- The average American wedding costs $33,931, according to The Knot 2018 Real Weddings Study.
- Among the most expensive places to get married were cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, as well as regions like South New Jersey, and Long Island and Westchester County in New York.
- The most popular month to get engaged is December, while the most popular month to get married is September.
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Some Americans spend a lot on weddings – sometimes more than their annual salaries.
According to The Knot 2018 Real Weddings Study, a survey of 14,000 brides and grooms, the average American wedding costs $33,931, the same average as the 2017 survey.
However, the most expensive locale for a wedding, New York City, costs $96,910 on average, up from $76,944 in 2017. For reference, the national mean household income is $84,525 a year.
The Knot also found the average guest count (136), average wedding gown price ($1,631), and the average age of brides and grooms (29.1 and 30.5, respectively). The most popular month to get engaged is December (16%), while the most popular month to get married is September (18%).
For the first time, the Knot surveyed Generation Z (age 14 to 23) newlyweds, who aren't as drawn to wedding traditions as past generations. Some wedding traditions are becoming less common, like the bouquet toss (45% in 2018, down from 53% in 2016) or the garter toss (33%, down from 41% in 2016).
Wedding prices are higher than ever, and often they come close to or exceed average annual salaries.
Here are the most expensive places to get married in America, along with the average household income of each location.
25. A wedding in Houston/East Texas costs $35,334
Average household income in Houston: $92,532
24. A wedding in South Carolina costs $35,942
Average household income in South Carolina: $48,781
23. A wedding in the Chicago suburbs in Illinois costs $36,250
Average household income in Chicago: $95,010
22. A wedding in Hawaii costs $37,338
Average household income in Hawaii: $95,569
21. A wedding in Orange County/Inland Empire, California, costs $37,760
Average household income in Los Angeles: $99,303
20. A wedding in Baltimore, Maryland, costs $39,167
Average household income in Baltimore: $101,124
19. A wedding in California's Palm Springs/Desert Communities costs $39,504
Average household income in Palm Springs: $62,239
18. A wedding in Washington DC/Northern Virginia/suburban Maryland costs $39,801
Average household income in Washington DC: $128,402
17. A wedding in New Orleans, Louisiana, costs $40,753
Average household income in New Orleans: $48,781
16. A wedding in San Francisco and the Bay Area, California, costs $41,341
Average household income in San Francisco: $140,720
15. A wedding in South Florida costs $42,596
Average household income in Miami: $81,633
14. A wedding in Los Angeles, California, costs $42,638
Average household income in Los Angeles: $99,303
13. A wedding in Connecticut costs $42,853
Average household income in Connecticut: $105,998
12. A wedding in Boston, Massachusetts, costs $44,557
Average household income in Boston: $116,561
11. A wedding in Santa Barbara/Ventura, California, costs $45,991
Average household income in Santa Barbara: $97,025
10. A wedding in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the nearby Delaware area costs $46,640
Average household income in Philadelphia: $95,595
9. A wedding in South New Jersey costs $47,148
Average household income in Burlington County: $104,955
8. A wedding in New York City's outer boroughs costs $56,967
Average household income in New York: $110,849
7. A wedding in Westchester/Hudson Valley, New York, costs $57,678
Average household income in Westchester County: $143,304
6. A wedding in North and Central New Jersey costs $58,107
Average household income in Middlesex County: $104,526
5. A wedding in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, costs $58,425
Average household income in Cape Cod: $111,641
4. A wedding in Rhode Island costs $59,201
Average household income in Rhode Island: $98,954
3. A wedding in Chicago, Illinois, costs $60,294
Average household income in Chicago: $95,010
2. A wedding on Long Island, New York, costs $66,409
Average household income in Suffolk County: $118,116
1. A wedding in Manhattan, New York, costs $96,910
Average household income in New York: $110,849