Cadillac Or Marriage? The States Where They Cost The Same

Tying the knot is — well, is supposed to be — a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The dress must be perfect. The engagement ring must make a statement. The venue must be accessible enough that those second-cousins you’ve seen three times in your life can still make it. A lot goes into weddings, and Americans are more than willing to empty the savings account to make them extra special.

While Europeans spend roughly $5,500 to get hitched, American couples spend a whopping five times that — nearly $26,000, according to the folks over at The Wedding Report. And if you think that’s a lot, get this — couples in Hawaii typically spend more than $39,000 on the special day, more than anywhere else in the country. That includes more than $1,600 on the white dress — something the bride will likely only ever wear once — and about $4,500 on a ring, according to the financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St., which ranked all 50 states.

So you may want to rethink that destination wedding on the glistening white sands of Maui. And you might also consider avoiding the Northeast, which is home to four of the five most expensive states to get married.

Or just go with a new Cadillac. You might even save a few bucks.

Here are the top 10 most expensive places to get married, according to 24/7 Wall St.

10. Rhode Island

• Cost of typical wedding: $32,090
• Number of weddings in 2017: 6,645 (7th fewest)
• Average dress cost: $1,351 (10th highest)
• Average ring cost: $3,955 (8th highest)
• Median household income: $58,387 (19th highest)

9. California

• Cost of typical wedding: $32,770
• Number of weddings in 2017: 246,700 (the most)
• Average dress cost: $1,433 (6th highest)
• Average ring cost: $3,929 (9th highest)
• Median household income: $63,783 (9th highest)

8. Maryland

• Cost of typical wedding: $34,503
• Number of weddings in 2017: 36,934 (19th most)
• Average dress cost: $1,430 (8th highest)
• Average ring cost: $3,878 (11th highest)
• Median household income: $76,067 (the highest)

7. New Hampshire

• Cost of typical wedding: $35,300
• Number of weddings in 2017: 9,326 (9th fewest)
• Average dress cost: $1,382 (9th highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,040 (7th highest)
• Median household income: $68,485 (7th highest)

6. Alaska

• Cost of typical wedding: $35,401
• Number of weddings in 2017: 5,345 (3rd fewest)
• Average dress cost: $1,476 (4th highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,048 (6th highest)
• Median household income: $74,444 (2nd highest)

5. New York

• Cost of typical wedding: $35,477
• Number of weddings in 2017: 137,984 (4th most)
• Average dress cost: $1,476 (3rd highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,167 (5th highest)
• Median household income: $60,741 (15th highest)

4. Massachusetts

• Cost of typical wedding: $36,709
• Number of weddings in 2017: 36,732 (21st most)
• Average dress cost: $1,430 (7th highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,176 (4th highest)
• Median household income: $70,954 (6th highest)

3. Connecticut

• Cost of typical wedding: $36,971
• Number of weddings in 2017: 18,685 (17th fewest)
• Average dress cost: $1,434 (5th highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,184 (3rd highest)
• Median household income: $71,755 (5th highest)

2. New Jersey

• Cost of typical wedding: $38,049
• Number of weddings in 2017: 47,854 (14th most)
• Average dress cost: $1,501 (2nd highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,235 (2nd highest)
• Median household income: $73,702 (3rd highest)

1. Hawaii

• Cost of typical wedding: $39,078
• Number of weddings in 2017: 22,630 (19th fewest)
• Average dress cost: $1,635 (the highest)
• Average ring cost: $4,491 (the highest)
• Median household income: $71,977 (4th highest)

There are more than 2 million weddings every year in the U.S. and business is booming. Last year, the industry produced more than $56 billion. In fact, only eight states spent less than $20,000 on the average wedding — Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, West Virginia, New Mexico, Tennessee and Louisiana, according to 24/7 Wall St. Each ranked near the bottom in the country in median household income and typically had a lower cost of living.

Click here to see the full rankings from 24/7 Wall St. and click here to see how much it costs to get married in your county.

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