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10 Most Expensive Places to Get Married

By:
Jackie Zimmermann
4 min read
- Kristine Foley—Getty Images
Kristine Foley—Getty Images

As wedding season starts to ramp up, brides across the country are debating the practicality of ball gowns and the lasting implications of lilies versus roses. But even the most budget-concious bride is stuck with one wedding detail she has little control over—location. Only 24% of weddings are "destination" weddings, leaving bride and grooms at the mercy of their local economies.

TheKnot.com's annual Real Weddings Survey—which surveyed 16,000 brides and grooms who got married in 2014— gives us an idea of wedding costs across the country. (One caveat: These are average, not median prices, and the website's membership of dedicated brides almost certainly skews the data higher.)

Still, the regional comparisons are noteworthy. With a few outliers, the Northeast takes the wedding cake for the priciest place to get hitched, while couples in the South and Midwest have a little more wiggle room in their budgets. Venues are by far the biggest expense; in all but one of the top ten locales, the room costs more than $20,000. And brides in Idaho are the most budget-concious about dresses; Manhattan brides spend nearly three times as much on their gowns.

Top 10 Most Expensive Places to Get Married

  1. New York - Manhattan $76,328
    • Venue: $30,401
    • Photographer: $4,591
    • Floral & Decor: $4,682
    • Catering (cost per head): $181
    • Dress: $2,914
  2. New York - Long Island $55,327
    • Venue: $25,671
    • Photographer: $4,285
    • Floral & Decor: $3,384
    • Catering (cost per head): $116
    • Dress: $2,137
  3. New Jersey - North/Central $53,986
    • Venue: $25,501
    • Photographer: $3,693
    • Floral & Decor: $3,043
    • Catering (cost per head): $129
    • Dress: $1,881
  4. New York - Westchester/Hudson Valley $52,954
    • Venue: $24,287
    • Photographer: $3,870
    • Floral & Decor: $3,188
    • Catering (cost per head): $126
    • Dress: $1,995
  5. Chicago $50,934
    • Venue: $21,803
    • Photographer: $3,093
    • Floral & Decor: $3,014
    • Catering (cost per head): $109
    • Dress: $1,794
  6. New York - Outer Boroughs $49,781
    • Venue: $24,362
    • Photographer: $3,641
    • Floral & Decor: $2,900
    • Catering (cost per head): $121
    • Dress: $1,826
  7. Philadelphia $44,090
    • Venue: $20,351
    • Photographer: $3,306
    • Floral & Decor: $2,718
    • Catering (cost per head): $109
    • Dress: $1,668
  8. Rhode Island $41,914
    • Venue: $22,371
    • Photographer: $3,101
    • Floral & Decor: $2,486
    • Catering (cost per head): $97
    • Dress: $1,486
  9. San Francisco/Greater Bay Area $39,690
    • Venue: $18,381
    • Photographer: $3,105
    • Floral & Decor: $2,561
    • Catering (cost per head): $77
    • Dress: $1,595
  10. New Jersey - South $39,191
    • Venue: $21,417
    • Photographer: $2,927
    • Floral & Decor: $2,094
    • Catering (cost per head): $99
    • Dress: $1,428

Top 10 Least Expensive Places to Get Married

  1. Utah - $15,257
    • Venue: $5,346
    • Photographer: $1,650
    • Floral & Decor: $1,044
    • Catering (cost per head): $33
    • Dress: $1,135
  2. Arkansas - $18,031
    • Venue: $6,101
    • Photographer: $1,882
    • Floral & Decor: $1,766
    • Catering (cost per head): $36
    • Dress: $1,213
  3. North Dakota/South Dakota - $18,314
    • Venue: $6,095
    • Photographer: $2,087
    • Floral & Decor: $1,533
    • Catering (cost per head): $29
    • Dress: $1,050
  4. Oklahoma - $18,629
    • Venue: $7,214
    • Photographer: $1,802
    • Floral & Decor: $1,924
    • Catering (cost per head): $41
    • Dress: $1,019
  5. Idaho - $19,040
    • Venue: $6,446
    • Photographer: $1,915
    • Floral & Decor: $1,800
    • Catering (cost per head): $34
    • Dress: $982
  6. Oregon - $19,205
    • Venue: $7,136
    • Photographer: $1,985
    • Floral & Decor: $1,262
    • Catering (cost per head): $45
    • Dress: $1,017
  7. Illinois - Central $20,210
    • Venue: $7,926
    • Photographer: $2,063
    • Floral & Decor: $1,500
    • Catering (cost per head): $35
    • Dress: $1,054
  8. Mississippi $20,601
    • Venue: $7,625
    • Photographer: $2,045
    • Floral & Decor: $2,667
    • Catering (cost per head): $35
    • Dress: $1,138
  9. West Texas - $20,905
    • Venue: $6,864
    • Photographer: $1,771
    • Floral & Decor: $1,770
    • Catering (cost per head): $37
    • Dress: $1,177
  10. West Virginia - $20,671
    • Venue: $8,856
    • Photographer: $2,108
    • Floral & Decor: $1,455
    • Catering (cost per head): $39
    • Dress: $1,043

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