The Knot released its 2018 Real Weddings Study, and couples planning their weddings should take note: The total cost of a wedding remained stagnant in 2018 with an average of $33,931, up only slightly from the 2017 average of $33,391 and down from the 2016 average of $35,329.
The wedding experts at The Knot surveyed more than 14,000 couples married in 2018 and calculated the average dollar amount by combining the total cost of thousands of real couples’ weddings, then dividing that sum by the number of couples surveyed. Keep in mind that the total cost does not include the honeymoon.
Personalized weddings continue to be popular, and 29 percent of couples surveyed used a wedding planner to pull them off. Popular trends included cultural customs, pop culture references and unique unity ceremonies, The Knot reported.
The average couple hosted 136 guests, and the average spend per guest was $258. Besides the usual food, drink and music, 38 percent of couples hired additional reception entertainment, such as live tattoo artists, cigar-rolling stations and craft margarita bars.
Here’s the spend breakdown by vendor:
Reception venue: $14,439
Photographer: $2,679
Wedding planner: $2,002
Band: $4,247
DJ: $2,292
Florist/decor: $2,411
Videographer: $2,021
Dress: $1,631
Tuxedo: $283
Cake: $528
Ceremony venue: $2,382
Ceremony musicians: $797
Officiant: $286
Catering (price per person): $70
Transportation: $856
Favors: $245
Rehearsal dinner: $1,297
Engagement ring: $5,680
Invitations: $386
Hairstylist: $123
Makeup artist: $102
For more information, contact SPE at (216) 870-4513 or scott@spedj.com.
