On average, a couple’s wedding can cost as much as $27,882. However, that figure doesn’t include the happy couple’s honeymoon. If you want to add in the honeymoon cost, then you’re looking at an average of around $32,660 for the wedding and honeymoon alone! Most of a couple’s budget is spent on their reception, with the next largest chunk being spent on the band and finally the cost of a professional photographer and photo prints.
Interestingly enough, the average wedding cost of the bride’s parents verses the cost to the bride and groom are about the same. Typically, the cost for the wedding is split almost 50/50 between the two. In addition, the average cost of a wedding in 1990 was about $15,000 – you can see how wedding costs have increased nearly 100% in the last decade and a half alone.
Destination Weddings
Destination wedding have grown in popularity, increasing as much as 400% in the last ten years. In part, this trend can be attributed to the fact that the average age of couples getting married has increased, so they have more money to spend on what they perceive to be exotic getaway vacations. A typical couple will spend an average of $25,806 on these types of weddings, and one out of ten couples opt for a destination wedding.
Wedding Gowns
Surprisingly, brides are choosing to use their wedding budget on other things besides their wedding dress. In the past, brides paid thousands of dollars for beautiful, custom order wedding gowns, but now, an average of around $800 is typically the purchase price for a wedding dress. In addition, the number of women renting their wedding dresses instead of buying has increased, and this also helps to bring down the cost of this expense.
Wedding Cakes
Wedding cakes range in prices depending on your tastes and needs. Slices of cake can be had for as low as $1.50 per slice, although some more expensive cakes can be up to $30 dollars a slice. Talk about a cake trimmed in gold! An estimated average cost of a single wedding cake is $543 dollars. Some cakes, though, can cost several thousands of dollars, depending upon how fancy the decorations are and how big a cake is needed for your wedding.
Music and Photographers
Today, hiring a five person band for four hours of entertainment has an average cost of $2,085. One less band member will give you a savings on average of $935. If you’re interested in hiring live musicians for your wedding, the most effective way to go would be to hire a six to ten person band. This size group costs, on average, $2,200, which is only $115 dollars more than a five person band.
But you don’t only want good music at your wedding – you’ll also want to hire a good photographer. Over a hundred years ago, one of the most popular types of photography was tin type, although things have really changed in photography since then! You can get quality photos taken at your wedding for a photo album or you can have your wedding captured on video to watch for a lifetime. Wedding photography can range on average anywhere from $950 to $10,000, depending on your geographic location, the quality of the photographer and the type of prints you purchase after the event.