The Least (& Most) Expensive Places to Get Married in America

Put a Ring on It

Weddings can get really expensive. There’s the dress, the flowers, the photographer, the decorations, the food … you get the idea. And the amount couples spend to celebrate their nuptials just keeps increasing. At least that’s what the 10th annual report from wedding marketplace The Knot discovered in their survey of nearly 13,000 brides and grooms, ages 18 and over, who were married in 2016.

The Knot 2016 Real Weddings Study found that the average cost of a wedding reached an all time high of $35,329 last year, up from $32,641 in 2015. (Yes, you read those numbers right.) The venue is certainly one of the biggest expenses, with an average cost of $16,107. But it looks like couples are spending more on making the experience more elaborate instead of extending the guest list — the average number of wedding guests went down, but the spend per guest increased to $245 (from $194 in 2009). Part of that includes entertainment — like photo booths, games, and even fireworks — an expense that has reportedly more than tripled from 2009 to last year.

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Remember What's Most Important

Getting ready to make the walk down the aisle? Your bill could be more or less than these averages, depending not only on your personal preferences, but where in the country you have your special day. The Knot broke down what the average cost is in different places throughout the U.S. and dubbed the most and least expensive places to get hitched.

And, no matter where you get married, remember: Your wedding day certainly isn’t worth going into extreme debt over. Aside from causing you stress, carrying this debt could hurt your credit scores and you want those in tip-top shape when it comes time to apply for a mortgage or other loan down the road. (Don’t know your credit scores? You can get two of them for free on Credit.com — and that’s better than some of the strange wedding gifts you may receive.)

Read on to find out where the most expensive place is to have a wedding.

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25th Least Expensive Place: Alabama

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,957

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24th Least Expensive Place: Tennessee

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,857

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23rd Least Expensive Place: Kentucky

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,569

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22nd Least Expensive Place: Ohio – Columbus

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,441

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21st Least Expensive Place: Minnesota

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,113

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20th Least Expensive Place: Wisconsin

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $27,092

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19th Least Expensive Place: Michigan – Grand Rapids

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $26,933

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18th Least Expensive Place: Washington

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $26,640

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17th Least Expensive Place: Michigan – Lansing

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $26,343

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16th Least Expensive Place: Illinois – Central

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $26,251

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15th Least Expensive Place: Missouri – Kansas City

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $26,133

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14th Least Expensive Place: Indiana

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $25,859

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13th Least Expensive Place: California – Sacramento/Lake Tahoe/Reno

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $25,851

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12th Least Expensive Place: Nebraska

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $25,081

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11th Least Expensive Place: Ohio – Toledo

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $24,120

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10th Least Expensive Place: Oklahoma

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $23,302

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9th Least Expensive Place: Nevada

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $23,239

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8th Least Expensive Place: Iowa

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $23,098

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7th Least Expensive Place: Arizona – Tucson

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $22,175

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6th Least Expensive Place: Idaho

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $22,018

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5th Least Expensive Place: Oregon

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $21,854

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4th Least Expensive Place: Texas – West Texas

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $21,688

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3rd Least Expensive Place: Montana

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $20,794

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2nd Least Expensive Place: Utah

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $20,337

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Least Expensive Place: Arkansas

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $19,522

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25th Most Expensive Place: New York – Capital District/Upstate New York

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $34,874

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24th Most Expensive Place: California – Orange County

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $35,303

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23rd Most Expensive Place: Michigan – Detroit

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $35,576

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22nd Most Expensive Place: Maryland – Baltimore

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $35,861

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21st Most Expensive Place: Texas – Austin/San Antonio/South Texas/Central Texas

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $36,522

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20th Most Expensive Place: California – San Diego

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $37,268

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19th Most Expensive Place: D.C. – Washington D.C./Northern Virginia/Suburban Maryland

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $40,176

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18th Most Expensive Place: Texas – Houston/East Texas

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $40,285

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17th Most Expensive Place: Connecticut

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $42,127

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16th Most Expensive Place: Louisiana – New Orleans

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $42,628

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15th Most Expensive Place: California – San Francisco/Greater Bay Area

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $42,716

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14th Most Expensive Place: Massachusetts – Boston

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $44,028

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13th Most Expensive Place: California – Los Angeles

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $44,062

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12th Most Expensive Place: California – Santa Barbara/Ventura

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $45,957

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11th Most Expensive Place: New Jersey – South

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $46,486

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10th Most Expensive Place: Pennsylvania – Philadelphia/Delaware

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $48,093

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9th Most Expensive Place: Florida – Southern

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $48,596

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8th Most Expensive Place: Rhode Island

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $52,328

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7th Most Expensive Place: New York – Westchester/Hudson Valley

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $54,428

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6th Most Expensive Place: Massachusetts – Cape Cod

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $58,608

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5th Most Expensive Place: New York – Outer Boroughs

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $59,027

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4th Most Expensive Place: Illinois – Chicago

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $60,035

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3rd Most Expensive Place: New Jersey – North/Central

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $62,606

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2nd Most Expensive Place: New York – Long Island

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $67,831

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Most Expensive Place: New York – Manhattan

Average Cost of a Wedding in 2016: $78,464

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