The average US wedding costs $34,200 in 2026 (The Knot). Here is where every dollar goes, by category, guest count and state.
Ceremony and reception for 117 guests, without the ring or honeymoon. Venue and catering take just over half of it.
Sources: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study (10,474 couples) and Zola's 2026 First Look Report.
Photo and video take about 10% of the average budget. One QR code on the tables gathers what guests shoot too, in one album, without an app.
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The Knot 2026 averages among couples who booked each vendor, so they do not sum to $34,200.
Catering averages $80 per guest, the line that grows with every invite.Category averages from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study as reported in this rundown of the 2026 figures. Deep dives: venue cost, photographer cost, DJ cost, planner cost.
Up to 50 guests averages about a third of a 200+ wedding.
Averages from The Knot 2026 data as reported in Bespoke Bride's budget-by-guest-count guide. No figure was published for 151 to 200 guests.
The Knot puts 51 to 100 guests at $30,200. Our illustrative range for 100 guests runs $29,000 lean to $50,600 full.
| Line item | Lean | Full |
|---|---|---|
| Venue (ceremony and reception) | $8,000 | $15,000 |
| Catering and bar ($120 to $180 per guest) | $12,000 | $18,000 |
| Photography (8 hours, second shooter) | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Flowers and decor | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| DJ and entertainment | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Attire (both partners) | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| Stationery and invitations | $300 | $700 |
| Cake or dessert | $400 | $800 |
| Officiant | $300 | $600 |
| Favors, tips, insurance, license | $1,000 | $2,500 |
| Total (illustrative) | $29,000 | $50,600 |
Line items are Pix Wedding planning ranges, not survey data. Plug in your own city with the wedding cost calculator.
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From $20,000 in El Paso to $88,000 in New York City.
State, city and region averages from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study as reported by MoneyLion via AOL. More local detail on the wedding cost by city pages.
Four common ranges and what they usually buy.
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Tier ranges are Pix Wedding planning estimates. For a full plan at the low end, see how to plan a wedding on a budget.
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A wedding planner walks a roughly $30,000 budget across venue, catering, photos, florals and attire.
Watch on YouTubeSavings are our planning estimates unless a source is named.
Photo booth figure from WeddingWire's photo booth cost data. Video is another line that is easy to trim, and our guide to affordable wedding videography compares seven cheaper options to a full videographer.
Maui, the Big Island, Lanai and Oahu each set their own pricing. Illustrative estimates, not quotes.
Estimate: $50,000 to $200,000+The food and beverage minimum drives the total. See Hawaii wedding venues.
Treat $34,200 as a reference point, not a target. Per-vendor averages only count couples who booked that vendor, so they add up to more than the total.
The Knot reports cost per guest rose $8 to $292. Smaller lists, weekday dates and daytime receptions remain the main ways couples hold the total down.
Everything you need to make your wedding day stress-free and unforgettable.
Turn your total into a category-by-category plan.
Real fees by county and what to expect.
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Averages, breakdowns, guest counts, states and hidden fees: short answers with sources.
The average US wedding costs $34,200 for the ceremony and reception, according to The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study of 10,474 couples. That is $292 per guest at an average of 117 guests. Zola's 2026 First Look Report puts it at $36,000.
WeddingWire's 2026 breakdown of average spending: venue and rentals 29%, catering, dessert and alcohol 24%, photo and video 10%, flowers and decor 9%, DJ or band 6%, attire and beauty 6%, rings 5%, planner 4%, guest entertainment 3%, transportation 2%, stationery 1% and officiant 1%. On a $34,200 wedding that is $9,918 for the venue, $8,208 for food and drink and $3,420 for photo and video.
The Knot's 2026 data puts weddings with 51 to 100 guests at an average of $30,200 and weddings with 101 to 150 guests at $36,700. Our illustrative line-by-line estimate for a 100-guest wedding in a mid-cost market runs from $29,000 to $50,600, depending mostly on the venue and the catering style.
The reception venue. The Knot 2026 average is $12,900, and venue plus rentals take about 29% of the average budget in WeddingWire's breakdown. Catering, dessert and alcohol come second at about 24%, so the two together are over half of the total.
In The Knot 2026 data, New Jersey has the highest average at $57,000, followed by New York ($49,000), Vermont ($47,000), Massachusetts ($45,000) and Connecticut ($42,000). Wyoming is the lowest at $17,000, then Idaho and Utah at $18,000. New York City is the priciest city at $88,000.
Service charges, sales tax and gratuity (WeddingWire says these can add 30% or more to venue and catering quotes), vendor meals, dress alterations, vendor tips, overtime, the marriage license, wedding party gifts and guest shuttles. Ask each vendor for the out-the-door price and keep a buffer.
