The Average Cost of a Wedding

Couples are spending enough on a wedding to buy a car or put a down payment on a home -- the average cost of a wedding in 2024 was $33,000, according to Zola, a wedding planning website.

Wedding costs vary by state, guest count, venue, and other factors. Motley Fool Money has compiled the latest wedding expense data from The Knot and Zola, two of the largest wedding planning platforms, as well as Wedding Forward and Brides.com, to break down how wedding budgets add up.

How much does the average wedding cost?

The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. in 2024 was $33,000, according to Zola. That's up from $29,000 in 2023.

The cost of a wedding can vary substantially from state to state and can change based on the type of venue, guest count, and other factors.

The average cost of a wedding in each state

Rhode Island is the most expensive state to get married in, with the average wedding there coming out to $49,207, according to Zola. Alaska is the cheapest state for a wedding, per Zola, with the average bill there amounting to $14,444.

Below is a map and list of the most and least expensive states to get married in.

Average wedding costs by destination

Whether you have a destination wedding or local wedding significantly impacts costs. Here's how much those types of weddings cost on average, according to The Knot:

• Destination weddings in the U.S. cost $43,300 on average.
• Destination weddings outside the U.S. cost $42,000 on average.
• Hometown weddings cost $33,300 on average.
• First marriage weddings cost $30,000 on average, while second weddings average $14,000.

Some of the extra costs of a destination wedding may be offset by a lower price tag for the honeymoon, assuming the couple celebrates in the location where the wedding was held. Plus, some vendors may be cheaper abroad compared to the United States.

Nineteen percent of newlyweds had a destination wedding in 2023, per The Knot, in line with the past few years. Zola estimated that 36% of recently married couples had a destination wedding in 2023, with 28% being domestic destinations and 8% tying the knot abroad.

Average wedding cost breakdown: Where does the money go?

With tens of thousands of dollars on the line, it's important to understand what couples prioritize and where this money goes.

Here's how much couples spend on average on different wedding vendors, clothing, and other expenses.

Costs in every category except for engagement rings increased in 2023 from the previous year, according to The Knot.

One reason the cost of engagement rings fell may be the turn to lab-grown diamonds. Seventy-two percent of couples surveyed by Zola said that "diamond alternatives and substitutes" were "in."

Let's take a closer look at the variation in costs for some of these major categories.

The average cost of a wedding by guest count

The average guest count for a 2024 wedding was 145, with a 75% RSVP rate, resulting in about 109 guests, according to Zola. A wedding of that size would have cost around $34,000 on average.

The average cost of a wedding with 50 to 75 guests is $20,581. Wedding costs jump to an average of $33,957 when the guest count is between 100 and 150. The average cost of a small wedding with 30 to 50 guests is $18,768.

Here's how the average cost of a wedding changes based on the size of a wedding.

The average wedding cost per guest can change based on the overall size of the wedding. Larger weddings tend to benefit from economies of scale, reducing the average wedding cost per guest as the guest list grows. Other factors, like welcome gifts for guests, a plated or buffet dinner, and bar offerings can also influence the average wedding cost per guest.

Who pays for the wedding?

Just 27% of couples pay for their own wedding in full, which is no surprise given how expensive tying the knot has become. Sixty percent of couples contribute to their wedding bill, but it's not clear how costs are divided between them and others who help foot the bill.

How do couples pay for their wedding?

How couples pay for their weddings shows how expensive weddings have become.

Thirty-two percent of couples surveyed by Zola use some combination of credit card points and new credit cards to pay for the wedding, for example, up from 29% in 2023. Twelve percent of those surveyed in 2023 said they had taken on additional jobs to make extra money.

The average cost of weddings around the world

The table below shows what the average cost of weddings around the world was in 2022. Costs are converted into U.S. dollars using average currency conversion rates that year and do not include jewelry, engagement rings, or honeymoons.

The United States is the most expensive on the list by a wide margin in terms of average cost, but couples across the globe have a keen interest in making their wedding special and are willing to pay a relatively high price to do so.

What about wedding insurance?

Wedding insurance policies cover a wide variety of items, from lost rings to injured guests.

Cancellation insurance covers the deposits made on the venue, DJ, vendors, photography, and so on. It might also cover loss or damage of attire, rings, cake, gifts, and other items, depending on the provisions in your policy.

Liability insurance covers injuries to the people who attend your wedding.

According to The Knot, couples pay between $125 and $550 for a basic cancellation policy. General liability insurance will cost about $185.

The most expensive weddings

Different sources list different weddings as the most expensive ever.

The Guinness Book of World Record claims the $55 million wedding in 2004 of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of the billionaire Lakshmia Mittal, the executive chairman of ArcelorMittal, and Amit Bhatia, an investment banker, is the most expensive wedding held.

Insider lists Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding as the most expensive wedding, costing $48 million in 1981, over $170 million today.

The Knot has the wedding between the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his bride Princess Salama in 1981, as the most expensive. The affair would have cost over $100 million today.

How to save money planning a wedding

Couples would be well-advised to consider their wedding budget carefully and make sound decisions throughout the wedding planning process, including setting spending limits upfront and sticking to them.

Using cash when possible rather than relying on credit cards or personal loans that can carry high interest rates is another way to avoid surprise costs and stick to a budget. Putting wedding costs on credit can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the final price tag.

By taking a financially-responsible approach to their wedding, couples should be better able to avoid starting their married life with the substantial wedding debt that can result from overspending.