For those young couples out there, or even older ones that found love again, a wedding might be on the table, at least until the bill comes due. Weddings are getting more and more expensive as time moves forward, with some estimates stating that they cost almost double what they did 10 years ago.
According to a newly released 10-year comparison study done by wedding planning site WeddingWire, these large spendings can be attributed to more lavish and extravagant weddings being planned, though the guest list size and the income of the couples have stayed almost the same.
The study revealed that 10 years ago couples spent $16,000 on a wedding with an average of 110 guests; today that number has climbed to $28,000 with an average of 124 guests. The U.S. catering industry employs 261,189 people. Catering generally makes up a large part of that bill, and according to statistics, nearly 20% to 25% of the average catering bill will be dedicated to alcohol.
Research collected for the study from nearly 15,000 couples who married in either 2016 or 10 years prior shows more is being asked of guests as well. Ten years ago, only 8% of couples and their wedding parties left their home state, now nearly 34% do so.
According to those surveyed, couples tend to feel the same pressure to have the “perfect” wedding day as they did 10 years ago (64% compared to 63% 10 years ago), but now nearly 40% feel pressured by the media around them to have the “perfect” wedding. Social media sites are likely to blame as they allow the pictures to be shared widely.
WeddingWire Trend Expert Anne Chertoff said that the pressures of social media sites are a large driving force behind the growing spending, as technology has become so much more prevalent.
“Websites like WeddingWire, Insta feeds, Pinterest, there are so many images bombarding brides and grooms,” Chertoff said.
However, she notes that despite the fact that weddings are getting more and more expensive and extravagant, some traditions remain the same no matter what.
“Every wedding for a hundred years or more has had the same elements, [the bride] is probably going to wear a dress, most likely white, they are going to cut a cake … those traditional elements are not going away.”
