Fun Facts About American Weddings

Have you ever wondered about the more popular, and least popular, aspects of American

weddings? What about the honeymoon? How much do various aspects of a wedding cost? After

all, if you are getting married, you may not know what to expect. Just remember, do what is right

for you.

Here are some fun facts about American weddings that you might find amusing:

The average amount of time spent on a wedding day for a wedding photographer is 12 hours.

Besides the actual shooting time, they spend time tracking the weather (especially for outdoor

weddings), coming up with poses and watches for lighting. This does not take into account the

prep work for your wedding or all the after ceremony editing.

Reception Entertainment….

– About 72% of brides stated that they should have spent more time deciding on the

entertainment for their reception.

– Nearly 100% of the brides felt they should have allocated more of their budget towards

entertainment.

– 81% of wedding reception guests says they remember the entertainment the most about a

wedding.

– During the planning of the wedding, the bride’s highest priority in order as being their attire,

the reception location and the caterer. The entertainment for the reception was one of the least

priorities. 78% of the brides noted that after one week since their reception ended, they would

have made the reception entertainment as their top priority.

– 65% of couples that opted to hire a band for their entertainment said they would hire a disc

jockey had they had to do it again.

Did You Know….

(Source: Association for Wedding Professionals Int’l)

– The U.S. city that is the top destination to wed is Las Vegas (averages 114,000 weddings per

year). Vegas is second ranked in the world only behind Istanbul, Turkey, which averages about

166,000.

– The second most popular city in the U.S. for a wedding? Gatlinburg, Tennessee with an

average of 42,000 weddings. The third city is New Orleans, which averages 36,000 weddings.

– In the U.S. an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed, while the neighbors to the North,

Canada, average approximately 150,000.

– Today the average age for a first-time bride is 25 years old, while for grooms it’s 27. For a

second marriage, the average ages are 35 years for brides and 38 for grooms.

– In the U.S., the average engagement lasts 15 months.

– The amount spent on a bridal gown averages about $800.

– A traditional American wedding costs on average of $22,000.

Marriages by the month:

(Source: Greeting Card Association)

A June wedding is still the most popular, while January is the least favorite for nuptials. In areas

of the country where the weather is harsher has a direct reflection on these numbers.

June 10.8%

August 10.2%

May 9.8%

July 9.7%

September 9.6%

October 9.4%

December 7.8%

April 7.4%

November 7.4%

February 7.0%

March 6.1%

January 4.7%

Wedding Costs by Category:

(Source: Association of Bridal Consultants)

Reception 28.3%

Consultant 15.0% (if hired)

Wedding Rings 11.5%

Photography/Video 6.6%

Bridal Gown 6.1%

Music 5.2%

Flowers 4.6%

Bridal Attendants’ apparel 4.5%

Rehearsal dinner 4.2%

Men’s formal wear 3.2%

Invitations 2.8%

Attendants’ gifts 2.1%

Mother of the Bride apparel 1.7%

Bride’s Veil 1.6%

Clergy and Ceremony fees 1.2%

Limousine 0.9%

Groom’s Attire 0.8%

Statistics regarding the Honeymoon:

(Source: Association of Bridal Consultants)

– Of the couples that opt for a traditional wedding, 99% of them go on a honeymoon.

– That couples will spend on average of $4,000 on their honeymoon.

– Nine days is the average length of a honeymoon.

– That 63% of honeymoon destinations are to a foreign location, while the remaining 37% remain

on domestic land.

– That this year approximately a half-million married couples will celebrate a destination

wedding.

– The destinations that are most often chosen for a honeymoon are:

The Caribbean 34%

Hawaii 33%

Bahamas 20.2%

Jamaica 17%

Cayman Islands 10.5%

Aruba 8%

British Virgin Islands 7%

U.S. Virgin Islands 7%

Mexico 7%

St. Marten 5.6%

Europe 4%

Puerto Rico 3.8%

Bermuda 3%

– Items couples were most likely to buy for their honeymoon include:

Wardrobe 71%

Sunglasses 69%

Swimsuit 69%

Sunscreen 58%

Luggage 50%

Video camera 37%

Still camera 31%

Sports gear and/or equipment 7%

– Transportation most often used for their honeymoon:

Airplane 76%

Rental Car 60%

Their own car 16.5%

Ship/Boat 27%

Railroad 3%

– Most popular honeymoon activities:

Visiting a new places 75%

Lakes and Beaches 45%

Casinos 20%

Cruises 25%

Golf/Sports 10%

Skiing 5%