Wedding Costs in 2025: What Couples Really Spend to Say “I Do” in the US

2025 has been a year of weddings. From extravagant celebrity celebrations to elegant micro-ceremonies, love has taken centre stage in every city, state, and venue across the country. If you’re planning your big day, you’ve probably asked yourself the question every couple wrestles with:

How much does an average wedding cost in the United States in 2025?

The short answer: more than in 2024 — and the biggest increases are in venues, décor, and food.

But there’s a longer, richer story behind those numbers — and if you’re strategic, thoughtful, and equipped with the right vendors, your wedding can be everything you dream of without drowning in unnecessary expenses.

Let’s dive in.

The Real Price Tag of Weddings in 2025

The average American wedding in 2025 ranges widely depending on region, guest count, and style, but most estimates fall between $28,000 and $45,000, with major cities easily pushing that number into the $55,000–$80,000 range.

A countryside wedding in Texas is not priced like a ballroom wedding in Manhattan — and the difference isn’t subtle. A high-end celebration in Beverly Hills can cost the same as three perfectly planned weddings in Ohio.

But rather than focusing on shock value numbers, what matters most is how that money is allocated. And that’s where couples can make smart decisions.

1. The Venue

In 2025, the venue remains the single most expensive part of the wedding.

Depending on where you live, renting a space can cost:

• $3,500 – $10,000 for a mid-range venue
• $12,000 – $25,000 for luxury hotels, estates, and historic locations
• $25,000+ for celebrity-style venues, museums, rooftops, and destination properties

Outdoor weddings surged in popularity during 2021–2023, and that trend hasn’t slowed down. Garden venues, vineyards, and lakeside estates are now competing directly with hotels and ballrooms — and they’re winning.

Couples often underestimate how many hidden costs live inside a venue booking:

✨ Catering rules

✨ Audio/visual equipment fees

✨ Serving staff

✨ Extra décor or draping

✨ Furniture rentals

✨ Lighting packages

✨ Add-on hours

What feels “affordable” at first glance becomes a financial snowball by the time you reach the contract stage.

2. Food & Drink

Food isn’t just food anymore — it’s an experience.

Couples are going beyond three-course dinners:

🍽️ Curated tasting menus

🍣 Sushi and seafood bars

🍕 Late-night pizza trucks

🍰 Dessert rooms

🌮 Taco stations

🍸 Mixology bars

These trends are aesthetically pleasing and wildly Instagrammable but they’re also expensive.

Expect:

• $75–$175 per guest for traditional catering
• $180–$350 per guest for premium menus
• $500+ per guest for luxury or Michelin-style dining

And yes, alcohol matters. Full open bars have skyrocketed:

• $3,000–$8,000 for small weddings
• $10,000–$20,000 for 150+ guests

Signature cocktails, champagne towers, and tequila tasting tables are beautiful, but they add thousands to the bill.

3. The Dress

American brides in 2025 aren’t playing safe.

They’re going custom, couture, and sometimes multiple dresses.

• $1,500–$4,000: average bridal gown range
• $6,000–$12,000: designer gowns (Galia Lahav, Berta, Mira Zwillinger)
• $15,000+: couture and custom-only designs

Add in alterations, accessories, shoes, veils, and wedding-day glam…

A bride’s look can easily cost $5,000–$20,000.

And yes, grooms are stepping up too.

Tailored suits, designer loafers, custom watches, and grooming packages are on the rise.

4. Photography and Videography

If you ask any married couple what they regret most, 9 out of 10 will say:

“I wish I invested more in photos and video.”

In 2025, couples are wiser.

Professional teams cost:

• $3,000–$6,500 for photography
• $4,000–$10,000 for combined photography + videography
• $12,000–$25,000 for full-production cinematic coverage

Drone footage, same-day edits, and documentary-style storytelling are the new norm.

And unlike the flowers or the food, these are the things that last.

5. Flowers, Décor, and The Pinterest Problem

Florals are where TikTok and Pinterest fantasies collide with financial reality.

Couples see lush arches, sculptural centrepieces, cascading orchids, and candle-lit aisles — then have to translate that into invoices.

Expect:

• $3,000–$7,000 for modest arrangements
• $8,000–$18,000 for luxury florals
• $20,000–$65,000+ for fully immersive design + installations

What changed?

In 2025, weddings aren’t just decorated — they’re themed:

🌙 Celestial weddings

🌺 Tropical garden weddings

🕊️ Minimalist all-white weddings

✨ Crystal and mirror installations

🔱 Royal ballroom designs

🎭 Masquerade evening receptions

Couples no longer want “pretty.”

They want atmosphere.

6. Entertainment

Live bands, celebrity DJs, harpists, cultural performers, saxophonists — brides and grooms are leaning into entertainment more than ever.

• $1,800–$5,000 for DJs
• $4,000–$15,000 for live bands
• $15,000–$70,000 for high-profile performers
• $100,000+ when you’re booking someone with a Billboard history

And yes… glow dancers, indoor fireworks, electric violins, and LED stages are very much a thing.

Why These Costs Keep Rising

Three words: demand, inflation, and expectations.

People postponed weddings during the pandemic.

Then they postponed again in 2023–24 due to the economy.

2025 is the year of the wedding boom.

More couples = fewer vendors = higher prices.

Plus, social media has changed the entire landscape.

Weddings aren’t private memories anymore — they are global content.

Modern brides don’t want “basic and fine.”

They want:

• Beautiful
• Instagrammable
• Shareable
• Timeless

And vendors have adjusted.

How to Save Smart Without Compromising Your Aesthetic

Everyone wants the champagne wedding without the champagne invoice.

The secret is not to cut corners — it’s to choose the right vendors who know how to stretch a budget intelligently.

This is where My Event Pod becomes your best friend.

Whether your vision is:

✨ Garden brunch wedding

✨ Black-tie ballroom reception

✨ Destination island celebration

✨ Intimate candle-lit ceremony

✨ Modern rooftop soirée

✨ Tropical beach wedding

Our platform connects you to:

• Event planners
• Photographers
• Florists
• Make-up artists
• Caterers
• Decorators
• Rentals
• DJs & live bands
• Cake designers
• Videographers
• Venues

No guesswork.

No 4 AM venue panic.

No overpriced surprises.

Just real professionals who know what they’re doing — and care about your story.

Final Thought: The Best Wedding Is One That Feels Like You

The numbers matter.

The aesthetics matter.

The logistics matter.

But at the end of the day?

The best weddings in 2025 aren’t the most expensive.

They’re the ones where every detail — every floral stem, every guest smile, every champagne bubble — reflects your love.

Spend where it counts. Invest in memories. And choose vendors who will help bring your dream to life.