Wedding Statistics

National Association of Wedding Ministers

Wedding Statistics

ENGAGEMENT STATISTICS

The average American engagement is 16 months.
During the engagement period, couples buy:
- $4 billion in furniture
- $3 billion in house wares
- $400 million in tableware
June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September October and May
Every year an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the U.S.
The Wedding Industry is a 50 billion dollar a year industry
Average age for first-time brides is 25 years, for grooms it's 27.5
175 guests are invited to an average wedding
One third of engaged couples retain a Wedding Consultant
An average honeymoon vacation is one week
The average household income of a newly married couple is $60,000/year
Couples are waiting longer to get married
Tuxedoes are typically purchased 5-6 months after the wedding gown
Median age for remarriage is 34 for women and 37 for men
Bridesmaids' gowns are general purchased 3-4 months in advance of the event
Average size of wedding party: 12
Most brides (30%) plan their weddings for 7 to 12 months
Most (about 75%) first-time brides will receive a diamond engagement ring (67% of repeat brides).
About 15% of weddings include ethnic customs
35% of weddings occur in the summer; 29% in the spring; 23% in the fall; 13% in the winter.
11% of winter weddings are Christmas weddings

COST STATISTICS

$22,000 is the average amount spent on a traditional American wedding
A total of $72 billion is spent on weddings annually in the U.S.
$19 billion is spent buying presents at wedding gift registries
The average amount spent on a bridal gown is $800
David's Bridal accounts for 20% of all bridal-gown sales, and that percentage is increasing
The average ring costs $2,000

TOP WEDDING DESTINATIONS:

Las Vegas (100,000 weddings/year)
Hawaii (25,000 wedding/year)
Bahamas (5,000 weddings/year)
Jamaica (5,000 weddings/year)
U.S. Virgin Islands (4,000 weddings/year)

OTHER WEDDING STATISTICS

80% of traditional weddings are performed in churches or synagogue.
Four out of five brides are employed.
There is a 43% chance of a marriage ending in divorce.
35% of Brides and Grooms have a valid passport.
Percentage of couples living together before marriage: 64%
Percentage of engaged couples who’ve known each other longer than 3 years: 69%
166,000: Wedding ceremonies performed annually in Istanbul, Turkey
Percentage of brides who say they’ll be changing their surnames: 60%
93,750: Approximate cost, in dollars, of an average Japanese wedding
150,000: Wedding ceremonies conducted in Canada in 2002
53% of weddings occur in the afternoon; 31% in the evening; 16% in the morning.
30% of receptions are held in churches; 20% in hotels; 20% in country clubs; and 10% each in fraternal halls, private homes, and other locations.
38% of weddings have a buffet; 34% have a sit-down dinner; 28% serve only cake and punch.
62% of weddings have a flower girl.
56% have a ring bearer.
Brides 18 to 39 receive 85% of all wedding cards.
More than 4.2 million unmarried couples live together.
67% of women continue to wear the same fragrance they wore on their wedding day.

MARRIAGES BY MONTH

WEDDING COSTS BY CATEGORY*

HONEYMOON STATISTICS

Among couples who choose a traditional wedding, 99 percent take a honeymoon.
Couples spend an average of $4,000 on their honeymoon. That's three times as much as the average U.S. adult spends on a vacation.
The length of an average honeymoon is seven days.
45 percent of honeymoon trips are to domestic locations; 55 percent are foreign.
The Honeymoon Industry is a 12 billion dollar a year industry.

Most Popular Honeymoon Activities:

Visiting a new place for sightseeing, restaurants, entertainment and nightlife- 75%
Beaches and lakes - 45%
Casinos - 20%
Cruises - 15%
Golf/sports vacations - 10%
Skiing trips - 5%

Destinations that are most frequently chosen

Places To Stay While On The Honeymoon

Transportation Used for Honeymoon

SOURCES