$30,433
In 2024, the average cost of a U.S. wedding is between $29K-$31K (honeymoon not included). While this number varies by region, season, day of the week and style, it accurately portrays what most planning couples are currently spending for their big day. This dollar amount is widely considered a logical indication and baseline for the average 2019 wedding budget.
Did you know: Nearly 50% of all couples will end up spending more on their celebration than they had originally budgeted for. Think about that for a moment. Roughly 2.6 million weddings are performed each year in the U.S. and almost half of those will fail to stick to their intended budget. Most of that overspending comes from an unrealistic budget being set from the very beginning. Knowing what other couples are spending on various elements of their wedding can often be helpful when its time to create your own personal wedding budget.
According to TheKnot.com, New York City (Manhattan) couples topped the rankings in 2010 as having the highest average budget ($70,730) of any other U.S. city while Utah has the lowest average spend ($13,214). When it comes to unique engagement rings, segaljewellery.com says that they have a large number of customers requesting something else rather than diamonds.
For more basic but in-depth information, check out the infographic below from BridePop that introduces you to all the key concepts you need to know:
More Data & Statistics
Below are a few leading resources for bridal statistics that we source when creating our average costs. A majority of that information comes from online websites such as the Bridal Association of America, David’s Bridal, TheKnot, SmartMoney, Money.CNN.com, DataMonitor,The Wedding Report, Real Simple, Wedding Directory, Brides.com, USAToday,Wikipedia, Forbes, and Mint.com.
Bridal Market OverviewIn 1924, Marshall Field’s became the first department store to launch a bridal registry. Ever since then, the bridal business has grown to become a $48 billion industry that continues to grow and thrive. Check out the video below from Mint.com that covers some interesting facts and information on what was once considered a relatively simple affair.
Bridal Resources From Around The Web
There are a number of blogs and forums that focus heavily on inspirational topics, including Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, Austin Wedding Blog, Junebug Weddings, Rock n’ Roll Bride, Offbeat Bride, Bridal Snob, Broke-Ass Bride, Ruffled, The Knotty Bride, Once Wed, Wedding Channel, 100 Layer Cake, OneWed, Wedding Chicks, Groom’s Advice, Rock My Wedding, Wedding Bee, Style Unveiled, Bridal Tweet, WeddingWire, Project Wedding, and Top 100 Wedding Blogs
Here are a few popular articles about saving money and staying budget savvy:
- 50 Ways To Save Money on Your Big Day
- A Planner’s Top Tips for Cutting Your Big Day Budget
- RealSimple: 16 Ways To Save On Bridal Expenses
- 10 Wedding Budget Costs
- Alternative Ideas For Big Savings
- 40 DIY Projects Under $20
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