Credit Donkey found that the average American wedding costs just under $30,000: making it a four-hour event that costs as much as a four-year degree at many colleges.
They’ve broken down the biggest expenses that the typical wedding party encounters.
1. How much does the average wedding cost?
As of 2013, the average wedding cost was $29,858, not including the cost of the honeymoon. That’s an increase of nearly $1,500 over 2012.
2. What’s the average cost of the wedding dress?
For brides-to-be, the big day is all about the dress and on average, they spent $1,281 to find the right one in 2013. That figure climbed by $70 from the year before.
3. What’s the price tag for a tuxedo rental?
It’s also important for the groom to be well dressed and fortunately, tuxedos aren’t quite as pricey as wedding gowns. The average amount spent for a tuxedo in 2013 was $248.
4. How much does it cost to be a bridesmaid?
Being a bridesmaid is certainly an honor but it doesn’t come cheap. Between the dress, shoes, shower gifts, wedding gifts and the bachelorette party, the average bridesmaid is out nearly $1,700. Of course, within any of these expenses, there is always room to save a little, for instance looking at various convertible bridesmaid dresses could be a cheaper alternative and allow the dresses to be reused afterward!
5. What do couples spend on their rings?
These days, diamonds don’t come cheap; the average cost of an engagement ring is somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,600. By comparison, grooms usually pay between $500 and $600 for their wedding bands.
6. What’s the average cost of wedding invitations?
Save-the-dates are the latest trend to hit the wedding scene, increasing the total couples pay for invitations. On average, getting the word out to guests about the upcoming event costs $443.
7. What’s the average cost of flowers for a wedding?
No ceremony would be complete without a flower arrangement or two, and all those beautiful blooms will run around $2,000.
8. What do brides spend on their bouquet?
Brides aren’t expected to walk down the aisle empty-handed; it’ll cost anywhere from $75 to $250 for the bouquet. If the bridesmaids are carrying flowers, that tacks another $30 to $75 per bridesmaid onto the cost.
9. How much is the average venue fee?
The venue is usually one of the biggest expenses when planning a wedding. If you’re holding the ceremony at one location and staging the reception at another, it averages out to about $1,800 and $13,400 respectively.
10. How much does it cost to hire a photographer?
The memories you make on your wedding day are priceless, and it will cost about $2,440 on average to hire a professional wedding photographer to capture them. If you want a video record of the events, you can expect to spend another $1,700 for a videographer.
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