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Average wedding cost tops $35,000

Published  February 3, 2017 4:12pm EST
Business
FOX 5 New York

TAMPA (FOX) - Most weddings are a once-in-a lifetime experience.  But a new study shows they also come at a 'I only want to pay this once' price.

The cost of saying 'I do' is the most expensive ever, according to The Knot, which says the average wedding costs more than $35,000.  The wedding website just released its 10th annual report, based on a survey of nearly 13,000 U.S. brides and grooms who exchanged vows in 2016

While fewer people are being invited to weddings, amenities like photo booths, food trucks, and live portrait artists are driving up the average cost per guest to $245.

The most expensive part of the wedding?  The venue, averaging $16,000.

However there are ways to offset these costs, like setting the date for a weekday, something that is becoming more and more popular.

LINK: Read the full report

Top 2016 Wedding Statistics

  • Average Wedding Cost: $35,329 (excludes honeymoon) (up from $32,641 in 2015)
  • Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $78,464 average spend
  • Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Arkansas, $19,522 average spend
  • Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,564
  • Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29 ; Groom, 31
  • Average Number of Guests: 141
  • Average Number of Bridesmaids: 5
  • Average Number of Groomsmen: 5
  • Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (15%)
  • Average Length of Engagement: 15 months
  • Most Popular Month to Get Married: October (16%) and September (16%)
  • Popular Wedding Colors: Dark blue (29%), gold (28%) and light pink (28%)
  • Percentage of Destination Weddings: 20%

Top 25 Most Expensive Places to Get Married

Based on average cost of a wedding in 2016, couples spend the most on their weddings in the following areas in the US. Four of the five most expensive places to get married are in the New York/Tri-State area.

  1. New York – Manhattan: $78,464
  2. New York – Long Island: $67,831
  3. New Jersey – North/Central: $62,606
  4. Illinois – Chicago: $60,035
  5. New York – Outer Boroughs: $59,027
  6. Massachusetts – Cape Cod: $58,608
  7. New York – Westchester/Hudson Valley: $54,428
  8. Rhode Island: $52,328
  9. Florida – Southern: $48,596
  10. Pennsylvania – Philadelphia/Delaware: $48,093
  11. New Jersey – South: $46,486
  12. California – Santa Barbara/Ventura: $45,957
  13. California – Los Angeles: $44,062
  14. Massachusetts – Boston: $44,028
  15. California – San Francisco/Greater Bay Area: $42,716
  16. Louisiana – New Orleans: $42,628
  17. Connecticut: $42,127
  18. Texas – Houston/East TX: $40,285
  19. DC – Washington DC/Northern VA/Suburban MD: $40,176
  20. California – San Diego: $37,268
  21. Texas –Austin/San Antonio/South TX/Central TX: $36,522
  22. Maryland – Baltimore: $35,861
  23. Michigan – Detroit: $35,576
  24. California – Orange County: $35,303
  25. NY – Capital District/Upstate NY: $34,874

Top 10 Most Affordable Places to Get Married

Based on average cost of a wedding in 2016, couples spend the least on their weddings in the following areas in the US.

  1. Arkansas: $19,522
  2. Utah: $20,337
  3. Montana: $20,794
  4. Texas – West Texas: $21,688
  5. Oregon: $21,854
  6. Idaho: $22,018
  7. Arizona – Tucson: $22,175
  8. Iowa: $23,098
  9. Nevada: $23,239
  10. Oklahoma: $23,302

Statistics courtesy The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/content/average-wedding-cost-2016

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