As wedding costs soar, some couples lessen invites

Managing wedding expenses is seldom easy, yet amid stubbornly high inflation rates, budgeting is an even bigger concern for today’s couples. Price increases impact the cost of everything from the venue and food to bridal attire, entertainment and flower arrangements, and many couples are responding to these price hikes by reducing their guest count.

The Knot, a wedding site that conducts an annual trend survey, found that nearly half the couples who got married in 2021 reduced their guest count. The average wedding last year had 105 guests, according to The Knot, although the average cost was $28,000 – basically the same cost as 2019, when the average number of guests was 131.

Here’s a breakdown of those 2021 costs, according to the Knot’s survery.

Venue: $10,700

Catering: $7,800

Photography: 2,500

Flowers: $2,300

Wedding dress: $1,800

DJ: $1,400

Cake: $500

Grooms attire: $270

Hair & makeup: $250