Anyone who’s planned a wedding knows it’s an expensive proposition, but if you’re getting married this year, it’s gonna cost you more than ever before. The Knot’s tenth annual Real Wedding Study surveyed close to 13,000 couples who got hitched in 2016 to uncover the truth about the big day, and it seems the average wedding cost has reached a new high.
Couples in 2016 spent an average of $35,329 on a wedding and that doesn’t include the honeymoon. Last year the average cost was $32,641 so that means it’s gone up more than $3,000. The average number of wedding guests has actually gone down to 141 from 149 in 2009, with the cost per guest increasing to $245. Custom entertainment is one of the biggest expense couples are spending money on, with the costs tripling from 11% in 2009 to 41% in 2015. That money is going for things like photo booths (78%), games (18%), musical performances (12%) and fireworks (8%).
As for who’s paying for all this, it isn’t always the parents. While on average, the bride’s parents do pay for about 44% of the big day, the happy couple is likely to contribute 42%, while the groom’s parents will chip in 13%. Meanwhile, last year, 10% of couples paid for their entire day themselves, while 8% didn’t fork over a penny for their celebration.
Other wedding statistics include:
- 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 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%)
To check out the full breakdown, click here.
Source: The Business Journal
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