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What does the average wedding cost?

They say that there are three things that one should expect to consider as The Most Important Expenses in your lifetime:  a new car, a new home, and your first wedding.

(Kids, naturally, are also an expense over time — but that’s an expense that returns love and so much more, so Web Watch will leave that one out of this discussion.)

That Costs How Much?: The Bride's Guide to Budgeting for an Unforgettable Wedding
That Costs How Much?:
The Bride’s Guide to Budgeting for an Unforgettable Wedding

A new car? That can be budgeted for – and in some places, a car is a necessity of life so you can get to your job and elsewhere.

A home? You could always try renting first, and homes come in all shapes/sizes to meet your financial constraints.

But one’s first wedding?  Ay, there’s the rub.

The huge unknown as parents battle with Bridezillas, brides battle with grooms, parents battle with parents — all in the name of making the family event The Event To Attend Of The Year.

It doesn’t always have to be this way, but it often ends up like that as the participants decide what is an Absolute Must-Have, and which items can be negotiated.

Which is why Web Watch loves annual items like THE KNOT’S LIST OF WEDDING COSTS, which really can put things into perspective.

Want to get married cheap, but not end up doing the Vegas quickie drive-through marriage? We’re talking full-blown wedding reception?  Then you’ll want to head to Alaska, where the average wedding will run you about $15,504.  Compare that to getting married in Manhattan, where the average wedding cost is $76,678.

Web Watch hears you – who in their right mind would spend over $75k for a wedding?  That’s a down payment on a house. That IS a full price on a house, depending on where you’re living.  See, this is why we can’t have nice things.

Let’s take a look at some of the other average costs:

  • Wedding dress: $1,211
  • Wedding cake: $560
  • Wedding flowers: $1,997
  • Engagement ring: $5,431
  • Event planner: $1,847
  • Rehearsal dinner: $1,135
  • Catering, which we will assume includes alcohol based on this figure: $63 per person