RI Weddings Among Most Expensive in the US
Monday, March 07, 2011
Weddings are big, fancy and expensive in RI. Each year there are about 6,500 weddings in Rhode Island and for a those that use a wedding planner - the cost is big time.
How big?
According to a study recently release by the Knot - Rhode Island weddings are the fourth most expensive in the United States. The top ten in 2010 were:
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1. NYC (Manhattan): $70,730
2. NY (Long Island, Hudson Valley and NYC Outer Boroughs): $51,811, $45,695, $44,718
3. Northern/Central NJ and Southern NJ: $49,347, $36,694
4. Rhode Island: $41,169
5. Philadelphia, PA: $36,294
6. Santa Barbara/Ventura, CA, and Los Angeles, CA: $36,233, $33,745
7. Boston, MA: $35,458
8. Chicago, IL: $35,389
9. Connecticut: $35,197
10. Southern Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas): $33,810
The planned weddings with the biggest price tags were held in Newport, Watch Hill in Westerly, Providence, and on Block Island.
Regional Differences
Regional differences were also pronounced according the the 80 market survey conduct region by region by TheKnot.com & WeddingChannel.com:
* Budget: New York City (Manhattan) has the highest average wedding budget ($70,730), and Utah has the lowest average wedding budget ($13,214), excluding honeymoon only.
* Age: New York City (Manhattan and Outer Boroughs) has the oldest brides (32 years), whereas West Texas has the youngest brides (24 years), on average.
* Engagements: Northeast brides have the longest engagements (15.5 months), while brides from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi have the shortest (12 months), on average.
* Wedding Size: On average, Nebraska and Iowa brides still have the largest number of wedding guests (213 and 200, respectively), and Hawaii and Nevada still have the smallest number of wedding guests (82 and 59, respectively).
* Wedding Style: Hawaii has the most casual weddings, while Northern/Central New Jersey has the most formal (black-tie) weddings.
* Economy’s Effect: Brides in New Mexico, and California and Nevada (Sacramento, Tahoe and Reno) were the most affected by the economy, while brides in Alaska and Nebraska were the least affected.
* Registry: Brides in Toledo, Ohio, Kansas and Minnesota are the most likely to register for wedding gifts (96%).
Wedding Costs
Regardless if using a wedding planner the average US costs in 2010 were:
Overall Wedding (excluding honeymoon) $26,984
Ceremony Site $1,393
Reception Venue $12,124
Reception Band $3,081
Reception DJ $900
Photographer $2,320
Videographer $1,463
Wedding Gown $1,099
Florist/Décor $1,988
Invitations $351
Wedding Cake $540
Ceremony Musicians $503
Catering (cost per head) $61
Wedding Day Transportation $667
Favors $222
Rehearsal Dinner $1,127
Engagement Ring $5,392
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