How Much The Average U.S. Wedding Costs In 2025

Getting married can be one of the best days of a couple’s life, but it can also be one of the most expensive. The cost of weddings has been steadily climbing over the last five years, and has increased by around 30% since 2019, according to Brooke Avishay, owner of Orange Blossom Special Events.

So, how much does it cost to tie the knot here in the U.S. these days? A 2024 study from Empower finds that couples spent or planned to spend an average of $31,281 on their weddings, but it skyrockets to $51,130 for millennials. And that average total has gone up again for 2025. According to wedding planning site Zola, in 2025, the average wedding will run $36-thousand.

While that Empower study finds that more than half (58%) of Americans think a wedding is priceless and worth the splurge, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. While there are dozens of factors that add up to determine the cost of a wedding, experts say these are seven of the biggest when it comes to budget.

• Location - Bigger cities tend to cost more and a wedding in Iowa will cost about a third of one in New York, according to Zola.
• Venue and catering - Feeding guests is often the single biggest part of a wedding budget, accounting for as much as half of the total budget.
• Guest count - How many people you invite makes a huge difference in the cost of everything, from food and drinks to rentals and even the venue.
• Vendors and planning - Between the photographer, florist, band or DJ and wedding planner, if there is one, vendors’ services are important to creating the big day, but they don’t come cheap.
• Season - What time of year you walk down the aisle makes a difference. Weekends in “wedding season” - as in warmer months, are pricier, but couples can save by tying the knot during the week or in the winter.
• Decor - From florals to lighting, these choices can make a big dent in the wedding budget.
• Inflation - It’s one thing couples can’t control, as inflation can increase rental prices and food and labor costs, too.

Source: Brides

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