A new study has revealed Utah to be the most affordable US state in which to have a wedding.
Research carried out by Design Bundles, a provider of romantic heart SVGs, showed the Western state to have both the lowest average wedding costs and the lowest percentage of the average salary spent on weddings in the whole country.
To conduct their research, Design Bundles compared the average cost of weddings across all of the 50 states in America with the average salary of each state. They were then able to see which state, on average, saw the lowest percentage of their wages spent on wedding costs.
Utah’s average wedding costs are the lowest, at $19,700. Utah also has a relatively high average salary of $71,621, which is almost $10,000 above the US national average household income of $62,843. This means that Utah is also the state with the lowest percentage of salaries spent on weddings, at just 27.5%. Utah not only boasts affordable wedding packages, but it also has beautiful landscapes and stunning national parks that would form the perfect backdrop to any wedding photos.
Wyoming is second on the list of states with the lowest average wedding costs in relation to the average salary. They also have the second-lowest average wedding cost overall, at $19,800, with plenty of affordable wedding venues on offer. With an average salary of $64,049, the wedding costs represent 30.9% of a year’s wages in Wyoming.
Washington is third, with the average wedding costing $25,600, which represents 34.7% of the average salary of $73,775. Despite Idaho having the same average wedding costs as Wyoming, $19,800, they came just below Washington in fourth place due to the state having a relatively low average salary of $55,785. This means that weddings take 35.4% of annual wages in Idaho.
The state of Oregon rounded off the top five. With the average wedding costing $22,400 and the average salary being $62,818, wedding costs represent 35.6% of the state’s average annual wages.
At the other end of the spectrum are the states in which the largest percentage of wages is spent on wedding costs.
Rhode Island has the highest percentage of wages spent on weddings. The average wedding in Rhode Island costs an eye-watering $49,800. When compared to the average salary in the state of $67,167, the average cost for a wedding celebration represents 74.1% of a Rhode Island salary.
New York has the second highest percentage of salaries on wedding costs. The average salary in New York is $68,486 and the average wedding costs $48,600. This means that those choosing to have their wedding day in New York can expect to spend a huge 70.9% of their salaries.
The average overall wedding costs in Rhode Island were the second highest in the country after New Jersey, in which the average wedding costs $53,400. However, New Jersey has a high average salary of $82,545 to match. So the steep fees of the weddings represent 64.6% of annual earnings in New Jersey, making it the third least affordable state in which to have a wedding.
The research also found Washington D.C. to have the highest average salary, at $86,420. With the average wedding costs amounting to $40,600, residents of D.C. spend an average of 46.9% of their wages on a wedding. Although Washington D.C. is not strictly a state, it is often included in state lists as it is the capital of the USA and is seen by many as the 51st state.
The state of Maryland was shown to have the second highest average salary, at $84,805, and relatively low average wedding costs of $33,800. This means that the people of Maryland can expect to spend 39.8% of their salary on weddings.
Mississippi has the lowest salaries, with annual earnings in the South-eastern state averaging $45,081. Weddings in Mississippi cost on average $23,800, which represents 52.7% of the average salary. Incidentally, Mississippi is also one of the hottest and rainiest states in the US, so any wedding plans should always have both indoor and outdoor venues prepared in case of any weather surprises!
And the state of West Virginia had the second lowest average salaries, at $46,711, 56.7% of which would go towards an average wedding costs of $26,500.
Average costs of weddings compared to average salaries by state
| State | Average wedding cost | Average salary | % of salary spent on weddings |
| Alabama | $25,500 | $50,536 | 50.4% |
| Arkansas | $21,800 | $47,597 | 45.8% |
| Arizona | $29,400 | $58,945 | 49.8% |
| California | $39,000 | $75,235 | 51.8% |
| Colorado | $30,000 | $72,331 | 41.4% |
| Connecticut | $41,000 | $78,444 | 52.2% |
| Delaware | $34,900 | $68,287 | 51.1% |
| D.C. | $40,600 | $86,420 | 46.9% |
| Florida | $30,600 | $55,660 | 54.9% |
| Georgia | $30,900 | $58,700 | 52.6% |
| Hawaii | $32,900 | $81,275 | 40.4% |
| Idaho | $19,800 | $55,785 | 35.4% |
| Iowa | $22,600 | $60,523 | 37.3% |
| Illinois | $39,700 | $65,886 | 60.2% |
| Indiana | $22,800 | $56,303 | 40.4% |
| Kentucky | $23,900 | $50,589 | 47.2% |
| Kansas | $22,400 | $59,597 | 37.5% |
| Louisiana | $33,900 | $49,469 | 68.5% |
| Maine | $33,500 | $57,918 | 57.8% |
| Maryland | $33,800 | $84,805 | 39.8% |
| Massachusetts | $43,600 | $81,215 | 53.6% |
| Michigan | $29,700 | $57,144 | 51.9% |
| Minnesota | $28,800 | $71,306 | 40.3% |
| Mississippi | $23,800 | $45,081 | 52.7% |
| Missouri | $26,600 | $55,461 | 47.9% |
| Montana | $23,000 | $54,970 | 41.8% |
| Nebraska | $23,300 | $61,439 | 37.9% |
| Nevada | $22,500 | $60,365 | 37.2% |
| New Hampshire | $32,100 | $76,768 | 41.8% |
| New Jersey | $53,400 | $82,545 | 64.6% |
| New Mexico | $25,600 | $49,754 | 51.4% |
| New York | $48,600 | $68,486 | 70.9% |
| North Carolina | $29,500 | $54,602 | 54.0% |
| North Dakota & South Dakota | $29,200 | $64,894 | 44.9% |
| Ohio | $29,300 | $56,602 | 51.7% |
| Oklahoma | $21,200 | $52,919 | 40.0% |
| Oregon | $22,400 | $62,818 | 35.6% |
| Pennsylvania | $35,900 | $61,744 | 58.1% |
| Rhode Island | $49,800 | $67,167 | 74.1% |
| South Carolina | $30,600 | $53,199 | 57.5% |
| Tennessee | $26,900 | $53,320 | 50.4% |
| Texas | $30,200 | $61,874 | 48.8% |
| Utah | $19,700 | $71,621 | 27.5% |
| Vermont | $38,300 | $61,973 | 61.8% |
| Virginia | $33,300 | $74,222 | 44.8% |
| Washington | $25,600 | $73,775 | 34.7% |
| West Virginia | $26,500 | $46,711 | 56.7% |
| Wisconsin | $27,800 | $61,747 | 45.0% |
| Wyoming | $19,800 | $64,049 | 30.9% |