Here Is The Average Cost Of A Wedding In 2024

Weddings should be epic celebrations of love and commitment between two people. Between vendors, guests, venues, attire, and every other tiny detail involved in crafting the perfect wedding, it’s no surprise that they can be costly investments. Financially preparing for your wedding day? Here is the average cost of a wedding in 2024 based on bridal trends.

In 2023, the national average wedding cost in the United States was $29,000, ranging up to $35,000 on average in larger, more costly cities. Between rising inflation and increasingly expensive tastes trending, the average wedding cost prediction in 2024 remains at the $30,000 and above mark, with couples budgeting between the baseline of $30,000 and upwards of $50,000 for their wedding celebrations. This average feels like a lot of money, but comparatively, the average wedding cost of 2014 (a decade ago, who can believe it!) was $31,213. This means the baseline average wedding cost has not varied much over the last ten years, though the final dollar tally for 2024 average wedding cost remains to be seen. Perhaps we do ultimately trend toward that $50,000 ceiling, time will tell!

This average cost is broken down into categories such as venue, catering, music and entertainment, wedding rings, attire, photography, videography, alcohol, florists, event planners, event rentals, and décor.

Average Cost Of A Wedding In 2024

Venue

One of the largest consumers of your wedding budget is your venue. Couples may use up to 40% of their final wedding budget on a space to host it. To be fair, a place to host your party is probably one of the most important planning elements of the entire event. This is where the magic happens! Spending a little more on a place that feels special, comfortable, and unique to you as a couple will make all the difference on your big day.

Catering

Possibly the second biggest consumer of your wedding budget is food! Couples tend to spend upwards of 30% of their budget on catering vendors. Keeping your guests satisfied and full of delicious food can mean the difference between cranky and content attendants. Between cocktail hour with carefully crafted appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, and tasting menus, a full multi-course dinner meal, and a dessert display, catering takes a ton of planning and preparation for successful execution. Spending more on food is never a bad idea!

Music and Entertainment

Couples typically on average use up to 15% of their budget on music and entertainment. Live music is the life of the party! To enliven the atmosphere and get your guests dancing, don’t be afraid of looking for fun, professional performers.

Wedding Rings

Excluding your perfect proposal and carefully selected engagement ring, wedding bands may account for about 10% of your final wedding budget, depending on the couple. This is something you plan to wear forever, so be sure to find comfortable and stylish bands that you are proud to wear and show off!

Attire, photography, videography, alcohol, florists, event planners, event rentals, and décor all separately average to less than 10% of your wedding budget. These numbers vary per couple, but you can plan to spend less on these categories than the others. Don’t discount these categories, though! They are all important and distinct elements of your big day. You may be wondering why these numbers don’t equal 100%. That’s because we’ve broken this down into the average maximum budget percentages for each category. Every couple is different and may prioritize different aspects of their weddings.

There are plenty of options for couples to bring the total cost of their weddings down below that national average. If $30,000 just is not feasible, we recommend thinking about what your priorities are! Some crafty couples take décor into their own hands with elegant DIY projects. Thrifty couples may find second-hand rings and attire to reduce costs and increase that feeling of nostalgia. Others may opt for food trucks as opposed to full-course meals served on fancy dinnerware, which saves on both catering and event rentals! Decisions on having an open or closed bar may make a major difference in your alcohol and drink budget. Opportunities for ways to save are endless!

Perhaps you and your future partner want to prioritize intimacy over a large event. Maybe you’ve even been considering an elopement. The average elopement cost in the United States is between $5,000 and $10,000, with most of that budget being split between attire, travel costs and accommodations, and a really good photographer. This goes to show that your celebration of love does not have to break the bank, and you definitely should not be stressed about money in the planning of your special day!

Finalizing The Average Cost Of A Wedding

Ultimately, the way you plan and budget your wedding depends on your priorities and desires. Sit down with your partner and talk about what you both want, the things you find most important, and the dollar amount you can afford without money becoming a stressor. Take the time to discuss these topics before you begin planning, so that when the time comes to make decisions and fit those important elements into your wedding budget, you are both on the same page.

We hope this breakdown of the average cost of a wedding in 2024 and budget helps you understand what you may be heading into when planning your budget for your 2024 wedding. If you’re looking for more guidance on your wedding budget, check out our downloadable wedding budget planner!