Planning a wedding is a highly personal experience, reflecting your tastes, values and vision as a couple. But one thing is universal: It’ll likely cost more than you think. In a survey by the Knot that polled nearly 10,000 U.
S. couples who married in 2023, the average cost of a wedding was $35,000 — a $5,000 increase from the previous year. California was ranked as one of the top 10 most expensive states to host a wedding, with an average cost of $41,000.
(New Jersey was the priciest at $55,000.) In L.A.
, the median wedding cost was $ 48,000 . It’s money that many couples just don’t have. A U.
S. News survey that polled 1,205 people who got married in the past year found that 56% of newlyweds took on debt to pay for their weddings. It also revealed that nearly a third of the newlyweds regretted having spent so much on their weddings.
Sarah Blessinger, an L.A.-based wedding planner who specializes in events with 100 guests or less, says people often underestimate the cost of weddings.
To help give her clients a clearer picture of the financial breakdown, she shows them how much her previous clients have spent. So far this year, the least expensive wedding she’s planned was $38,000 — their budget was initially $25,000 — and the highest was $120,000. “Some do get sticker shock immediately and they’re like, ‘Oh, I thought I could get away with spending $20,000,’” says Blessinger, owner of Kindred Weddings and Events .
“I’m like, you can, but you’ll h.
