Weddings

 This week I have been thinking a lot about getting married and honestly just marriage, as in the ceremony. Weddings are expensive and it can be hard to figure out how to budget for them. Different states differ on how much people spend but in the united states of america the average cost of a wedding is about $30,000. So where is that money being spent? I found some statistics for weddings in Utah, Idaho, and Oregon (all significantly below the national average in wedding costs) and tried to figure out the breakdown. Here is how it went.

 In Utah, the average cost of a wedding ceremony is around $15,000 to $20,000. This includes expenses such as venue rental, catering, decor, attire, photography, entertainment, and other miscellaneous costs. On average, couples in Utah allocate their budget as follows:

Venue and catering: 40%

Photography and videography: 15%

Attire and accessories: 10%

Decor and flowers: 10%

Entertainment: 10%

Miscellaneous expenses: 15%

Idaho: In Idaho, the average cost of a wedding ceremony is slightly lower, ranging from $12,000 to $17,000. The distribution of expenses in Idaho weddings is generally as follows:

Venue and catering: 35%

Photography and videography: 20%

Attire and accessories: 15%

Decor and flowers: 10%

Entertainment: 10%

Miscellaneous expenses: 10%

Oregon: Oregon tends to have a higher average cost for weddings, typically ranging from $18,000 to $25,000. The breakdown of expenses in Oregon weddings often looks like this:

Venue and catering: 45%

Photography and videography: 15%

Attire and accessories: 10%

Decor and flowers: 10%

Entertainment: 10%

Miscellaneous expenses: 10%

Chat GTP tells us: “Wedding costs can range from smaller, more intimate gatherings to lavish affairs with extensive guest lists and luxurious amenities. The average cost typically includes expenses such as venue rental, catering, attire, photography, videography, decorations, entertainment, wedding planner fees, transportation, and other miscellaneous costs.

It's important to keep in mind that wedding costs can fluctuate over time due to changes in economic factors, trends, and regional variations. Additionally, preferences and priorities can greatly impact the allocation of funds, with some couples opting to prioritize specific aspects of their wedding over others.”

Some of the most expensive things are the venue, food, and photography. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we almost have a step up when it comes to venue because we can use church buildings free of charge. Members also often find a friend or college student to do photography for a lower cost.

Thinking about my own wedding, I know I will use a church building, use my older sisters wedding decorations, and use my family for things like decorations. That leaves me to find a wedding dress, accessories, photographer (unless I get married in Oregon, in which case I already have someone in my church congregation willing to do it for cheap) and food. With food I am considering doing something like either my elder brother or elder sister did. My elder brother had me make like 350 mini waffles and we served those. They were cookie waffles so we were able to serve them plain. My elder sister did a potato bar and it was relatively cheap. For a cake I will have a mini cake made for cake cutting and use a costco cake to cut costs. 

What I am trying to get at is that yeah, weddings can be expensive, but there are also ways around that. We can find ways and people to help us so that we can actually get married. The cost of a wedding should not be what is holding us back from marriage!