AVERAGE WEDDING BUDGET

With the economy the way it is today, no need to go into the details, we are all feeling the effects from the extreme gas prices to the difficult housing market. I thought it would be interesting to share what the average couple spends on their wedding today.

On average, U.S. couples will spend $27,573.00 for their wedding (I have seen this number creep up to $29,000 in more recent studies and according to The Wedding Report, Inc. is expected to dip slightly). This does not include cost for a honeymoon, engagement ring, bridal consultant or wedding planner. Add that in and cost could reach $35,530.00. You should note that wedding cost can very widely and this is just an estimated average of what couples will likely spend based on our research at The Wedding Report, Inc., which researches trends in the wedding industry.

Here is a breakdown of the average cost by wedding category:

Wedding Attire cost
$2,595.00
Wedding Ceremony cost
$2,515.00
Wedding Favors & Gifts cost
$1,117.00
Wedding Flowers cost
$1,960.00
Wedding Jewelry cost
$2,057.00
Wedding Music cost
$949.00
Wedding Photography & Video cost
$3,673.00
Wedding Reception cost
$14,109.00
Wedding Stationery cost
$844.00
Wedding Transportation cost
$408.00

A wedding planner can help you minimize your cost for the greatest return on your dollar! This is where we can step in to help you achieve not only a fabulous wedding but a budget friendly one specific to your needs and desires. More and more wedding experts are seeing an increase in what we call "budget brides". They would rather save the money and put it towards a down payment on a house. This does not mean that even though couples are not able to spend as much as they would like on their wedding, that they cannot have the beautiful wedding of their dreams. There are ways to cut corners and save money. With the guidance and knowledge of a professional wedding planner, they can not only help them stick to their budget, but deliver the wedding they have always dreamed of having.

Wedding Budget Calculator
Here is a useful link to help guide you with your budget and how to distribute the costs.

http://www.yourweddingcompany.com/templates/planning/budget_calc.php/action/showProject/planId/3/