Don’t let the amount on this list scare you – it’s only an average!
Good news for those planning to get married: the 2019 Real Weddings Study conducted by the Knot finally arrived!
The study asked more than 27,000 couples who celebrated their wedding in 2019 to check out the latest industry trends, the size of an average wedding, the list of popular indoor and outdoor venues, as well as the average cost of a wedding in the US. Nowadays, more couples are resisting tradition to customize their weddings using well-planned details. They are revising what weddings normally look like and how much they need to spend to achieve their dream wedding. Based on the respondents’ answers, the research was able to find out the latest average cost of a wedding, which stands at $33,900. It already includes the engagement ring’s price, but not the expenses they need to spend on the honeymoon.
Before you begin to change your mind about planning a wedding, you must remember that it is just an average cost. It was calculated by integrating the total amount spent in tens of thousands of weddings help in the US, then divided the sum by the total number of couples who joined the survey.
Average Wedding Cost In The US By State
You must also remember that the couples who joined the survey came from different parts of the US. The budgets, headcounts, locations, and styles are different according to each state. It means that what they spend on naturally varied according to the place where they are from. Based on the survey, hosting a wedding in a large, expensive location like the Chicago or New York cost more than those in smaller locations like Wyoming or Idaho.
This is the average cost of wedding in the US according to state (except Alaska):
- Alabama: $25,500
- Arkansas: $21,800
- Arizona: $29,400
- California: $39,000
- Colorado: $30,000
- Connecticut: $41,000
- Delaware: $34,900
- DC: $40,600
- Florida: $30,600
- Georgia: $30,900
- Hawaii: $32,900
- Idaho: $19,800
- Iowa: $22,600
- Illinois: $39,700
- Indiana: $22,800
- Kentucky: $23,900
- Kansas: $22,400
- Louisiana: $33,900
- Maine: $33,500
- Maryland: $33,800
- Massachusetts: $43,600
- Michigan: $29,700
- Minnesota: $28,800
- Mississippi: $23,800
- Missouri: $26,600
- Montana: $23,000
- Nebraska: $23,300
- Nevada: $22,500
- New Hampshire: $32,100
- New Jersey: $53,400
- New Mexico: $25,600
- New York: $48,600
- North Carolina: $29,500
- North Dakota & South Dakota: $29,200
- Ohio: $29,300
- Oklahoma: $21,200
- Oregon: $22,400
- Pennsylvania: $35,900
- Rhode Island: $49,800
- South Carolina: $30,600
- Tennessee: $26,900
- Texas: $30,200
- Utah: $19,700
- Vermont: $38,300
- Virginia: $33,300
- Washington: $25,600
- West Virginia: $26,500
- Wisconsin: $27,800
- Wyoming: $19,800
So, where do these amounts of money go to? Most couples are spending on highly-customized events that combine meaningful details about their relationship. Some of these details include their favorite movies or their go-to meals during their date nights. The respondents also hired professional wedding planners to help them pull off their dream wedding. Based on their answers, almost a third of the respondents would either hire a full-service planner or a day-of coordinator during their wedding. Many of them also chose to embrace their cultural traditions entirely or blended some factors from their customs. Others also intentionally avoid traditions by incorporating pop culture, revising traditional activities like the garter toss, or reinventing major moments to fit their taste. These days, the couples want their wedding to showcase their one-of-a-kind love story and make their guests feel that the event truly celebrated their union.
The couples would also exert plenty of effort to ensure that their guests had a blast during the wedding party. On average, couples invite 131 guests, and approximately 72 percent of those who joined the study mentioned that they prioritize their guests’ needs during the event. Aside from the usual party components like the food, drinks, and music, almost half of the couples presented exceptional entertainment. It included photo booths and special party favors like craft margarita bars or cigar-rolling booths.
The survey also found out that alcohol is an essential part of the average wedding cost. Based on the responses, 92 percent of all the 2019 couples served wine, beer, or spirits to those who attended their wedding. The study also discovered that half of the respondents had a champagne toast at their post-wedding party.
Also, most weddings in the US comprises a complete team of vendors to help make their planning more convenient. The soon-to-be-married couple remains dependent on the industry’s most efficient local professionals to make their special day more memorable.
Average Cost of Wedding Vendors in the US
The amount that wedding professionals charge varies. It is important to research the wedding vendors in your city and inquire about their rates and inclusions. An extensive study showed exactly how much each couple spent on different wedding vendors in 2019.
The list of the average wedding vendor rates in 2019 includes:
- Average cost of reception venue: $10,500
- Average cost of photographer: $2,400
- Average cost of wedding/event planner: $1,500
- Average cost of reception band: $3,700
- Average cost of reception DJ: $1,200
- Average cost of florist: $2,000
- Average cost of videographer: $1,800
- Average cost of wedding dress: $1,600
- Average cost of a wedding cake: $500
- Average cost of catering: (price per person): $70
- Average cost of transportation: $800
- Average cost of favors: $400
- Average cost of rehearsal dinner: $1,900
- Average cost of engagement ring: $5,900
- Average cost of invitations: $590
- Average cost of hairstylist: $110
- Average cost of makeup artist: $100
Look at how the average cost of a wedding in 2019 compared to the couple spent on their wedding during the previous years. In 2018, the average wedding cost was $22,931, which is $30 more expensive than the current national average. Meanwhile, the 2017 average was $33,391, a couple of thousands down from 2016’s $35, 309 average. On the other hand, 2015 couples spent an average of $32,641 for their wedding, which is more than the $29,858 average spending of the 2014 couples. In 2013, the couples only spent $28,427 on their wedding.
