Here’s How Much It Costs To Get Married In New York

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. There’s a lot that 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. In New York last year, people spent an average of $35,477. That number has been steadily increasing since 2015, when it cost $35,000.

In the Hudson Valley and Long Island areas, couples spent even more: $40,346 for Dutchess; $45,863 for Nassau; $43,307 for Putnam; $42,865; for Rockland; $43,761 for Suffolk and $44,600 for Westchester counties.

If you’re thinking that’s a lot, you may want to think about a destination wedding on the glistening white sands of Maui. Couples in Hawaii typically spend a little more than $39,000 on the event, which is the highest average 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.

Here are the top 10 most expensive places to get married, according to 24/7 Wall St., which include six states i the Northeast:

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.

Patch national reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this article.

Image via Shutterstock.