It’s been over a decade since I married my Husband but I remember it adding up to much more than I thought it would once all was said and done.  It’s was a good thing we gave ourselves a year to plan so we could divvy up the cost among many months.

I won’t reveal what we spent, but it was much less than $30,000, which is what approximately 1 in 5 brides are spending on their wedding today.  The percentage of brides spending MORE than $40,000 is 12%!

Based on national data samples of 17,500 respondents, here are the latest results and wedding industry statistics of the AVERAGE answers from The Knot and WeddingChannel.com:

Overall Wedding (excluding honeymoon) was $28,427.

♥    Average cost of the reception hall: $12,905
♥    Catering price per person:  $63.  The average guest list had 141 guests so that’s a total cost of $8,883!
♥    Engagement Ring:  $5,431
♥    Reception Band:  $3,084
♥    Photographer:  $2,379
♥    Florist:  $1,997
♥    Wedding Planner:  $1,847
♥    Ceremony Site:  $1,711
♥    Videographer:  $1,619
♥    Wedding Dress:  $1,211
♥    Rehearsal Dinner:  $1,135
♥    Reception DJ:  $988
♥    Limousine:  $708
♥    Wedding Cake:  $560
♥    Ceremony Musicians:  $554
♥    Invitations:  $453
♥    Wedding Favors:  $289
♥    Groom’s Tux:  $230

Wonder what cities spend the most on their weddings on average?  Couples in Manhattan spent the most, with an average wedding budget of $76,687.  Chicago ($49,810), northern and central New Jersey ($48,496), Santa Barbara and Ventura, Calif. ($42,319) and Boston ($39,239) follow.  The states of Alaska and Utah had a smaller average budget, in comparison of $15,504 and $13,214, respectively.

Want to know more Key Average Wedding Statistics such as the most popular month to get engaged and the average age of the bride and groom?  Visit this article.

Are you surprised by this list?  How much do you think is reasonable to spend on a wedding?  No matter your budget, quality services are important.  Our Wedding Gown Clean and Press service is top quality without breaking the bank.

– S.O.