Weddings: Too Expensive?

The latest numbers from XO Group, Inc:

On March 7, 2013, XO Group Inc. released results of their annual Real Weddings Study, something I stumbled on while doing research for another writing project. This report surveyed over 17,000 brides to find out how much they spent on their weddings.

Here are some highlights:

• Average Wedding Budget: $28,427 (excludes honeymoon)
• Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $76,678 average spent
• Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Alaska, $15,504 average spent
• Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,211
• Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 31
• Average Number of Guests: 139
• Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4 to 5
• Average Number of Groomsmen: 4 to 5
• Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%