Are you? newly engaged? You’re probably wondering what it costs to have the affordable wedding of your dreams, here are a few averages.
Congratulations on your engagement!
If you got engaged recently, you have probably started the process of planning for your wedding. Whether your budget is large or small, you are probably curious and maybe concerned about wedding costs.
If you read wedding websites and magazines, you might have heard that the average wedding in the United States costs about $28,000. If this number sounds exorbitant to you, then you’re not alone! You have to remember that these figures are counting on people who are members of these sites and subscribers to these magazines to report what they’re spending, and chances are good that these particular brides are spending more than those who don’t join wedding websites. Also, remember that when you are dealing with averages, a handful of couples who spend a much higher amount can skew the figure.
As Will Oremus, writer for
Slate.com
points out, in 2011, when the average wedding cost over $27,000, the median wedding cost was actually about $18,000. If you look at the median cost, then you can see that half of bridal couples spent more, and half of bridal couples spent less. Some considerably more, and some considerably less.
Still, if you’re newly engaged, you’re probably wondering what things cost. Here are a few averages. Keep in mind that “average” does not equal “what most people spend.” All statistics are from StatisticBrain.com:
If these numbers are discouraging, remember that you can spend whatever you are able to on your wedding. Whether you are striving for the fairy tale wedding of your dreams or you are content with a small ceremony and simple reception, the ball is in your court when it comes to establishing and sticking to a wedding budget. Don’t feel as though you have to spend what’s “average.” Just spend what you and your spouse-to-be can, and focus on living happily ever after!