With average wedding costs rivaling the price of a new car, celebrating your nuptials might feel out of reach for many couples. Depending on where you're hosting, even the most pared-down affair might be enough to trigger sticker shock.
On the bright side, weddings are much more customizable than cars, and a little knowledge could help stretch your wedding budget and create a memorable day. Here's the average cost of a wedding in the US and by state—plus a wedding cost breakdown and insider insights to help keep you from starting newlywed life in debt.
How much does the average wedding cost?
Nationally, you could expect to spend $36,000 on a wedding in 2025—up $3,000 from the previous year—according to data from wedding planning and registry website Zola.3 Remarkably, nearly three-quarters of surveyed couples who married in 2024 spent more than what they originally budgeted, though 95% of them admitted it was worth it.4 But the amount a couple pays for a wedding could vary a great deal depending on the event location. States with higher average incomes, such as New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, generally also have higher wedding costs.
For example, Cassie Dresti, owner of the Los Gatos DJ Company, which does event production in Los Gatos, California, sees local couples spending nearly twice as much as the national average. "I'm in the Bay Area where there are a lot of tech companies," Dresti says. "Weddings here typically fall into the $50,000 range."
While the following table shows that average wedding costs in some states, like California and New York, are much higher than in others, like Oklahoma and South Dakota, more than half the country could expect an average wedding to cost between $20,000 and $35,000, according to Zola.5
Wedding cost by state
| State | Average Cost (Range) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $25,000–$37,600 |
| Alaska | $29,600–$44,300 |
| Arizona | $28,800–$43,300 |
| Arkansas | $21,600–$32,400 |
| California | $34,500–$51,700 |
| Colorado | $27,000–$40,400 |
| Connecticut | $31,500–$47,300 |
| Delaware | $21,900–$32,900 |
| Florida | $25,200–$37,800 |
| Georgia | $25,500–$38,300 |
| Hawaii | $31,800–$47,700 |
| Idaho | $20,700–$31,000 |
| Illinois | $32,000–$48,000 |
| Indiana | $21,500–$32,300 |
| Iowa | $23,800–$35,700 |
| Kansas | $18,100–$27,100 |
| Kentucky | $24,000–$36,000 |
| Louisiana | $23,800–$35,700 |
| Maine | $30,600–$45,900 |
| Maryland | $29,700–$44,500 |
| Massachusetts | $34,100–$51,100 |
| Michigan | $25,500–$38,300 |
| Minnesota | $24,100–$36,100 |
| Mississippi | $20,700–$31,100 |
| Missouri | $23,100–$34,700 |
| Montana | $29,900–$44,800 |
| Nebraska | $22,500–$33,800 |
| Nevada | $36,600–$54,800 |
| New Hampshire | $33,300–$49,900 |
| New Jersey | $32,800–$49,200 |
| New Mexico | $20,800–$31,300 |
| New York | $43,400–$65,100 |
| North Carolina | $25,700–$38,500 |
| Ohio | $22,700–$34,000 |
| Oklahoma | $18,900–$28,300 |
| Oregon | $24,800–$37,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $25,800–$38,700 |
| Rhode Island | $28,600–$42,900 |
| South Carolina | $25,900–$38,800 |
| South Dakota | $20,100–$30,100 |
| Tennessee | $24,300–$36,500 |
| Texas | $25,400–$38,100 |
| Utah | $19,700–$29,600 |
| Vermont | $29,300–$43,900 |
| Virginia | $29,000–$43,400 |
| Washington | $26,100–$39,100 |
| West Virginia | $25,400–$38,100 |
| Wisconsin | $23,500–$35,300 |
| Wyoming | $41,000–$61,500 |
Wedding cost breakdown
Couples wanting to tighten their wedding budget without sacrificing what's important to them should consider starting with a cost breakdown of the average wedding. Knowing which vendors are most likely to eat up your budget could help you make smarter wedding-day choices.
Venue
A reception venue is often the biggest wedding expense. Couples marrying in 2026 can expect to spend nearly a quarter of their budget on the venue, Zola found.6 That comes out to around $8,600 based on a $36,000 total budget. But, again, venue prices can vary significantly by location. Dresti explains that most venues in the Bay Area are expensive. "Typically, couples will spend in the $25,000 range just for the venue," she says.
Finding creative ways to save on this piece of the pie might mean choosing a less popular time to hold your wedding. Consider doing it outside of wedding season—generally running from May through October—or have it on a weekday or a Sunday, which tend to be cheaper than Saturday-night weddings. If you aren't competing with other couples for popular dates, you're more likely to be able to negotiate a deal. Just keep in mind that many venues impose minimum guest numbers, potentially causing the price to rise if you pay per head.
Catering
The second largest wedding expense tends to be food and drink. Zola found that couples generally spend about 19% of their wedding budget on catering.7 For an average 2026 wedding, that's projected to be about $7,000. But if you need your caterer to provide event rentals—think: tables, chairs, linens, silverware, glasses, and more—because your venue doesn't offer them, the caterer cost could be higher. In some cases, however, you'll have to hire a separate rental company and allot more from your budget to pay for it.8
Photography/videography
Having photos and a video you can cherish forever could be important to you, and Zola says couples tend to spend up to 12% of their total wedding budget (roughly $4,000–$4,400 of an expected average wedding cost of $36,000) on one or the other item.9 Want both? You may need to double that. Capturing every minute of the special occasion could be worth the investment in the long run, but if your wedding expenses start to get unwieldy, consider hiring a photographer for a few hours instead of the whole day, or skip some of the extras a standard package might offer, such as prints or an album.
Entertainment
Your reception entertainment will likely include a DJ or band, and for an average wedding, you can expect to spend around 4.5%, or about $1,600, of your budget on one, says Zola.10 From there, the options for keeping the party going—maybe a photo booth, live painter, or interactive food and drink servers—are limitless. The cost of these extras are limitless too.
Flowers
Bouquets, centerpieces, and other floral decorations take up about 18% of wedding budgets, according to Zola.11 For a $36,000 wedding, that's $6,345. Couples might be able to keep their floral costs in check by choosing flowers that are in season and grown locally. The rarer the flower and the farther it has to travel to your wedding, the more it could cost.
Wedding attire
This cost generally makes up 8–10% of a wedding budget finds Zola, or about $2,880–$3,600, and should include not just dresses and suits, but accessories and undergarments for each person getting married.12 If this is where you go for something borrowed, though, you could save a good chunk of change.
Wedding planner
On average, couples who hire a wedding planner spend about 11% of their budget on an event coordinator, says Zola data.13 That's about $4,000 of an average $36,000 wedding.
Though skipping a wedding planner could be an easy way to trim costs, Dresti recommends at least considering how a planner could help. "Planning a wedding can be like a second job," she says. "Having a coordinator who comes in a week before or even the day of the wedding could ensure you're able to enjoy your wedding instead of having to stage manage it yourself."
Hidden costs to budget for
Invitations, cake, the officiant, and other smaller expenses might seem negligible compared to the big-ticket wedding day items you'll be shelling out for—most of these could be expected to make up 2–3% of your budget, or $700–$1,100—but they're important to factor into your planning early on.14 Wedding pros also suggest adding a cushion to your total budget that could go toward expenses such as extra flowers you might need to fill out the décor or gratuities for your vendors. Setting aside roughly 10% more than you think you'll need should cover it.
Ways to save on a wedding
Here are some other potential cost-cutters to consider:
- Keep your guest list tight. The more people you invite, the more some of your individual wedding expenses may go up.
- Ask friends to use their talents in lieu of wedding gifts. Maybe they could create save-the-dates, bake a cake, take photos, or officiate the ceremony.
- Seek out vendors who are just starting out—even students—who might offer their services for a fraction of what seasoned pros would.
- Consider putting money you save for your nuptials in a high-interest account, not one that earns next to no interest. (Psst … Fidelity's cash management account offers competitive rates). Depending on how much you stash, for how long, and what interest rate you get, your money could potentially earn hundreds of dollars in interest instead of mere pennies.
Learn about even more ways to save money on a wedding.