The average cost of a wedding in the US is about $34,000, according to The Knot’s latest Real Weddings Study (The Knot, 2026). Zola’s 2026 figure is a little higher at $36,000 (Zola, 2026). Your own number will depend mostly on two things: how many guests you invite and where you live.
That first number is useful, but it’s also a little misleading. An average gets pulled up by a small number of very expensive weddings, and it mixes a 60-guest backyard party with a 250-guest ballroom reception. So let’s break it down into pieces you can actually use.
Two big studies, two slightly different answers
The two best-known US wedding surveys come from The Knot and Zola. They ask different couples and count slightly differently, so their numbers don’t match exactly. That’s normal, and it’s a good reminder that “average” is a range, not a price tag.
| The Knot | Zola | |
|---|---|---|
| Average total cost | $34,000 | $36,000 |
| Average guest count | 117 | 145 |
| Cost per guest | $292 | $150–$300 typical range |
Sources: The Knot (The Knot, 2026), (The Knot, 2026); Zola (Zola, 2026), (Zola, 2026).
Notice the guest counts. Zola’s average wedding has almost 30 more guests than The Knot’s, which helps explain why its total is higher. When you compare any wedding cost figure, check the guest count behind it first.
The average wedding cost by state
Location matters more than most couples expect. Zola publishes a typical cost range for each state (Zola Wedding Cost Index, 2026). Here is a selection from the most expensive to the least expensive:
| State | Typical wedding cost |
|---|---|
| New York | $43,400 – $65,100 |
| Wyoming | $41,000 – $61,500 |
| California | $34,500 – $51,700 |
| Illinois | $32,000 – $48,000 |
| Colorado | $27,000 – $40,400 |
| Texas | $25,400 – $38,100 |
| Florida | $25,200 – $37,800 |
| Ohio | $22,700 – $34,000 |
| Utah | $19,700 – $29,600 |
| Kansas | $18,100 – $27,100 |
The gap is big. The low end of a typical New York wedding is higher than the high end in Kansas. If you live in a lower-cost state, a national average can make you think you need far more money than you do. If you live in a high-cost state, the national average can set you up to be disappointed.
Zola doesn’t say what guest count these state ranges describe. Our wedding cost estimator assumes they describe Zola’s own average of 145 guests and scales them to your list. You can see that assumption, and change it, on the calculator.
The average wedding cost by guest count
Your guest list is the single biggest lever you control. Almost every cost grows with it: food, tables, chairs, invitations, flowers for each table, and the size of the room you need.
A simple way to see this is cost per guest. The Knot puts it at about $292 (The Knot, 2026). Zola says most couples spend between $150 and $300 per guest (Zola, 2026). Here’s what that typical range means at different sizes:
| Guests | At $150 per guest | At $300 per guest |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| 75 | $11,250 | $22,500 |
| 100 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| 150 | $22,500 | $45,000 |
| 200 | $30,000 | $60,000 |
This is a rough guide, not a rule. Some costs don’t change with guest count at all. You pay for one photographer, one dress and one officiant whether you invite 40 people or 240. So small weddings usually cost more per guest, and big weddings a bit less.
Where the money goes
Zola’s cost index lists what couples typically spend on each vendor (Zola Wedding Cost Index, 2026). The biggest items are:
| Category | Average spend |
|---|---|
| Venue | $8,573 |
| Catering | $6,927 |
| Flowers and decor | $6,345 |
| Photography | $4,400 |
| Wedding planner | $4,047 |
| Videography | $3,993 |
| Dress | $2,000 |
| Music | $1,567 |
| Wedding rings | $1,500 |
| Hair and makeup | $982 |
| Cake and desserts | $917 |
These are averages among couples who paid for each item, so they don’t add up neatly to the total. Lots of couples skip a planner or a videographer, for example. Still, the pattern is clear. The venue and the food together are the biggest share of almost every wedding budget. The venue alone is about 17% of a typical budget (Zola, 2026).
If you want to see these as percentages of your own total, the wedding budget breakdown shows the typical split.
What makes a wedding cost more (or less)
A handful of decisions explain most of the difference between a $15,000 wedding and a $60,000 one:
- Guest count. Every guest adds food, a seat and a share of the decor.
- State and city. Big cities and popular destinations cost more for almost everything.
- Date. Zola says winter weekends and weekday dates can save about 20% to 30% on most vendor costs (Zola, 2026). Saturdays from May through October are the busiest and most expensive.
- Venue type. An all-inclusive hotel package, a rented barn and a family backyard have very different cost structures.
- Food style. A plated dinner usually costs more per person than a buffet. Our guide to average catering cost per person compares the styles.
- Extras. Videography, a planner, a live band and big floral designs add up fast.
Plan for the costs you can’t see yet
Most couples go over budget. In Zola’s research, 69% of couples spent more than they first planned (Zola, 2026). Hidden costs, the ones couples didn’t plan for, made up about 9% of total spending (Zola, 2026).
That doesn’t mean you’ll overspend. It means you should plan for it. Setting aside around 9% of your budget as a cushion, from the start, turns a stressful surprise into something you already planned for.
Questions to ask before you trust any wedding cost number
You’ll see lots of wedding cost figures online, and plenty of them disagree. Before you lean on one, ask four quick questions.
Who was surveyed? A survey of couples who used one wedding website may not look like couples in your town. Bigger, well-known studies are a safer starting point than a single vendor’s blog post.
How many guests? As you saw above, the two big surveys differ by almost 30 guests. A total without a guest count is hard to compare with anything.
What year? Prices move. A figure from five years ago is a weak anchor for a wedding next year.
What’s included? Some figures cover the ceremony and reception only. Others add the engagement ring or the honeymoon. If the source doesn’t say, treat the number as a rough guide.
Every figure in our calculators links to its source and the date we checked it. You can see the full list on our how we calculate page.
Worked example: a 100-guest wedding in Ohio
Let’s put this together for a real-looking wedding. Say you’re planning 100 guests in Ohio.
- Zola’s typical range for Ohio is $22,700 to $34,000.
- That range doesn’t state a guest count, so we assume it describes 145 guests, Zola’s average.
- Scale it to your list: $22,700 × 100 ÷ 145 is about $15,700, and $34,000 × 100 ÷ 145 is about $23,400.
- So a realistic total for your wedding is roughly $15,700 to $23,400.
- Set aside about 9% for surprises. On a $20,000 budget, that’s $1,800.
Compare that with the national average of $34,000 to $36,000. For this couple, the national average would have been more than $10,000 too high. That’s why it pays to start with your own state and guest count.
How to use the average without being misled by it
The average is a starting point for a conversation, not a goal. A few habits help:
- Start from your guest list, not the total. Write a rough list first. It tells you more about your budget than any survey.
- Use your state’s range. It’s a much better anchor than a national number.
- Price the two big items early. Get real quotes for the venue and catering in your first month. They decide most of the budget.
- Decide what matters most. Pick two or three things you really care about and spend there. Keep everything else simple.
- Keep a cushion. Treat the 9% buffer as part of the plan.
FAQ
What is the average cost of a wedding in the US?
About $34,000, according to The Knot, or $36,000 according to Zola’s 2026 data. The two surveys use different couples and different average guest counts, so both are reasonable.
How much does a wedding cost per guest?
The Knot puts the average at about $292 per guest. Zola says most couples spend $150 to $300 per guest.
Which state has the most expensive weddings?
In Zola’s data, New York has the highest typical range, at about $43,400 to $65,100. Wyoming, Nevada and California are also near the top.
Which state has the cheapest weddings?
Kansas has the lowest typical range in Zola’s data, at about $18,100 to $27,100, followed by Oklahoma and Utah.
How can I lower the cost of my wedding?
Cut the guest list, choose an off-peak date, and pick a simpler food style. Those three changes usually save more than trimming many small items.
Get your own estimate
National averages are a good place to begin, but your wedding isn’t average. Our wedding cost estimator uses your state, your guest count and your style to give you a realistic range, with every assumption shown. When you have a total, the wedding budget calculator splits it into amounts for each category.