Statistics on Weddings in the United States

• 2.3 million couples wed every year in the US or 6,200 weddings a day

• Average age of a bride in the US is 25.3

• Average age of a groom is 26.9

• Average number of guests invited to a wedding is 178

• One-third of those getting married each year have been married before

The money behind the marriage

• $72 billion per year is spent on weddings

• the average wedding budget is $20,000

• $1,016 is the average cost of wedding rings for the bride and groom

• Traditionally, the father of the bride would pay for everything.
Modern time of 21st century, the bride and groom themselves pay for the wedding about 30 percent of the time; the bride’s parents pay about 17 percent of the time. As for the rest of the time, costs are covered by different sources – the bride and groom and one or both sets of parents, according to surveys by Bride’s magazine.

• $19 billion per year is spent on wedding gift registries

• $8 billion per year is spent on honeymoons

• Average honeymoon budget is $3,657

• Over 91 percent of all to-be-weds register for gifts. The couple receives gifts from an average of 200 guests

• Most wedding guests spend between $70 and $100 on a gift

Timing of weddings

• June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September and October

Monthly breakdown:
January 4.7%
February 7.0%
March 6.1%
April 7.4%
May 9.8%
June 10.8%
July 9.7%
August 10.2%
September 9.6%
October 9.4%
November 7.4%
December 7.8%

Where do weddings take place?
• 80 percent of weddings are performed in churches or synagogues

Honeymoons

• 99 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon

• Average couple will spend three times more on their honeymoon than a regular vacation
• 40 percent of honeymooners will travel within the United States, about 60 percent will travel to a foreign country
• Honeymoons usually last 7 to 9 days
• the most popular destinations are Las Vegas, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and
Jamaica
• 35 percent of brides and grooms have a valid passport

Other Interesting Tidbit

• Top wedding city in the world – Istanbul, Turkey with 166,000 for the year
• Las Vegas, Nevada is in second place with 114,000 weddings.

Sources for statistics

US Census Bureau
The Knot (http://www.theknot.com/au_industrystats.shtml),
The Association for Wedding Professionals International (http://www.afwpi.com/wedstats)
Sellmoreweddings.com
Sellthebride.com (http://www.sellthebride.com/tipsstats.htm)
American Demographics
Bride’s Millennium Report: Wedding Love & Money
Bride’s magazine

Some women still prefer taking a traditional route when it comes to planning their wedding. In that case a white dress seems to be a part of the planning that gets very little consideration because of its lack of personality in terms of color. Then there’s the sassy bride who loves to make a fashion statement and grab the undivided attention of her groom in every way that counts. No longer is a demure walk down the aisle something that society demands. Now a dramatic entrance with sexy undertones is perfectly acceptable!

At many weddings, people are just as interested in the groom’s expression when he first sees his bride in her wedding dress as well as the bride herself. Capturing this moment on camera is just one of the priceless mementos of that special day. That image will capture awe, desire and powerful emotion reflected in his eyes. It’s a treasured memory he’ll carry all the days of his life. Because color is such a stimulating factor, the impact can be tremendous when the bride has chosen a wedding dress of color that matches the day and her individual womanhood.

Jewelries to match your red wedding dress

A red wedding dress is a perfect place to start when perusing all the colorful choices available for today’s fashionable bride. After all, it’s a powerful color for conveying the intense passion a couple experiences on their special day. Every little detail counts when planning the color and theme. There’s even wedding jewelry and hair accessories that can be perfectly matched to the bride’s wedding dress as well as the wedding party’s chosen outfitting. Freedom of expression has never been as respected as it is today.


Every color of the rainbow is now at the bride’s disposal for choosing a wedding dress that matches perfectly to her coloring, personality and wedding theme. Not to mention the fact that she can truly utilize her femininity for creating an intoxicating response from her groom! A response that will carry over into everyday life once the wedding day has passed and gone. The beauty of this freedom is a lack of fear from the wrath of society that our grandmothers knew. Now the customs of yesteryear can be brought to a whole new level with color as a dominating factor. There’s no longer a need for silly rules that can put a damper on what should be a joyous occasion.

by Karen Vander

Times change, traditions change. This can be a blessing for the anxious bride and groom! Some traditions were quite restricting and most likely took away from a day that should have been special, but was minimized by rules that none dared to break. How nice that modern time allows for freedom of expression without fear of social retribution. There’s nothing a bride wants more than to see the look of awe and arousal on her groom’s face when he sees her in her wedding dress. After all, a wedding day is one that’s emblazoned in visual memory like no other.

Red Riding Hood Can Marry With Class

Since a bride knows her man is a creature stimulated by visual intrigue, she has a powerful ingredient for creating a memory in his mind that he’ll not ever forget. Color can make a strong impression to last a lifetime. A red wedding dress makes for one red hot bride! In combination with her flawless skin, it’s a look that elicits a fascination from her groom as well as murmurs of appreciation from the wedding guests. Then there’s the wedding party that compliments the brides unmitigated beauty! The color schemes that can be used to heighten the impact of her stunningly gorgeous wedding dress are only limited by imagination!



From colorful wedding jewelry to the flowers and table napkins; every detail can be related to that red wedding dress adorning the bride. What a wonderful way to enjoy a truly custom wedding that enhances the individuality of the couple. No more blending in with every other unremarkable wedding that’s dominated by white because custom robbed the bride of choices! With strict traditions a thing of the past, a bride can draw attention to herself without appearing trashy. Instead she can enjoy the freedom of love expression at its finest.

Victorian Era Wedding Dresses

A Victorian wedding is about class and grace. Since the Victoria era, the traditional white wedding dress has evolved. Before that, white was indeed a rare color. Though I believe everyone should wear the color that looks best on them. White is a very recent and western phenomenon.

Traditional White Or Back to Red

It is a strong color. It is so vibrant that it grabs everyone’s attention immediately.

Beautiful red wedding dresses by real brides

If you are willing to try something different, then try on red wedding dresses. Be a trend setter. The dress calls for a lot of confidence as you will be wearing something that is much different the current traditional white trend. Red adds a lot of confidence to your personality as well. Choose the wedding dress that suits your personality.

Alyce Designs - Peach Wedding Dress

A peach wedding dress is just pure sweetness. What color theme would go with this dress? I hear mint green and peach makes a really beautiful combination. A few believes red and peach mixes really well. I would definitely use peach invitations. White is the traditional wedding color. I think peach is a great color to choose when breaking from tradition and blazing your own path.

Make a statement of elegance and be your pretty self in the style and colors you like!

Distress bride

The wedding dress has changed in style and fashion throughout the ages. In the long past, wedding was a matter of politics. Brides had to dress in a way that would best reflect their families. The higher the social standing of the bride, the richer the colors and the more rich the fabrics used. Velvet, fur, and silk were often incorporated into the design. The styles and colors of the affluent brides were copied by the brides of lower social standing as best as they could.

It was not that long ago where a white wedding dress was a rare sight. In 1558, Mary Queen of Scots was one of the first women to wear white when she married Francois II of France. White was still not the traditional wedding color and was considered rather ill-boding. White was the official color of mourning in France at that time. It was not a subtle message. It was only in 1840 that white became popular, after Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coberg. In order to make use of some white lace that she owned, Victoria asserted on a white dress. After the wedding portrait was published publicly, many brides copied the dress in honor of the Queen.

Blue wedding dress - Symbolizes purity of the bride.

The tradition of the white wedding continues to this day. Along the line it picked up the association with purity and symbolising virginity. Originally blue was associated with purity and the white dress was not meant to symbolise the innocence of the bride at all. Today the white dress is usually a nod at tradition and has very little to do with virginity and purity.

Mia Solano Wedding Dress Style M2740L - See more

Designers everywhere are bidding farewell to the traditional white wedding dress and showcasing gorgeous colored dresses. Make a statement by wearing a traditional wedding gown but in a bold scarlet color.

If going in a completely different shade is just too much pressure inside your head, consider a traditional white gown with burgundy or red embroidery is striking, and is a gorgeous way of incorporating a traditional style with a contemporary flair. Red Wedding Dresses are incredibly new and refreshing to a western bride but across the globe, this is not a novelty.

Modern wedding dresses are much more than wearing a big puffy white dress. Brides today have sophisticated style, and they want to show it off by wearing modern wedding dresses that reflect their own personal style.