Marketplace ran a provocative piece titled, “Why do weddings cost so much?” They cited a stat from Zola that says the average cost of a wedding nationally hit $33,000 this year, up from $29,000 last year.
We think that’s the wrong question. The better question is: What’s the right wedding budget for YOU? If you can afford a $33,000 wedding, more power to you. Same with $50,000 or $100,000.
If you can’t, there are ways you can control your costs to operate on a $10,000 or $15,000 budget, as we’ve blogged on in the past.
Here’s the thing to keep in mind: your wedding day is the biggest day in your life. It is THE day worth celebrating with abandon (within reason!).
Two big factors
Marketplace does a good job of explaining rising costs in the wedding industry. Two big factors are the COVID pandemic and inflation.
The pandemic put a pause on weddings, creating a pent-up demand in its aftermath, pushing prices up.
Even more, today’s 2024 inflation rate is more than double the pre-COVID rate, and more than five times higher as recently as June of 2022. Wedding vendors have had no choice but to increase fees to stay ahead of their rising costs.
Couples are older
Another reason weddings ‘cost so much’ is that couples are waiting longer to get married. In 1950, the average marriage age for men was 23 and 20 for women; today it’s 30 and 28 respectively. Older couples with two incomes have more money to spend on weddings, and they do.
We encourage you to read the entire Marketplace piece. We love the way it ends:
“What people did comment on is how great of a time they had. [She] credits the good DJ, the good food, and her decision to go out there and dance the entire night.”
Ultimately, entertainment makes the event. Doesn’t matter if your budget is big or small, Columbus Pro DJs will emcee your event with the professional touch and pack the dance floor to create a fun, memorable event you can afford. Check us out without obligation.
