How much does it really cost to walk down the aisle? Well…it isn’t cheap. Based on The Knot’s Real Wedding Study, which surveyed about 18,000 U.S. couples that got married in 2015, the average couple spent almost $33,000 on their big day. In New Orleans, the average cost is $44,000. If you live in either New York or Chicago, you can double that amount in some cases. However, if you live in Alaska, you can cut that price in half.
So what exactly makes up these totals? They take into account almost every expense related to a wedding, like venues, catering, dress, photographer, flowers, invitations, transportation, rings, and more. It does not include the honeymoon. Let’s break them down:
- Wedding Dress: $1,469
- Engagement Ring: $5,871
- Venues: $14,788
- Photographer: $2,618
- Planner: $1,996
- Entertainment: $5,000
- Flowers: $2,300
- Videographer: $1,824
- Dress: $1,469
- Groom’s Attire: $269
- Cake: $575
- Ceremony site: $2,089
- Ceremony Musicians: $703
- Invitations: $445
- Limousine: $792
- Favors: $267
- Rehearsal Dinner: $1,296
- Officiant: $266
- Catering (per person): $273
- Wedding Day Hair & Makeup: $209
Now, don’t let these numbers give you cold feet! The couples surveyed here rarely footed the entire bill themselves. According to The Knot, the bride’s parents contributed approximately 44%, the bride and groom paid about 43% and the groom’s parents pitched in about 12%.
How did your wedding compare to these numbers?
Something Oldies.
Entertainment for a wedding can cost more than $5,000.
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