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What US newlyweds really spent on their weddings according to an independent survey, why costs vary so much by region, and how to set a number of your own.
There is no single price. In a LendingTree survey of 1,050 US newlyweds (March 2025), the most common total was $30,000 to $44,999, reported by 26% of couples, but a quarter spent under $20,000 and 11% spent $60,000 or more. What you spend depends mostly on how many guests you invite, where you live and what you prioritise, so treat any average as a starting point, not a target.
Averages hide how spread out wedding spending is. The LendingTree survey gives the full range:
Many widely quoted averages come from surveys run by wedding marketplaces and registry companies, which recruit from their own users. Those couples are planning through a wedding platform and booking vendors there, so their weddings may not look like everyone's. We don't repeat those figures here. An independent survey with a stated sample and date is a better guide, and even then your own quotes matter more than anyone's average.
Where you marry changes almost every line of the budget, from venue rent to what staff are paid. The US Bureau of Economic Analysis measures this with regional price parities: in 2024, overall prices were highest in California (110.7), Hawaii (110.0) and New Jersey (108.8), and lowest in Arkansas (86.9) and Mississippi (87.0), against a national level of 100.
The biggest levers on wedding cost: Guest count, Catering, bar, rentals and stationery are priced per person or per household; Location, Venue rent and labour costs follow local prices; Date and season, Popular dates cost more at many venues; ask about other days; Meal and bar format, Plated, buffet, stations and bar packages are all priced differently; Venue type, An all-inclusive venue and a bare room with outside caterers price very differently; Style, Flowers, décor and entertainment can be modest or can dominate the budget.
Start with what you can pay, not with an average. Add your savings, what you can save before the date, and any family contributions that have actually been offered. The Emily Post Institute advises finding out first who is willing to pay for what, and how much. Decide on a rough guest count. It sets the size of almost everything else. How to build a wedding guest list helps. Get two or three real catering and venue quotes. These are usually the largest costs, and they turn a guess into a plan. Hold back a buffer. Service charges, tax and tips are easy to leave out; see hidden wedding costs. Split the rest by priority. Wedding budget breakdown and how to prioritize your wedding budget show how.
Independent data points to a wide range rather than one number. In LendingTree's March 2025 survey of 1,050 newlyweds, the most common total was $30,000 to $44,999 (26% of couples), while 25% spent under $20,000.
For many couples, yes. In the same survey, about a quarter of newlyweds spent less than $20,000. How far it goes depends on your guest count and local prices.
Venue rent, catering and staff wages follow local prices. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found 2024 price levels ranged from about 87% of the national average in Arkansas to almost 111% in California.
LendingTree found 32% of newlyweds went over budget. Leaving a buffer for service charges, tax and tips is the simplest protection.
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