American couples who married last year spent more money on their weddings than couples married in 2011, the average cost for a wedding was, in 2012, approximately $28,400.
In 2012, the newlyweds and their families spent in average $28,427 in organizing weddings and related events, which will be the largest cost since 2008, according to results of an annual survey conducted by the website TheKnot.com on a sample of 17,500 American couples, according to money.cnn.com.
Couples who were married in 2012 spent large amounts in almost all categories, from fees paid to photographers and DJs to bills for flowers and wedding invitations. The average cost of a wedding in 2012 was still lower than in 2008, $29,334.
“American Couples were somehow more comfortable in 2012 and were able to spend a little more,” said Anja Winikka, site director of TheKnot.com.
Same-sex couples, included in this study for the first time in 2012, spent more than heterosexual couples, despite the fact that they had fewer guests.
Manhattan couples spent the largest amount, their average budget was $76,687. In this top, couples in Chicago ($49,810) came second, followed by New Jersey ($48,496), Santa Barbara, California ($42,319) and Boston ($39,239).
Alaska is the U.S. state with the most “frugal” weddings, the average cost for a wedding in this state is only $15,504.
A smaller percentage of respondents said the economic downturn was a negative factor for their wedding plans. Thus, in 2012, 26% of respondents said the U.S. economic situation affected their wedding budget, compared with 29% who cited the same factor in 2011 and 34% in 2009.
Another factor that stimulated increased expenditures on weddings was what Anja Winikka called “the year of the guests.” Many couples have provided a variety of services to persons invited to their wedding and the cost per guest increased by nearly $10 in 2012 compared to 2004.
More than a quarter of weddings last year in the United States included transportation services for guests who have confirmed their presence at the wedding ceremony and the reception afterwards.
In addition, at many of last year’s American weddings, the presence of a DJ or a band of musicians was not enough. Last year, 27% of American weddings have included additional entertainment – such as setting up a photo booth and a caricaturist – and these figures doubled from 2011.
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