The Average Cost of a Wedding

Naturally, the above figure is just the average, and the actual cost of a wedding can vary quite significantly, depending on numerous factors, such as location, number of guests, venues, and the specific wedding services and features the couples choose.

We will dive deeper and try to determine exactly how much different wedding costs can vary in different scenarios.

The table below showcases average wedding costs in select cities and states in the USA.

The pattern is clear: smaller and less populated areas, like Ohio and Idaho, have lower average wedding costs, than states like California and New York. Moreover, the costs are even higher in major metropolises like Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles.

Couples in these regions may find it useful to explore financing options and use a reliable loan calculator to plan their budget wisely.

As they come with a few extra expenses, it is only natural that destination weddings are more expensive than ones in your hometown. According to a recent study, the average cost for a destination wedding for an American couple is $35,600, or about 18.67% more expensive than the average hometown wedding.

Interestingly, data reveals that destination weddings in the USA are more expensive than destination weddings abroad. The average cost of a wedding abroad is $32,100, while for domestic destination weddings, the average cost is about 13.40% higher, at $36,400.

The table below lists the ten states with the highest average costs for destination weddings in the USA.

As for the average cost of a destination wedding abroad, the figures vary much more depending on the location, but generally, weddings in Europe are much, much more expensive than those in South America and Asia.

You can see the average costs of destination weddings in some of the most popular destinations around the world in the table below.

Overall, the average cost of a wedding abroad may be $30,000, but it ranges from about $10,000 to $60,000, or even more, depending on where it will take place.

The number of guests is another key factor that can determine the overall cost of your wedding. According to the latest data, the average number of guests invited to a wedding in the US is 117, which relates to the average cost of $30,000.

But what about smaller weddings with a larger number of guests? Just how much of a difference can the number of guests make to the overall costs? Let’s have a look at the data and find out.

When people say a small wedding, they usually refer to an event with no more than 50 guests. The latest available data reveals that the average amount of money couples spend on weddings of this size is $14,400.

For weddings with between 50 and 100 guests, the average cost increases to $24,600, and for weddings with more than 100 guests, the average cost is $38,100.

Generally, weddings with more than 150 guests are considered large, but this term is too broad to determine an average. Instead, we can look at the average costs by number of guests into several different brackets, as shown below.

To sum it up, a large wedding can cost anywhere between $37,500 and $105,000, or even more depending on the total number of guests, among other factors.

The venue is traditionally the largest wedding expense, so its price can have a significant impact on the overall cost of a wedding. According to the latest information, couples spend more than a third, or 37%, of the entire wedding budget on the venue, which translates to $11,100 as the average wedding venue cost.

As always, the average figure can’t tell us much without context, so let’s have a look at more data and see how venue costs vary in different scenarios.

Just like the average cost of a backyard wedding can’t be compared to the cost of a wedding in a luxurious hotel, the venue costs vary depending on where they are located.

In the table below, you can find the ten states with the lowest average venue costs in the country.

In comparison, these are the ten states where couples pay the highest average cost of a wedding venue.

As you can see, the difference is huge, with venues in New Jersey being over six times more expensive than those in Kansas.

That said, there are additional factors, like what type of venue you want your wedding to take place at, and how many guests it is supposed to accommodate. Let’s dive deeper with an example.

Wedding tents can vary in size and style options, and their cost varies considerably depending on which one is used as the venue.

In the table below, you can see the average prices of renting wedding tents of different sizes and styles, as well as the number of guests they are capable of accommodating.

With the prices of wedding tents ranging from $4,500 to $23,000, you can see just how much the choice of venue can affect the overall average cost of a wedding.

Now that we understand why their cost varies so widely, let’s have a look at some ranges within which the average cost of different wedding venue types falls, in the table below.

In conclusion, the average wedding venue cost is $11,000, but depending on the venue type, the wedding’s location, and the number of guests, that figure can be around four times higher or lower.

After the venue costs, catering is usually the second largest expense for a wedding. According to the latest data, American couples spend 29% of their wedding budgets on catering, excluding alcohol and cake. If the average American wedding costs $30,000, this percentage translates to $8,700.

While $8,700 is a good figure to give us a general idea of what we can expect from catering expenses for a wedding, let’s delve deeper to get more detailed insights.

When it comes to catering costs, many couples prefer to work with costs per person. For a wedding with 117 guests, the average catering costs of $8,700 translated into per plate costs add up to just below $75.

A recent study with more than 12,000 couples revealed similar results. Namely, the average per-plate catering cost for weddings with between 50 and 100 guests is $70, while the average cost for weddings with up to 50, or more than 100 guests is $80.

While the number of guests doesn’t have a significant impact on the per-plate catering costs, the type of catering can make a big difference in the overall wedding costs.

You can find the per-person average cost of food for a wedding of a few different types of catering in the table below.

In other words, depending on the type of catering, the total wedding catering cost can range from $1,404 to more than $14,040 for a wedding with an average number of guests of 117.

Data reveals that the wedding band is among the top three expenses when planning a wedding, and couples spend 13% of their wedding budget on it. Going with the same average wedding cost of $30,000 we relied on so far, wedding bands cost $3,900 on average.

However, according to studies, the average that American couples spend on live bands for their weddings is slightly higher.

The price range of live wedding band performances is very wide, and numerous factors, like the number of members in the band, the hours they are hired to play, as well as the band’s popularity, can all factor into the cost.

While there are bands that can be hired for as little as $600, there are also bands whose price goes all the way up to $10,000 or even more. One study reveals that most American couples spend between $2,850 and $6,488 on their wedding band, putting the average cost of a wedding band at $4,500.

Compared to live bands, wedding DJs are a considerably less expensive option. The latest stats reveal that the average that American couples spend on their wedding DJs is just 5% of the entire wedding budget. This percentage translates to around $1,500, which is a good estimate of the average price of hiring a professional DJ for your wedding.

The wedding DJ cost is determined by multiple factors, such as the DJ’s experience level, how long they are being hired for, their equipment, and whether they bring additional services like special effects, etc.

While it is possible to find a wedding DJ for a small price of $450, the largest portion of couples end up hiring a DJ that costs between $780 and $1,495. Couples in the highest percentile hire wedding DJs for $2,000 or even more.

Often overlooked when planning a wedding budget, wedding rings are a surprisingly hefty expense. Data reveals that American couples spend around 9% of their entire wedding budget on them, or $2,700.

Note that these are just the wedding rings needed for the ceremony and don’t include the engagement ring, which is another expense with a story of its own.

There are numerous factors that determine the price of any ring, including a wedding band. Depending on the metal and its quality, the carat weight, the jeweler’s craftsmanship, wedding rings can cost anywhere between $700 and $2,000.

Stats show that the average price for wedding rings for men is $510, while wedding rings for women are considerably more expensive, at $1,100 on average.

According to the $2,700 average we mentioned above, it is evident that American couples are not shy to spend more, and buy wedding rings at above-average prices.

While the cost of wedding dresses can range extensively, and there are dresses to meet everyone’s budget, it turns out American brides spend as much on their wedding dress as they spend on their wedding planner, $1,900 on average.

This figure fluctuates based on location, averaging $2,200 in the Mid-Atlantic and $1,800 in the Mid-West.

In the table below, you can see exactly how big the wedding dress cost can get should you opt for a designer piece.

As we mentioned above, even though the average cost of a wedding dress is around the $1,900 mark, there are also less expensive options, all the way down to $250. On the other hand, there is also a world of exclusive designer options that can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

For this reason, some brides decide to rent their dresses and cut the costs, while still enjoying the style they desire for their special day.

A recent study reveals that the average cost of a wedding photographer is $2,600. This means that couples are spending just below 9% of their entire wedding budget on photography, a percentage very similar to what they are spending on their wedding rings, and among the top five highest wedding expenses, along with the venue, catering, live band, and rings.

Wedding photography costs can vary significantly on factors like the photographer’s expertise and experience, the duration they are hired for, the services they offer, etc.

While it is possible to find a wedding photographer for a price as low as $300, most couples spend between $1,150 and $3,000 on photography services for their weddings. However, data shows that there are couples who are willing to spare no expense and spend as much as $4,500 and even more for top-notch wedding photography.

Data suggests that the costs for a wedding planner are among the more minor ones, and couples spend around $1,900 on a wedding planner on average. This figure accounts for just over 6% of the entire average budget for a wedding of $30,000.

The average hourly rates for wedding planners range between $60 and $200, depending on the type of services the planners are required to provide.

While the full-service planners have the highest average costs of between $2,500 and $8,500, there are also partial planners that charge much less, from $2,300 to $3,800 on average.

Many couples who want to save money on planners hire a wedding coordinator, whose cost is considerably lower, at between $700 and $2,200 on average.

Finally, there are also virtual wedding planners who are the least expensive option and have the lowest average cost, ranging between $150 and $550.

The cost of decorations, lighting, and flowers for a wedding can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on the couple’s preferences.

In the table below, you can see the average cost ranges of some of the most popular decorations couples choose for their wedding days.

Among decorations, the average cost of flowers for a wedding that American couples incur is around $2,400, accounting for 8% of their budget. They allocate another 6%, or around $1,800, on other decorations.