The wedding boom of 2022 might be over following a glut of nuptials after years of pandemic-related delay, but the cost of getting married continues to rise as the typical ceremony now costs couples $29,000!
In 2019, before the sudden rush of couples tying the knot, the average cost was around $24,700. The $29,000 cost is even a $1,000 jump from the average in 2022.
The average cost of holding a wedding was also higher in northeastern locations, including Washington, D.C., ($45,400), New Jersey ($44,200) and Massachusetts ($40,000).
Weddings in the south of the country appear to cost half as much with the average cost of nuptials in Mississippi ($25,000), Kentucky ($24,500) and Alabama ($20,000). The cheapest place in the country to get hitched is Alaska with the average cost about $12,000.
But no matter the location, the increase in wedding expenses can largely be attributed to the escalating costs faced by vendors because of inflation.
A map showing the projected average spending for a 2023 wedding in the U.S.
Surge in weddings in 2022, prompted by a backlog of ceremonies delayed by the pandemic has subsided, but the cost of getting married continues to rise
Average price of a wedding is now $29,000 for couples, compared to $28,000 the previous year, while in 2019 the average cost stood at around $24,700
One of the most significant price increases has been that of entertainment with DJ’s now charging 25 percent more between 2019-2022
One of the most significant price increases has been that of entertainment with DJs now charging 25 percent more between 2019-2022.
Others who lost colossal amounts of work during the pandemic have also seen their rates jump, such as makeup artists and hairstylists with a 20 percent and 18 percent rise, respectively.
Even items to decorate venues have gone up with flowers up by 20 percent over the three-year period.
Wedding dresses have also risen by 19 percent over the same time frame. All the aforementioned categories have risen more than the cumulative rate of inflation, which is 14 percent.
Other wedding essentials which have gone up but by less than inflation include photographers – with rates going up 8 percent.
Others who lost work during the pandemic have also increased their rates, such as makeup artists and hairstylists with a 20 percent and 18 percent rise, respectively
Even items to decorate venues have gone up with flowers up by 20 percent over the three year period
The cost to feed guests has risen with the average catering cost per head up by 7 percent while the cost to rent a venue has risen by the same amount.
Wedding cakes have also risen – and not just in the oven. They are now priced 2 percent higher than in 2019.
The only item that appears to have gone down in value is clothing for the groom, which has decreased by 3 percent.
In a survey conducted by Zola, around 300 wedding vendors reported that 83 percent of their business costs were expected to rise during 2023.
In addition, 26 percent of vendors said an increase in the cost of goods was to blame with the overall price escalation in the final tab.
Roughly 17 percent of vendors surveyed said couples had smaller budgets for services, with 77 percent of vendors now having raised their rates.
Wedding dresses have also risen by 19 percent over the three years between 2019-2022
Renting venues together with the cost of feeding your hungry guests has gone up 7 percent
Emma Dykstra, who runs Deborah’s Specialty Cakes, a family-run bakery in Athens, Georgia, explained how supplier costs have escalated significantly causing her to raise prices twice in the past year.
The bakery has increased rates by about a third or more which means some customers are heading elsewhere once it falls outside of their price range.
‘We’ve had to kind of adjust for that, and then also we want to make sure we pay our employees as well so we’ve had to up their hourly rates’ said Dykstra. ‘That translates to slightly higher costs for the customer.’
The rising costs mean the bakery now caters to clientele with higher incomes.
‘We haven’t raised our price in ages and we hate having to do that because we really want to be as accessible to people as possible.’
The number of weddings is expected to decline compared to the peak seen last year – when more than 2.6 million weddings taking place in the U.S.
Wedding cakes prices have also risen – are now priced 2 percent higher than in 2019
The only item that appears to have gone down in value is clothing for the groom, which has decreased by 3 percent
‘They’re really very eyes open about what the cost of a wedding is and what decisions they need to make that fit their personal style and fit the day that they’ve maybe been thinking about for a long time,’ Emily Forrest, Zola’s director of communications said.
To cope with the rising expenses some couples are exploring the secondhand market, or opting to have weekday or morning celebrations to keep costs lower.
‘Florals or installations or anything that’s really decor-heavy that requires extra labor on site, those costs are rising dramatically,’ said Paige Thom, co-founder of Weddings by Leigh, a Las Vegas-based wedding planning service.
‘Everyone’s kind of feeling the hurt — rent, groceries and gas — so if you’re trying to keep a team, just like we are, you’re giving raises. The idea of cheap labor isn’t really a thing anymore.’