It’s easy to get carried away while planning a wedding — with so many factors to consider and so many people to please, the soon-to-be-wed can find themselves racking up tens of thousands of dollars in expenses.
Despite widely-held anxieties about big-ticket weddings, however, nearly 20% of Americans say that they’ve spent more time planning for their current or future wedding than they have for retirement. Sixteen percent of Americans say they would even be willing to go into debt for their big day, according to a 2024 study from financial planning advisor Empower.
In 2023, the average price tag on American weddings was $35,000 – a noteworthy increase from 2022’s average wedding cost of $30,000. As with all things, however, the cost of holding a wedding varies dramatically based on location.
Experts have attributed the rising cost of nuptials to a myriad of factors, including couples delaying their weddings until they have higher incomes and wedding vendors up-charging to financially compensate for the seasonal nature of the industry.
A recent analysis from jewelry designer Mark Broumand broke down the average cost of weddings across the continental United States. The cheapest state for wedding planning is Utah, where couples spend an average of just $17,000 on their big day.
Kentucky, Idaho, and Montana were all tied in second place for the cheapest weddings. Residents of those states spend an average of $20,000. Other interior states – Nevada, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas – rounded out the bottom ten, with average weddings ranging in cost from $21,000 to $25,000.
Continue reading to learn more about the cost of weddings across the country and the ten states with the most expensive weddings.
Weddings in California are the tenth most expensive in the country. The average California wedding costs $41,000.
Weddings in Massachusetts are the ninth most expensive in the country. The average Massachusetts wedding costs $42,000.
Weddings in Washington, D.C. are the ninth most expensive in the country. The average D.C. wedding costs $42,000.
Weddings in Connecticut are the seventh most expensive in the country. The average Connecticut wedding costs $44,000.
Weddings in Maine are the seventh most expensive in the country. The average Maine wedding costs $44,000.
Weddings in New Hampshire are the seventh most expensive in the country. The average New Hampshire wedding costs $44,000.
Weddings in Vermont are the seventh most expensive in the country. The average Vermont wedding costs $44,000.
Weddings in Rhode Island are the seventh most expensive in the country. The average Rhode Island wedding costs $44,000.
Weddings in New York are the second most expensive in the country. The average New York wedding costs $49,000.
Weddings in New Jersey are the most expensive in the country. The average New Jersey wedding costs $55,000.
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