Article from the Wall Street Journal’s “Buy Side”:
By Aly J. Yale
If you’re planning to tie the knot, then power up your favorite budgeting app—because wedding costs have gone up.
Couples reported paying about $30,000 on average to get hitched last year, according to surveys of engaged and recently-wed couples. Costs rose from the previous year and are largely expected to rise again in 2024—all thanks to stubbornly high inflation. Most wedding vendors report increased operational costs and say they are increasing prices as a result.
“It’s leading to rising costs across the board,” says Jessica Bishop, author of “The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner” and founder of wedding planning website The Budget Savvy Bride. “Supply chain disruptions have also led to higher costs in specific areas—including catering, flowers and wedding attire.”
A survey of 7,000 couples getting married in 2024 by wedding registry platform Zola indicates that more couples are budgeting between $30,000 and $50,000 for weddings compared with last year.
Seem high? With a median national household income of $75,000, it might be. Neither widely cited wedding cost survey—one from The Knot and this one from Zola—track income data for respondents, so results could skew toward higher-income couples and couples who plan elaborate weddings online……
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