- The average cost of a
- More than half of couples go into debt to pay for their
- We talked to seven former brides to see how much they spent on their
From a $10,000 celebration at a country club to a 6-figure ceremony in Central Park, here's what 7 real couples spent on their weddings
The average cost of a wedding in America is $33,391, according to The Knot, and more than half of couples go into debt to pay for their wedding. We talked to seven former brides about their wedding budget, and how much they actually spent will surprise you.
Modern-day weddings have a notorious reputation for being pricey. On average, Americans spend roughly $33,391 on their weddings, according to The Knot's 2017 Real Weddings Study.
But that doesn't mean they can afford it. More than 74% of couples will go into debt for wedding costs, reports Student Loan Hero.
But, of course, how much you spend on your wedding depends on several factors, such as where you live, what season you're getting married in, what type of wedding you have (big or small), and what details are important to you.
So, Business Insider talked to seven former brides who shared their wedding budget details. They shared their original budget, how much their wedding actually cost, and a breakdown of main wedding category expenses, from the dress to food and bar costs to photography. Note that the total wedding cost for each wedding includes other expenses beyond what is listed.
Whether they spent half the national average on a rural farm in Minnesota or roughly four times the average in a dreamy New York City wedding, there was one thing they all had in common: the money was worth the memories.
Ashley and her wife spent $10,000 for a country club wedding in Andover, Massachusetts, with 110 guests.
Original budget: $12,000
Ashley, who married at age 25, told Business Insider she was very lucky to have talented friends and family pitch in for her wedding day, which helped keep her budget below her original estimation.
Flowers and decor: $500
Wedding planner/coordinator: $0 (included in venue package)
Venue: $7,500
Invitations and paper goods: $300
Wedding dress: $500
Food and drinks: $1,300 (most of the catering was included in the venue package)
Photography: $0 (sister-in-law is a photographer who offered her services for free)
Music: $300
Beth and Matthew Hebert's destination wedding at a diner in Chicago, Illinois, with 36 guests cost $12,125.
Original budget: $10,000
Beth Hebert and her husband were paying for their wedding on their own, so they settled on a budget of $10,000 for entire wedding weekend festivities. Based in Houston, they decided to have an out-of-town wedding in Chicago — you'd think a destination wedding would be hard to pull off on a small budget, but they managed to come in under budget for personal out-of-pocket expenses.
They also had a bit of help as someone unexpectedly picked up their $2,300 bar bill as a wedding gift — had that not happened, they would have gone slightly over budget. Their venue at the Little Goat Diner was free as long as they met the $1,000 minimum, and it included a wedding coordinator in the venue fee.
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Flowers and decor: $450
Wedding planner/coordinator: $0 (included in venue fee)
Venue: $0 (free if they met a $1,000 minimum)
Invitations and paper goods: $
Wedding dress: $800
Food and drinks: $6,700 (including a welcome dinner and the gifted bar bill)
Photography: $1,000
Music: $500
Anna and her husband's 195-person wedding in rural Minnesota cost $15,406.
Original budget: $15,000
Anna originally set a $10,000 budget for her ceremony on her parent's farm in rural Minnesota and reception at a reception hall, but after amended the number to $15,000 after she realized it was unrealistic.
Flowers and decor: $1,312
Wedding planner/coordinator: $0 (did not use)
Venue: $1,400
Invitations and paper goods: $532
Wedding dress: $589
Food and drinks: $2,995
Photography: $1,983
DJ: $925
Amber Kozo and her husband's 130-guest summer wedding in Dumbo, Brooklyn, cost $16,000.
Original budget: $15,000
Amber Kozo, 28, and her husband spent $13,000 of their own cash on their wedding, while their parents covered $3,000 for the cost of the bar, dress and tux, rehearsal dinner, and other little items. Kozo told Business Insider this helped them stay within their original budget to spend only $15,000 as a couple.
"It was very important to us to not go broke over this wedding," she said. "We know the NYC average wedding costs $88,000. We ambitiously tried to do the whole shebang in NYC for 130 guests under $15,000."
To keep costs down, Kozo did a lot of DIY, such as making half of the dessert and doing all the decor herself. She also used fake florals and ordered greenery in bulk from Costco. And instead of a DJ, which they couldn't find for less than $3,000 in the city, she and her husband made a Spotify playlist that included song requests from guests. They also skipped traditional catering.
"I'm really crafty and have helped a lot of girlfriends plan their wedding," she said. "I learned all the important questions to ask that drive up costs."
Kozo said they steered clear of many of these traditional wedding details because they wanted the day to reflect them as a couple.
Flowers and decor: $1,461
Wedding planner/coordinator: $1,430 (they didn't have a planner, but paid for service throughout the night and to help with clean-up)
Venue: $3,000
Invitations and paper goods: $101
Wedding dress: $1,100
Food and drinks: $4,890
Photography: $1,995
Music: $0
Lauren and her husband had a 27-guest ceremony in Covington, Kentucky, and late reception in Cincinnati, Ohio, for 85 guests that cost $18,500 total.
Original budget: $12,500
In an effort to save money, Lauren Corso and her husband had a small wedding with their immediate family and their grandparents, followed by a reception-style party two months later. But combined, the two events cost just under $20,000, which was more than they wanted to spend.
Flowers and décor: $1,900
Wedding planner/coordinator: $0 (did not use)
Venue: $3,400
Invitations and paper goods: $306
Wedding dress: $600
Food and libations: $10,599
Photography: $1,067 (used for ceremony only)
Music: $250 (used for reception only)
A 31-year-old bride and her husband spent $32,000 for a winter wedding with 180 guests in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Original budget: $40,000
A Wisconsin bride told Business Insider her wedding came in under budget because she and her husband overestimated nearly every cost for their wedding.
Flowers and décor: $2,730
Wedding planner/coordinator: $1,200
Venue: $1,325
Invitations and paper goods: $820
Wedding dress: $1,300
Food and drinks: $18,370
Photography: $1,800
Music: $1,500
A 30-year-old bride's New York City wedding at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park with around 130 guests cost $126,248.
Original budget: $150,000
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Flowers and decor: $14,500
Wedding planner/coordinator: $10,795
Venue: $36,922
Invitations and paper goods: $1,615
Wedding dress: $11,890
Food and drinks: $10,383
Photography: $9,300
Music: $5,000