Getting Married Can Be an Expensive Proposition - East Idaho News
Business & Money

Getting Married Can Be an Expensive Proposition

  Published at

GETTY H 110711 WeddingRingsJPG?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1362995940433Stockbyte/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — In 2012, U.S. couples, on average, spent more than $28,000 on their wedding.  And that doesn’t count the honeymoon.

The Manhattan borough of New York City earns the title of the most expensive place to get married.  Couples, on average, shelled out $76,687 to tie the knot in the Big Apple.

The least expensive place to get married in the U.S. in 2012 was Alaska.  Folks up there spent, on average, $15,504 on their nuptials.

The figures are from a survey conducted by XO Group Inc., the company behind the wedding websites TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com.  The survey involved more than 17,500 U.S. brides married in 2012.

2012 Wedding Statistics:

  • Average Wedding Budget: $28,427 (excludes honeymoon)
  • Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $76,678 average spent
  • Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Alaska, $15,504 average spent
  • Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,211
  • Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 31
  • Average Number of Guests: 139
  • Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4 to 5
  • Average Number of Groomsmen: 4 to 5
  • Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (16%)
  • Average Length of Engagement: 14 months
  • Most Popular Month to Get Married: June (17%)
  • Popular Wedding Colors: Blue (33%), Purple (26%), Green (23%), Metallics (23%)
  • Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%

Based on average wedding spending in 2012, these are the areas around the U.S. where couples spent the most on their weddings:

  • New York City (Manhattan): $76,687
  • Chicago, IL: $49,810
  • New York Metro (Long Island, Hudson Valley and NYC Outer Boroughs): $49,002, $46,300, $39,602
  • Northern/Central New Jersey and Southern New Jersey: $48,496, $35,375
  • Rhode Island: $47,399
  • Santa Barbara/Ventura, CA: $42,319
  • Boston, MA: $39,239
  • Philadelphia, PA: $38,369
  • Connecticut: $38,009
  • San Francisco, CA: $35,344
  • Los Angeles, CA: $35,308
  • San Diego and Orange County/Inland Empire, CA: $34,136, $33,848
  • Baltimore, MD: $33,366
  • Washington, DC/Northern Virginia/suburban Maryland: $33,118
  • Houston, TX: $31,978
  • Southern Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas): $31,288
  • Savannah, GA: $30,618
  • Sacramento/Reno/Tahoe: $30,458
  • Hawaii: $29,636
  • Illinois: $29,489

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION