How Are Couples Paying For Their Weddings In 2023
Now that you understand how much couples are budgeting for their weddings in 2023, lets jump into how they plan to cover those costs.
The most common way that couples are paying for their weddings in 2023 is by sharing the costs with their parents and/or in-laws. However, the majority of couples continue to contribute to the payment of their wedding in some way. Nearly a quarter of them plan to pay for their wedding in full.
Some couples are also becoming strategic to cover wedding costs 29 percent of respondents said they were optimizing credit cards to pay for their wedding . 24% are adding cash funds to supplement wedding costs to their registries.
Couples Pay For Roughly Half Of The Wedding Themselves
One of the most important parts of planning your wedding budget is figuring out whos paying. These days, couples are sharing the costs with their parents. The 2019 Newlywed Report found that couples paid for 47 percent of their wedding, while their parents footed 52 percent of the bill. Nearly 60 percent of parents agree to pay for certain items , while about one-third write a check for the couple to spend at their discretion. When it comes to wedding planning, money equals control. So if your parents are contributing to your big day, talk to them about how much they want to be involved in the decision-making.
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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Product Of Endless Labor
Wedding videos usually come on a DVD, Blu-ray, or USB device. There could also be a highlight reel uploaded to a video sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo. You may expect to pay more for duplicate wedding media like DVDs, Blu-rays, and USB drives. Personalization of the final products packaging is an option offered by some videographers.
Average Wedding Cost Breakdown In 2022
When people are planning a wedding, they usually have millions of things and desires in their heads and want them all in order to have the wedding they have always wanted. However, many of them are simply not aware of the actual cost of the entire wedding and the amount of money needed for it. In order to help you know how much money is needed for this, we would present the average wedding cost breakdown.
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Who Typically Pays For A Wedding Ceremony
Traditionally, the brides parents are responsible for covering the largest portion of the budget, including invitations, flowers, photographers, transportation, and both the ceremony and reception venues.
Andrew is the Content Director for SuperMoney, a Certified Financial Planner®, and a Certified Personal Finance Counselor. He loves to geek out on financial data and translate it into actionable insights everyone can understand. His work is often cited by major publications and institutions, such as Forbes, U.S. News, Fox Business, SFGate, Realtor, Deloitte, and Business Insider.
Average Cost Of A Wedding Cake
For couples looking to end the night with something sweet, wedding cakes typically cost anywhere from $1.50 to $12.00 per slice, with the overall average landing at $540, according to Wedding Forward. Factors that affect the price include
- delivery fees, and
- equipment rentals.
Unfortunately, couples hoping that alternatives such as wedding cupcakes may cost them less will likely be disappointed as Wedding Forward reports that common options such as wedding cupcakes or cake pops carry an average price tag of $2.50 to $4.00 per serving — on par with a low- to mid-priced cake.
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Least Expensive Wedding Features
The following features commonly found at weddings are much cheaper than the must-haves mentioned above. Depending on the scope and elaborateness of these more affordable features, they could still carry a high cost for some or, on the other hand, couples could reduce their expenses on these less-expensive parts of a wedding by getting creative.
1. Favors
The least expensive part of a wedding for most people are the favors that guests receive. On average, the cost of wedding favors was $353 in 2020. Depending on the type and amount of favors offered, the cost of favors could increase or decrease relative to the national average. For this reason, the couple could save money by avoiding expensive party favors.
2. Wedding cake
A wedding cake costs $441, or $6.68 per piece, based on the average number of guests that attended weddings in 2020. There are multiple ways to save money on this expense, however. For instance, the married couple could decide to serve smaller cuts of cake. Alternatively, they could order a smaller version of a wedding cake for presentation and then have a few sheet cakes in the kitchen to feed the mass of people.
3. Invitations
Invitations cost $7.88 each on average , though much fancier invitations can command higher costs for every person. Couples looking to save could reduce their costs by making DIY cards or even going with 100% electronic invitations that are sent out as emails.
4. Transportation
5. Reception DJ
The Average Cost Of A Wedding In 2020
By: Christy Bieber |Published Sept. 2, 2020
Image source: Getty Images
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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Wedding Video Cost For Raw Footage
Wedding video raw footage costs $150 to $550 as an add-on to a videography package. Raw footage is the unedited footage of your wedding day and contains hundreds of video clips in separate files, not one continuous video. Raw footage does not incorporate high-quality audio from external microphones.
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Dont Let The Numbers Fool You
The $28,000 average is steep. But remember that averages dont tell the whole story. Experts point out that they can easily be skewed.
One $1 million wedding can bring up the average of thousands of $10,000 weddings, says Jessica Bishop, wedding expert and founder of the Budget Savvy Bride.
So treat this data as a benchmark, not an expectation. And you don’t have to spring for all the items on the list. For example, you might decide to skip favors and hook your smartphone up to a speaker system instead of hiring a band or DJ.
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Couples Are Spending The Most On Venue And Food
After figuring out how much a wedding costs near you, you can start to divide up your budget to reflect the different vendors youll need to hire. Turns out that youll likely spend the most on your venue and catering. On average , couples spend $10,500 on renting a venue, and $70 per person on catering. This really explains why the mantra the more guests you invite, the more money youll spend is so true. A wedding of 50 guests can expect to pay about $3,500 on catering, while a wedding with 300 guests may pay over $20,000 on food alone!
Wedding Dress And Tuxedo
Attire costs are impacted by how formal couples want their event to be. When it comes to getting dressed, tuxedos and suits are generally cheaper, with an average cost of $270. Wedding dresses, on the other hand, may cost you an average of $1,800.If you also want to have any hair and makeup professionally done, it may generally cost you another $250 per person.
| Year |
|---|
| $22,500 |
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What About The Honeymoon
None of this takes into account the cost of a honeymoon, which 73% of couples went on in 2021. The average honeymoon cost $4,600 in 2021a number that has steadily grown in recent years. And about 10% of couples go all out, spending more than $10,000 on the perfect trip.
While 60% of couples pay for their own honeymoon, 27% of couples with wedding registries include a honeymoon fund to help cover the cost. And about 20% of couples opted for a shorter tripa mini-moonto save money or just because they werent up for a long vacation.
Even the smallest wedding comes with the cost of court fees, but if you want a bigger wedding, youll need a bigger budget. Plan ahead and spend wisely to create the wedding of your dreams without setting yourself back financially.
How Much Does The Average Wedding Cost In Different States
Different states may have cost differences for wedding expenses. Remember this if you plan on having a destination wedding somewhere other than where you live.
But how much does it cost to get married in various states? According to Insider, the six most expensive states to get married, with the average prices, are:
- New Jersey: $53,400
However, they also share the least expensive states:
- Oklahoma: $21,200
- Arkansas: $21,800
As you can see, the cost of a wedding can really vary depending on the location. Which is something to consider when planning, in addition to other factors.
However, since you may be limited to a certain state because of guests or where you live, there are other ways to cut costs, as you’ll see in the next section.
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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.
Prepare A Wedding Budget
The first thing that helps in reducing the wedding cost is the budgeting. From the beginning, you should know what you have in your pocket and how much you will spend on the wedding.
It is best to divide the whole budget for everything from rings to ceremony, reception, gifts, dresses, and more. When you have a spending limit, you can buy the right products.
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Should You Tip Your Wedding Vendors
The short answer is yes, tipping your vendors is recommended by wedding budget planners as part of the overall expense. Including these costs in your wedding budget template will often allow you to prepare to tip appropriately. A wedding planner can often help you to determine the right amount to tip for each of the vendors and venues involved in your wedding. When tipping your food and beverage vendors, be sure to add between 10-20% of the entire bill. In addition to this, you should allocate funds to tip drivers and chauffeurs, typically 15%. Your photography and videography teams should also receive a tip that ranges from 5-7% of your overall bill. For hair stylists and makeup artists, 15-20% of the bill is customary. Dont forget about individuals who are working the event, including managers, tent set-up coordinators, portable restroom managers, and even security. These tips will range from $30 to $100 depending on your geographic location.
Giving gratuity is considered industry best practices, and is essential to showing gratitude for your wedding vendors hard work for your big day.
Average Cost Of A Wedding In The Us By State
The cost of your wedding will likely depend on a variety of factors, including the number of guests, number of vendors hired, style and, perhaps most significantly, where your big day takes place. Throwing a wedding in a densely populated, expensive destination costs more than it does in a smaller or less populated location .
To get a better idea of what you can expect to spend in your chosen wedding destination, see our list of average cost of a wedding in the U.S. by state , below. Note that this is just the cost of the ceremony and reception, and doesn’t include the engagement ring, which costs $6,000, on average.
- Alabama: $20,000
- NorthDakota& SouthDakota: $24,200*
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.”
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Vendor Trials & Cake Tastings
While some vendors may waive the cost of a wedding cake or catering tasting in an effort to sell you on their skills, thats not always the case. And you will likely pay a small fee for each hair and makeup trial you book with each vendorwhich can add up, if it takes a couple hair or makeup tests to build your glam squad .
Be Specific About Who Is Paying For What
It is extremely helpful to determine who is paying for what, especially when you are on a tight and limited budget. Though the conversation might be tough to bring up, it is necessary. There are a couple of ways to do this.
- Ask parents to cover the cost of a specific aspect. This can be the catering, decorations, flowers, ceremony costs, or even the honeymoon.
- Ask them for a specific figure. For example, if you and your partner have settled on a $20,000 wedding budget, ask each of your family how much they are willing to contribute to that number.
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How Much Does Wedding Catering Cost
Food and drink are a major part of the wedding experience , so its no surprise that youll spend a big amount of your total budget on your wedding catering. The average wedding catering cost in the U.S. is about $4,000 with most couples spending between $1,800 to $7,000. Note that wedding catering prices do vary widely depending on your weddings location and many other factors, like guest countbut no matter where youre getting married, delicious and plentiful food is essential to an amazing wedding reception experience.
How Far In Advance Should I Book My Videographer
If your wedding is in the peak season, you should aim to have your videographer commissioned eight to 12 months ahead of time to save the date. During the low season, you can reserve their services closer in. You also have more wiggle room if you choose a less seasoned professional as they are less likely to be booked up.
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The 2021 Average Wedding Cost Broken Down
Here are the seven key areas couples were spending on in 2021:
- Venue hire – £7,600
- Bridal hair – £80
- Bridal makeup – £70
Couples who married in 2021 paid £7,600 to hire their dream wedding venue – this is a 40% increase on the £5,406 couples were paying in 2019. Its clear to see that after two years apart from everyone, with weddings on hold, the setting in which everyone celebrates together became even more important.
Photography spend has also increased by 4% – your wedding photography is your lasting memento of your big day, so it makes sense to invest in it. Sharing special moments with loved ones has never been more appreciated, so you can understand why couples were willing to spend more to make sure these memories were captured.
Catering spend is also on the up – in 2019, couples spent a total of £3,887 on their wedding catering, however our survey revealed that in 2021, couples spent an average of £65 per head on catering, with 72 guests on average attending – thats a total spend of £4,680. Who can blame couples for increasing their catering spend by 20%? After two years at home eating endless lockdown banana bread, delicious meals cooked by someone other than yourself are worth more than their weight in gold.
The Average Cost Of A Wedding By State
Depending on where you get married, the cost of your wedding can vary significantly. Across the country, the average cost of a wedding was $20,300, but the cost can vary by as much as $18,063 depending on the state in which the ceremony and reception take place.
Graphic shows only the 10 most and least expensive states for weddings, on average, separated by the “Average” bar.
The most expensive state to get married in is Massachusetts, where the average cost of a wedding is $30,489. Along with New Jersey, these two states are the only places where the average cost of a wedding is more than $30,000. Conversely, the cheapest state to get married in is Arkansas, closely followed by West Virginia.
Many of the most expensive states to host a wedding are on the East Coast. Four of the five most expensive states aside from the District of Columbia are in the Northeast. California and Hawaii, the eighth and ninth most expensive states for a wedding, are the only states in the top 10 that are west of the Mississippi River.
Seven of the 10 cheapest places to get married are in the South, while the other three states among the most affordable places to get married are in the West New Mexico, Montana and Nevada.
| State |
|---|
Ordered by population size
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