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A wedding in Chicago could cost $60,294.
- The average American wedding costs $33,931, according to The Knot 2018 Real Weddings Study.
- Among the most expensive places to get married were cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, as well as regions like South New Jersey, and Long Island and Westchester County in New York.
- The most popular month to get engaged is December, while the most popular month to get married is September.
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Some Americans spend a lot on weddings - sometimes more than their annual salaries.
According to The Knot 2018 Real Weddings Study, a survey of 14,000 brides and grooms, the average American wedding costs $33,931, the same average as the 2017 survey.
However, the most expensive locale for a wedding, New York City, costs $96,910 on average, up from $76,944 in 2017. For reference, the national mean household income is $84,525 a year.
The Knot also found the average guest count (136), average wedding gown price ($1,631), and the average age of brides and grooms (29.1 and 30.5, respectively). The most popular month to get engaged is December (16%), while the most popular month to get married is September (18%).
For the first time, the Knot surveyed Generation Z (age 14 to 23) newlyweds, who aren't as drawn to wedding traditions as past generations. Some wedding traditions are becoming less common, like the bouquet toss (45% in 2018, down from 53% in 2016) or the garter toss (33%, down from 41% in 2016).
Wedding prices are higher than ever, and often they come close to or exceed average annual salaries.
Here are the most expensive places to get married in America, along with the average household income of each location.