Planning a wedding is one of the critical events in a couple’s life!
We know much work goes into planning and executing a perfect wedding, so we have explained in this article the topic “how much does a typical wedding cost?”
You need to know how much a typical wedding costs to ensure that your wedding is both romantic and memorable.
Of course, everyone wants the best and perfect wedding, and everyone wants to see that glow of pride in their partner’s eyes as they walk down the aisle.
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How Much Does a Typical Wedding Cost On Average
Wedding costs have changed a lot in the past decade. As of 2019, couples spent an average of $28,000 on weddings.
2020 wasn’t any better, with the cost skyrocketing due to general inflation.
The pandemic, however, decreased the average cost of organizing a typical wedding to $19,000.
The reduced price is attributed to restrictions on the number of guests and reorganizations of wedding patterns.
Even though wedding costs have been dropping in recent years, the cost of organizing a typical wedding is still deemed expensive by specific individuals.
Here’s a list of the average costs of weddings in the last five years:
| Year | Average Cost Per Year |
| 2021 | $22,500 |
| 2020 | $19,000 |
| 2019 | $28,000 |
| 2018 | $33,931 |
| 2017 | $33,931 |
From the table above, you can see that the average amount of typical wedding costs has risen and fallen through the years.
The cost of a typical wedding in 2017 was $33,391, which represents the average cost of a wedding in a normal circumstance.
On the other hand, the cost of a typical wedding in 2020 was $19,000, representing the average cost of a marriage when there were restrictions on public gatherings caused by the pandemic.
The Cost of a Typical Wedding: Expensive or Not?
There have been countless arguments about the “expansiveness” of a wedding ceremony on various social media.
Some people opine that a wedding shouldn’t be that expensive. In contrast, a few others believe that a wedding is a defining moment of every love story, and so should be as costly and extravagant as possible.
However, we believe that a wedding should be an expensive event filled with glamour and the smiling faces of our friends and well-wishers.
Like you, we believe that a wedding is an exciting way to celebrate your love and the start of marital bliss.
A wedding is one of the most elaborate events you need to invest in and ask your loved ones to come to sit, witness and cheer.
You already know that the average cost of a wedding depends on many conditions.
Yet, every typical wedding has its non-negotiable expenses.
You must bear the cost of food, good music, venue, and wedding attire.
As with every occasion, the more extensive the guest list, the higher the amount to be spent.
Another reason the cost of a typical wedding can increase is based on what day of the week and season you choose to have the wedding.
Why Is a Wedding Expensive?
To explain this, we need you to consider what constitutes expenditure in a typical wedding.
These expenses are not hinged stone.
Therefore, you can decide to include these expenses in your wedding planner or take on something more minor that suits your budget.
Cost of Food For Guests.
Food constitutes one of the most significant expenditures you will make for a wedding.
However, the amount you will spend on food depends on what catering service you employ for the occasion.
On average, catering costs about $4,000! For a hundred-capacity crowd.
This estimate is based on calculating the price for a plated meal at $40 and $27 for the buffet.
The buffet-style option is more popular than the standard single-plate option.
The buffet-style food preparation for weddings is more popular because of its economical way of cutting costs.
The cost of food can also be reduced by consciously removing expensive meals from the menu.
Seafood such as shrimp and crab are expensive, so you need to get them off the menu to cut food costs.
So, despite the cost of food, you can have a wedding without going bankrupt.
Wedding cake
Ah, cakes! The yummiest part of the wedding party.
A wedding cake is crafted with so much professionalism and commands a high price.
A classy wedding cake costs about $350, but some couples opt for even more expensive options that can add up to about $1,000!
Wedding Dress and Suit
The Wedding dress and suit are very vital to having a successful wedding.
The cost of a wedding gown varies from state to state, and a bride is likely to spend more in one state than another.
According to a lifestyle magazine, brides spend an average of $1,631 on purchasing wedding dresses.
But you do not have to spend so much to purchase or rent wedding dresses.
If you feel your budget is not large enough for the higher-quality gowns, you do not need to beat yourself up.
You can even purchase a gorgeous gown at a pawn shop for a little fee, as long as it sits well with you.
Wedding Photography/Video
Everyone wants to have to relive their wedding day through pictures and videos taken on the wedding day.
However, this desire has a significant cost attached to it.
You need to consider the cost of employing the services of a videographer and photographer.
The average cost for a typical wedding photographer is about $3,000.
In addition to the service of a photographer, some people may decide to hire a videographer.
A videographer gives you the pleasure of having a professional video of your entire special day.
But this can significantly increase your wedding budget.
We advise you to save some costs by finding a friend or family member who does photography instead.
What is the Most Expensive Section of a Wedding?
The most expensive part of organizing a wedding is the venue.
The venue encompasses everything that helps the wedding go on smoothly, such as lighting, humidity, refreshment, food, and music.
The cost of getting the additional effects for the wedding venue and the rental charge for the wedding is an exorbitant sum.
We have studied and found out that the average wedding venue costs about $12,000-$14,000 per event.
However, Costs for venue vary due to seasonal conditions surrounding your marriage.
That is, you stand a chance of paying more for the venue during festive periods than for normal activities.
You can attribute the difference in price to the laws of demand and supply.
How Much Does a Typical Wedding Cost in Some States?
Various states have unique wedding costs.
In states with higher inflationary trends, wedding costs are bound to be high, while states with lower inflation tend to have low wedding costs.
Massachusetts has the highest wedding costs, costing an average of $30,000.
Arkansas is the cheapest, with an average wedding cost of $12,500.
Here’s a list of American states and the typical wedding costs in each.
- Alabama——-$20,000
- Arkansas——-$17,200
- Arizona———$20,500
- California——$33,000
- Colorado——-$24,500
- Connecticut—-$38,500
- Delaware——–$29,900
- DC——————$44,000
- Florida————$27,000
- Georgia————$27,000
- Hawaii————- $26,800
- Idaho—————$16,000
- Illinois————–$32,000
- Indiana————-$19,500
- Iowa————- $19,000
- Kentucky————- $20,000
- Kansas————- $17,000
- Louisiana————- $27,000
- Maine————- $29,100
- Maryland————-$31,000
- Massachusetts—- $36,000
- Michigan————-$25,000
- Minnesota———–$22,500
- Mississippi———–$19,100
- Missouri————- $24,500
- Montana————- $18,500
- Nebraska————-$18,900
- Nevada—————-$20,500
- New Hampshire—-$30,000
- New Jersey————$47,000
- New Mexico———- $21,100
- New York—————-$42,000
- North Carolina——–$23,000
- North Dakota & South Dakota——- $24,200
- Ohio————- $25,000
Additional costs of a wedding day
Some additional costs to be considered in a typical wedding are:
- Additional postage for wedding invitations and thank you notes.
- Tax and gratuity for your vendors
- Printing wedding photos and ordering wedding albums.
- Those pesky cake-cutting and corkage fees.
Conclusion
You mustn’t go broke to have your dream wedding.
Yet, a simple backyard wedding can be expensive, considering the cost of lighting, table, chair rentals, food, drinks, etc.
We love to read your comments about this topic: “how much does a typical wedding cost” in your location?