Every couple wants the perfect wedding, but it’s going to cost a pretty dime! Value Penguin looked at the cost of weddings in the U.S., and finds on average the expense is roughly double what it was just $25 years ago, up 82% if you allow for inflation. A typical American wedding is priced at $29,858.
The most expensive city in Texas for a wedding is Houston; where the average wedding will set you back $31,236. The cost per guest is $223. Compare that to Dallas, where nuptials will set you back $28,810 and the average cost per guest is $206, or Austin/San Antonio, where a trip down the aisle is $27, 742. But Divya Sangam, spokesperson for Value Penguin, recommends something along the lines of Midland or El Paso. “If a couple wants to save a little they should go to West Texas, where the average wedding can cost as little as $13,904.” And it’ll be less than $100 per person.
The most expensive place to hold a wedding is Manhattan, where getting hitched can come close to $100,000. The cheapest is Mississippi, where the cost is $12,769. The top five expenses are the rent for the venue where the reception is held, the engagement ring, the band, the photographer, and the site of the ceremony. Combined they account for 90% of the cost of the wedding.