How much typical wedding cost

These massive increases come even as almost every couple reported setting a budget for their nuptials—perhaps because nearly half of those also reported going over budget. To make up for that difference, 35 percent of those surveyed said they have cut down on other costs to save for the big day, but another 24 percent said their overall purchases, even those not wedding-related, had increased since getting engaged.

Double oops. So who, exactly, is paying for all this? According to the American Wedding Study, the number of couples who get their parents involved in the bottom line has hugely increased since , with many of those lovebirds completely removing themselves from the payment plan. In , nearly three quarters of the couples surveyed contributed in at least some way to their wedding costs—with about half paying for the whole thing themselves—while the rest left it all up to their parents.

In , though, those numbers have almost completely flipped: Just 27 percent of couples said they'd fully paid for their wedding, while 42 percent handed off that responsibility to their parents. Overall, just 58 percent of those surveyed contributed to their own nuptials, a nearly 20 percent decrease from To sum it all up, people are now planning more expensive weddings that, on average, they can't even afford to pay for themselves—so it might be a good time to refer to our when to splurge and when to cut back budgeting guide.

It's an important piece of knowledge, considering that you'll need to set up a wedding budget beforehand, and you'll want to know who's paying for individual wedding costs. To have a champagne wedding on a Budweiser budget, you'll need to be creative, innovative and be ready to make some tough choices.

Manage those three characteristics and chances are you can pull off a great wedding, and keep more cash in your pocket. Wedding reception costs rise on the weekend - especially Saturday.

And, if you switch to a Friday offseason - say in March or November - you'll save even more cash. Just shaving 10 people off your guest list can save you on wedding costs, as well. Do you really need a photographer on hand for eight or 10 hours? The same goes for a florist or videographer, as well.

Instead, ask wedding service professionals for hourly rates, instead of day rates or flat fees, and don't stop asking until you find a good one who'll work with your hourly based budget. This tactic works especially well with off-season weddings, or weddings that aren't on Saturday, when demand for professional wedding services is much higher. Where you get married matters, and not just for the venue.

If you plan to tie the knot in a major metropolitan area, expect higher prices and increased competition for venues and other services. Some venues have minimum and maximum guest requirements and are priced accordingly, and vendors might charge per head for food and drink.

Head count affects expenses across the board, says Deborah Moody, executive director of the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants. That sunny summer wedding probably comes with a trade-off: price. Ceremony sites, reception halls and photographers are known to offer lower rates during off-peak months, such as January or February.

Saturday is the most popular day for weddings, and high demand often comes with a higher price tag. You might be able to save by scheduling your big day on a Sunday or weekday — unless it coincides with a popular holiday. Once you've picked the services you want, the best way to identify fair prices and approximate the total bill is to ask around.

Get quotes from multiple vendors. Then choose the options you think are the best value. Some venues provide tables, chairs, linens and audio equipment at no additional cost. Credit Cards. Check out our top picks of the best online savings accounts for August Get Started!

Before you apply for a personal loan, here's what you need to know. By: Christy Bieber Published Sept. Many or all of the products here are from our partners. We may earn a commission from offers on this page. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page. Weddings have become more than just a chance for a couple to express their commitment to each other -- they've become big business.

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. This doesn't include the honeymoon, but does include the engagement ring. However, it doesn't tell the whole story in terms of how much a wedding is likely to cost couples, as the price tag can vary substantially from state to state as well as based on the type of wedding. Where you live can have a major impact on how much you spend to say "I do" to your beloved.

Where you live isn't the only factor that affects how much you're likely to spend when you celebrate the start of your life with your beloved. The type of wedding also makes a difference:. Hometown weddings come at a lower average cost than destination weddings for obvious reasons -- it's cheaper to stay local than to incur the costs of travel. However, some of the extra wedding costs of a destination ceremony may be offset by a lower price tag for the honeymoon, assuming the couple celebrates in the location where the wedding was held.

It's surprising, though, that millennials -- who have faced unprecedented financial struggles -- tend to spend more on their nuptials than their older counterparts.

This discrepancy could be explained by the fact that social media has played an increasingly important role in driving the price of weddings up. More than half of all couples set up their own wedding hashtag in Sexual orientation made almost no difference at all in average wedding costs.

For many betrothed couples, weddings will look very different in -- and perhaps beyond -- due to COVID 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:. While shift weddings will likely retain the high average cost of more traditional affairs, microweddings and minimonies come with much smaller price tags. While average wedding costs can provide insight into what couples are spending, they don't always tell the whole story and can establish unreasonable expectations.

Median cost can shed more insight into what typical couples are spending, as it is the middle number in the list. Unfortunately, median cost isn't as widely available.

However, a quick look at the most recent year in which median wedding cost data was published shows a substantial discrepancy between the median and average cost. With tens of thousands of dollars on the line, it's important to understand what couples prioritize and where this money goes. For most couples, budget increases are driven by five primary factors, according to Wedding Wire :. The data below shows average wedding costs for different spending categories, according to Wedding Wire :.

Not all couples will incur all of these expenses, and some will choose to spend far less on certain areas in order to splurge on others. Where you get married can be one of the biggest drivers of cost, as the price tag of the most expensive venues can be several thousand dollars more than the least expensive.