year.
How do wedding costs get so out of hand? And what can you do to keep costs down when its your turn to tie the knot? Im getting hitched in less than three months, so Ive been thinking about this quite a bit. Heres what Ive found.
Its ironic that most people I know always say things like We dont want a big wedding and It doesnt have to cost much.
But, as soon as you begin planning the big day, the costs add up. Some people call this hypocrisy, but many aspects of planning a wedding are out of the bride- and groom-to-bes hands. Theres that old truism that the wedding is not really about the people getting married. Its about their families. Even if you dont want to spend money on a fancy reception site/music/food/alcohol/etc., somebody involved may influence these decisions anyway.
Even if you maintain tight control over wedding decisions and costs, they add up. Unless you get married at city hall, youll probably want to add rings, clothes, and an officiant. Add a photographer, food for even a small number of guests, and a party, and your costs will be well over $1,000. And for every guest on the list, the costs add up.
- Church/Officiant Fee: $500
- Food: $40/plate x 100 = $4,000
How Much Did My Wedding Cost
Now, let me share a little about myself and be totally transparent. Money may be a taboo subject even in 2021, but I feel that being honest and open is the way forward.
My husband and I were married back in 2015, being a wedding expert, I had some extra knowledge from the get-go of how much we could spend on our wedding. Not to mention being free from the usual norms and expectations that weddings can bring.
Our eyes were open to doing our wedding our way and not fitting into any expectations thanks to my experience in the wedding industry.
Photo: Alexa Loy
We kept a rough note of our wedding costs but havent officially totted it all up. It was important to us not to spend outside of our means or get into debt. Providing for our family and renovating our house was more important to us.
That being said we had everything we felt we wanted within our budget. Although there were a couple of things we compromised on or decided not to have.
But we have no regrets looking back on the cost of our wedding. Dont get me wrong £10,000 is a lot of money, but this is actually below the UK average. I hope it proves to you that a cost of a wedding doesnt need to be in the tens of thousands to be a dream for you.
If youre in doubt, take a look at the real budget-friendly weddings Ive featured. Not only will these weddings show you what can be done, but will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration for a budget-friendly bash.
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