This is how much the average American wedding costs in 2024 — plus the insane cost of being a bridesmaid
Members of the wedding party are saying “I do,” too — to some eye-watering expenses.
New research shows that the cost of being in a wedding party has now blown out to more than $2000 on average.
According to Coupon Birds, a bridesmaid or groomsman can expect to fork out $1,676 to attend a bachelorette or bachelor party, with many of the raucous events taking place over multiple days in different states.
In addition to flights, accommodation, and other expenses associated with such celebrations, wedding party members are also expected to purchase a gift and a custom outfit for the big day itself, further blowing out the overall cost.
All up, Coupon Birds claims that the average total amount paid for a member of a wedding party now stands at $2,137.
However, that’s less than 10% of the cost of the average American wedding in 2024.
Couples spend an average of $26,665 on their big day, with the venue usually the priciest part of the proceedings ($7,347).
Meanwhile, the average wedding has 115 invited guests, with $5,480 spent on providing food and drink for them.
The cost of a wedding cake is now $525, while flowers top $2,400.
Unsurprisingly, it’s more expensive to attend a wedding as a single person since the costs aren’t able to be split.
A singleton without a plus-one can expect to spend $150 on a wedding present and $225 on transport and accommodation.
Interestingly, female wedding guests spend $314 on an outfit, while men splash $333 on a suit and shoes.
However, women are more likely to get less use out of their ensemble, only wearing it three times on average.
