The Average Wedding Cost: What You Need To Know
Planning a wedding ceremony and reception can range from a joyful experience to a stressful endeavor. You can hire a professional to manage every detail of your nuptials, or you can opt to go it alone. Either way, the overall cost and wedding expenses tend to creep into every facet of your decision-making process when it comes to the special day.
Read: How To Save $200 on Your Grocery Bill Every Month
Whether you want to take the DIY approach or get some professional help, continue reading for tips on keeping your wedding budget on track for one of the most memorable days of your life.
Average Wedding Costs: Quick Take
According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding can range anywhere between about $30,000 to $50,000. These are some pretty hefty price tags and can include everything from wedding party gifts to food and drink.
If you and your beloved are among the wedding hopefuls this year or next year, the following are some important things to consider as you plan your big day:
What do typical wedding services cost where you live?
How will hidden costs affect your wedding budget?
What do you need to include in your wedding budget?
Average Wedding Cost: By State
State | Average Cost |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,000 |
Arizona | $23,000 |
Arkansas | $21,000 |
California | $37,000 |
Colorado | $30,000 |
Connecticut | $39,000 |
Delaware | $39,000 |
Florida | $30,000 |
Georgia | $26,000 |
Idaho | $19,000 |
Illinois | $37,000 |
Indiana | $23,000 |
Iowa | $19,000 |
Kansas | $16,000 |
Kentucky | $20,000 |
Louisiana | $31,000 |
Maine | $31,000 |
Maryland | $39,000 |
Massachusetts | $46,000 |
Michigan | $27,000 |
Minnesota | $25,000 |
Mississippi | $28,000 |
Missouri | $23,000 |
Montana | $18,000 |
Nebraska | $21,000 |
Nevada | $21,000 |
New Hampshire | $30,000 |
New Jersey | $51,000 |
New Mexico | $18,000 |
New York | $46,000 |
North Carolina | $29,000 |
North Dakota and South Dakota | $20,000 |
Ohio | $26,000 |
Oklahoma | $16,000 |
Oregon | $19,000 |
Pennsylvania | $33,000 |
Rhode Island | $43,000 |
South Carolina | $32,000 |
Tennessee | $22,000 |
Texas | $27,000 |
Utah | $16,000 |
Vermont | $43,000 |
Virginia | $31,000 |
Washington | $23,000 |
Washington, D.C. | $40,000 |
West Virginia | $31,000 |
West Virginia | $16,000 |
Wisconsin | $16,000 |
Wyoming | $16,000 |
What Contributes To the Overall Wedding Cost?
To ensure that you get exactly what you want within your wedding budget, we took a look at wedding services and their costs based on the national average. Planning carefully can decrease your chances of having unwanted surprises along the way. After the initial ding of the engagement ring, costs of weddings include, but are not limited to the following:
Wedding planner
Flowers
Wedding cake
Officiant
Photographer
Videographer
Catering
Wedding venue
Reception DJ
Live band
Ceremony music
Bridal gown
Groom’s tuxedo
Transportation
Hair and makeup
1. Wedding Planner
Average Cost: $1,700 (varies by state)
What’s Commonly Included:
Wedding day tasks, such as timeline, setup, managing seating chart
Venue selection
Communication and correspondence
Post-wedding cleanup and breakdown.
2. Flowers
Average Cost: $2,300 (bride’s bouquet, bridesmaids’ bouquets, mothers of the bride and groom flowers)
What’s Commonly Included:
Florist consultation
Floral samples
Floral storage
Delivery and setup
Cleanup.
3. Wedding Cake
Average Cost: $500 depending on how many attendees you have
What’s Commonly Included:
Cake(s)
Guest cake, Bride’s cake, Groom’s cake
Consultation and tasting
Stands, toppers, utensils
Extra top tier for the first anniversary.
4. Officiant
Average Cost: $500-$800 with a $50-$100 tip
What’s Commonly Included:
Premarital counseling
Travel expenses
Performing ceremony
Fill out, sign and submit marriage license to the state.
5. Photographer
Average Cost: $2,500
What’s Commonly Included:
Number of hours
Travel expenses
Additional staff
Digital images and editing
Copyrighting.
6. Videographer
Average Cost: $1,900
What’s Commonly Included:
Number of hours
Travel expenses
Video editing and highlight reel.
7. Catering
Average Cost: $75 per person
What’s Commonly Included:
Cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages
Additional staff, such as chefs and servers
Equipment rentals, such as tables, chairs
Additional fees, such as corkage, cake cutting.
8. Wedding Venue
Average Cost: $10,700
What’s Commonly Included:
Location fee, such as church, banquet hall, hotel
Parking.
9. Reception DJ
Average Cost: $1,400
What’s Commonly Included:
Playing recorded music
Emceeing
Making toasts and announcements
Audio equipment.
10. Live Band
Average Cost: $4,300
What’s Commonly Included:
Emcee
Audio equipment
Microphones, sound system, speakers
Performers
Travel expenses.
11. Ceremony Music
Average Cost: $200-$500
What’s Commonly Included:
Soloist, duo or group
Live or recorded
Processional and recessional.
12. Bridal Gown
Average Cost: $1,800
13. Groom’s Tuxedo
Average Cost: $300-$1,000, rental or purchase
What’s Commonly Included:
Shirt and slacks
Tailoring
Accessories.
14. Transportation
Average Cost: $900
What’s Commonly Included:
Car, van, bus, limousine, SUV
Insurance
Chauffeurs, drivers.
15. Hair and Makeup
Average Cost: $115 for makeup, $130 for hair
What’s Commonly Included:
Hairstylist, makeup artist
Products
Extras, such as eyelashes, waxing
Additional staff.
Wedding Planning Tips
If you want to save some money by planning your own wedding, here are three tips to help keep your costs down:
Stick to your budget. Your budget is the foundation of any decisions you make about your wedding. Make sure that your personal finances are in order before diving into wedding planning.
Get and stay organized. Keep all of your wedding business intact and in the same place. Use apps and online tools to organize all of your plans and documents.
Consult your partner. You’re not in this alone. Your partner’s opinion matters. Make the decisions together to avoid any conflicts on your wedding day.
Final Take To GO
Don’t forget to build in a cushion for emergencies, miscellaneous expenses and unplanned expenses such as child care services, event liability insurance and postage for sending save-the-date announcements and wedding invitations.
If the average wedding cost is out of your budget range, consider cutting some corners to start your happily ever after off right. Sticking to your wedding budget could mean doing something as simple as trimming the guest list or having a weekday ceremony instead of one on the weekend. The choice is yours.
Kathy Evans contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Average Wedding Cost: What You Need To Know