Marketed as the “happiest day of your life,” weddings have also earned the reputation as
some of the most costly events in someone’s life. According to the Wedding Report, pricing for these ceremonies averages anywhere between $28,779 to $35,175, depending on the location, number of guests and contracted vendors.
Similar studies by The Knot revealed that the 2023 average cost of a wedding in the United States was $35,000, a $5,000 increase from their 2022 study. Researchers attributed this to nationwide inflation, leading to an increase in prices in the whole wedding industry.
Despite the high average costs of weddings, three in four couples reported spending less than $20,000 on their weddings, and historically the median price of a wedding has hovered between $10,000 to $15,000.
Both The Knot and the Wedding Report agree that location and the number of guests are the largest price determinants of wedding planning. Weddings located in Los Angeles (LA) and New York showed significantly higher prices than those in more rural towns and states.
According to The Knot, New Jersey is the most expensive state to have a wedding in, averaging at $55,000. Weddings in California average at $41,000, with prices increasing in major cities like LA, where wedding prices average between $62,948 and $76,936.
The cost per-wedding guest in 2023 was approximately $304, an increase from the $256 average in 2022. According to The Knot, guests are the biggest factors in determining how much a couple will spend on a wedding — essentially the more guests the more expensive the event. Weddings with one to 50 guests cost on average $16,700 while weddings with 200 people attending typically cost around $60,800.
Although averages paint a picture of what couples can typically expect to spend on a wedding, according to The Knot, final pricing is typically dependent on the “guest count, number and types of venues, length of the wedding, types of service, number of vendors, etc.”
Couples typically hire an average of 14 vendors for their wedding day; the more vendors hired, the more a couple can look to spend on their big day.
An internal study of nearly 10,00 couples by The Knot found that the average cost of a wedding venue in 2023 was $12,800 — meaning, couples typically devote 40 percent of their overall wedding budget to the venue. Pricing of the venue is dependent on location as well as add-ons offered by the venue that could increase the cost of the venue but decrease overall wedding costs.
The Wedding Report had similar findings, showing that the average price of a venue for a wedding with 100 to 150 guests is $13,039 to $15,937.
Food and beverages are often some of the most important parts of planning a wedding. Pricing of food depends on the route or company couples choose to take, however, the Knot study found that the average price of catering was $86 per guest. The more guests at a ceremony, the more expensive food will be.
Many couples choose to have music at their reception, and pricing is dependent on the options they choose. Although each live band has their own rates, typically a live wedding band costs an average of $4,300. For a cheaper option, many couples may opt to use a DJ — the average price of booking a wedding DJ is $1,700.
Most newly weds see photographers as a must have for the big day. Wedding photographer pricing typically depends on the vendor and services offered, with the general price of wedding photographers landing at around $2,900.
While photographers capture stills, a lot of couples also look to document their wedding day on film. Videography is the eighth highest wedding expense, averaging at $2,300.
Whether they be decorative, or a part of the bridal bouquet, flowers are another big ticket expense couples can look forward to spending on their wedding. The Knot found that the average price of wedding florists in 2023 was $2,800.
Additional expenses couples can expect to incur when planning their wedding include:
- Wedding cake: averaging at $540
- Event planners: averaging at $2,100
- Wedding rings: averaging at $5,500
- Couples attire: averaging at $2,000
- Hair and makeup: averaging at $500
- Event rentals: averaging at $2,000
- Lighting and decorations: averaging at $1,900
- Transportation: averaging at $1,100
- Invitations: averaging at $530
- Wedding favors: averaging at $450
All pricing is average, which can be skewed by a small amount of extremely high or extremely low values. Pricing for each service is dependent on the rates of individual vendors.
