In a Nutshell
The average total cost of a wedding in 2021 was about $34,000, according to The Knot. Sound high? Make sure you’re considering more than the dress, venue and food. We spoke to some experts who broke down 13 unexpected wedding costs to consider.Summer kicks off the most popular time of year for couples to tie the knot — which means it’s also the season when couples may be shelling out a lot of cash on their weddings.
The average cost of a wedding in 2021 was $28,000 for the ceremony and reception ($34,000 if you include the engagement ring), according to The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study. The average cost per guest was $266.
Once you start planning for your wedding, you might get hit with sticker shock and find yourself paying for a number of items you weren’t quite prepared for. Wedding Wire found that more than half of the couples who had set a wedding budget ended up increasing their initial budget — in some cases because of unexpected costs or having underestimated costs.
We asked wedding experts to share some common unexpected wedding costs, and we’ve also included how much you might expect to pay for them (though these can vary considerably depending on factors such as your location, the vendor and venue).
Average wedding costs by expense
In 2021, The Knot’s data showed that couples hired an average of 14 wedding vendors. Here’s a breakdown of average vendor costs.
| Expense | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Reception venue | $10,700 |
| Wedding photographer | $2,500 |
| Wedding/event planner | $1,700 |
| Live band | $4,300 |
| DJ | $1,400 |
| Florist | $2,300 |
| Videographer | $1,900 |
| Wedding dress | $1,800 |
| Wedding cake | $500 |
| Catering (per person) | $75 |
| Transportation | $900 |
| Favors | $450 |
| Rehearsal dinner | $2,300 |
| Engagement ring | $6,000 |
| Invitations | $530 |
| Hairstylist | $130 |
| Makeup artist | $115 |
Source: The Knot Real Weddings Study, 2021
Average wedding costs by state
The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study revealed that couples in New Jersey pay the most on average for weddings, shelling out $47,000 (not including the cost of an engagement ring). In second and third place are Washington, D.C., at $44,000 and Rhode Island at $43,000.
Couples in Wyoming pay the least ($15,800), followed by Oklahoma and Idaho (both at $16,000) and Kansas ($17,000).
| State | Average cost of a wedding |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $20,000 |
| Arkansas* | $17,200 |
| Arizona | $20,500 |
| California | $33,000 |
| Colorado | $24,500 |
| Connecticut | $38,500 |
| Delaware* | $29,900 |
| District of Columbia | $44,000 |
| Florida | $27,000 |
| Georgia | $27,000 |
| Hawaii* | $26,800 |
| Idaho* | $16,000 |
| Illinois | $32,000 |
| Indiana | $19,500 |
| Iowa | $19,000 |
| Kentucky | $20,000 |
| Kansas | $17,000 |
| Louisiana | $27,000 |
| Maine* | $29,100 |
| Maryland | $31,000 |
| Massachusetts | $36,000 |
| Michigan | $25,000 |
| Minnesota | $22,500 |
| Mississippi* | $19,100 |
| Missouri | $24,500 |
| Montana* | $18,500 |
| Nebraska* | $18,900 |
| Nevada | $20,500 |
| New Hampshire | $30,000 |
| New Jersey | $47,000 |
| New Mexico* | $21,100 |
| New York | $42,000 |
| North Carolina | $23,000 |
| North Dakota* | $24,200 |
| Ohio | $25,000 |
| Oklahoma | $16,000 |
| Oregon | $19,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,000 |
| Rhode Island* | $43,000 |
| South Carolina | $26,000 |
| South Dakota | $24,200 |
| Tennessee | $22,000 |
| Texas | $26,000 |
| Utah | $17,500 |
| Vermont* | $32,700 |
| Virginia | $32,000 |
| Washington | $23,000 |
| West Virginia* | $21,900 |
| Wisconsin | $23,000 |
| Wyoming* | $15,800 |
Source: The Knot Real Weddings Study, 2021 (*2019 data)
Unexpected wedding costs
1. Cake-cutting fees
“As an event planner, I know firsthand that there is one unforeseen expense that usually blindsides the wedding party — cake cutting! Most vendors charge a fee per slice. If you have 150 guests and there’s a $1.00 fee per cut slice, you can owe an additional $150 solely for cake cutting. This is a key service to factor into the budget.”
— Nicole Marie Harris, owner and creative director at event planning and design firm Dreams in Detail
Potential extra cost — $1.50 or more per guest
2. Postage
“Avoid sticker (or stamp) shock by researching as much as possible when budgeting for wedding invitations and postage.
“You know you’ll need stamps for your outer envelope, but don’t assume you can get by with a standard stamp. An invitation with more pieces, such as a direction card or map and separate RSVP envelope, which you may also want to pre-stamp, will be heavier.
“Your cost per invite can quickly jump from the standard 40 cents [for a postcard] to as much as a couple dollars. If you have a guest list of 150 people, the additional postage quickly adds up.
“Also, invites that are oddly shaped [may be] more expensive to mail.”
— Kristen Ley Green, co-owner of Something New for I Do
Potential extra cost — Up to around $2 per invitation
3. More time at your venue
“In order for a couple to have their wedding at some sites, they may need to buy additional time from the venue — if the site will sell the extra time. Be prepared for extra costs for securing more time.”
— Joyce Scardina Becker, designer-in-chief and president, Events of Distinction
Potential extra cost — $500 per hour isn’t unusual, depending on the venue, but can even be up to $1,000 to $2,000 per extra hour if you don’t negotiate beforehand
4. Additional power
“At a hotel, having a band perform or utilizing lots of specialty lighting could require additional power, called a ‘power drop.’ This is something many couples don’t foresee.”
— Dezhda Gaubert, former owner, No Worries Event Planning
Potential extra cost — $300 to $500
5. Event liability insurance
“The venue may require event insurance. This ensures that the venue will be able to repair or replace anything that the wedding guests or vendors break.”
— Amy Nolan and Carolyn Johnson, owners and wedding consultants, An Event Less Ordinary
Potential extra cost — Depends on the amount of coverage, but budget for $150 to $550
6. Gratuities
“It’s both greatly advised and appreciated to tip your planners, musicians, rental crew, officiant and transport drivers or valets. Your gratuity for food service should be included in your quote from the venue or caterer — but if not, make sure you plan for this as well.”
— Anastasia Stevenson, Coastal Creative Weddings
Potential extra cost — Can vary depending on your vendors, but here’s a helpful wedding vendor tipping cheat sheet that can guide you
7. Alterations
“Whether you buy off the rack or have your attire custom-made, this is a cost that most couples forget to add to the budget. If you purchase your dress or suit early in the planning process, there’s a good chance you can lose or gain a couple of pounds, which may require you to have the outfit altered.”
— Cat Feliciano, certified wedding and event planner
Potential extra cost — Around $500 for a wedding dress or $150 for a suit
8. Additional staffing fees
“Many catering proposals are written with ‘minimal staffing.’ For a seated, plated fine-dining experience, you may want one wait staff person per table of eight and one bartender per 75 guests. Be prepared for extra labor charges if excellent service is important to you.”
— Joyce Scardina Becker, designer-in-chief and president, Events of Distinction
Potential extra cost — Typically $20 to $30 per hour for each additional wait staff, depending on the vendor
9. Childcare services
“[Couples] may have strict rules about children at their weddings. But a lot of parents feel they shouldn’t have to be responsible for finding childcare, especially if they’re traveling to the wedding. Some parents also don’t want to be far away from their children.
“What couples may not know is that they may be left paying for childcare [at or near the venue] if they don’t want children [attending the] wedding.”
— Rachel Charlupski, founder, The Babysitting Company
Potential extra cost — Upward of $100 per hour, not including agency fees, parking for sitters and a meal
10. Guest transportation
“It’s become more and more popular to transport guests to and from the venue, even if that venue is easily reached by car. Transportation for guests is often in the several thousands [of dollars], depending on the amount of guests the couple would like to transport.”
— Dezhda Gaubert, former owner, No Worries Event Planning
Potential extra cost — A 45- to 55-passenger coach generally runs around $1,000 (from pick-up before the wedding ceremony to end of the wedding)
11. Miscellaneous photographer and related fees
“Typically, wedding photography packages are based on consecutive hours. If there’s a break slot within your wedding day, a photographer will most likely charge you for this time anyway.
“[Another fee you may encounter is] for the limo driver to wait while the couple and wedding party take portraits. Most limo companies request that the driver leave and return after the portraits are complete. However, if the couple requests that the driver stays, the couple may be charged an additional fee.”
— Alice Bil-Szot, owner/photographer, studioEPIC (Canada)
Potential extra cost — A photographer may charge $250 or more per hour for overtime, while a limo driver may charge between $50 and $150 per hour (plus tip) of wait time
12. Trial hair and makeup
“Brides usually budget for the cost of hair and makeup services day-of, but often forget how important it is to have a trial done to ensure the look you’re going for can be achieved.”
— Cat Feliciano, certified wedding and event planner
Potential extra cost — Anywhere between $50 and $150
13. Vendor meals
“When you’re planning an event that will have your vendors working long hours, you should prepare to include your photographers, planners and musicians in your count to the caterers.”
— Anastasia Stevenson, Coastal Creative Weddings
Potential extra cost — Around $75 per vendor staff member (assuming the cost is similar to feeding your guests), according to the The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study
Next steps
As you create your wedding budget, be sure to consider all potential costs. You might even leave a little wiggle room in your budget for expenses that pop up.
If you’re struggling to pay for your big day, a wedding loan may be a solution — but you’ll need to weigh taking on debt versus having your dream wedding. Also, be sure to pay attention to the loan’s interest rate, which can significantly increase the cost of borrowing money.
If you prefer to avoid a loan, check out our tips for saving money for your wedding.