NY and NJ Wedding Officiant | www.Licensed2Wed.com

Marriage - Reverend BD Nielson Wedding Ministry

Interesting Wedding Statistics

ENGAGEMENT STATISTICS

  • The average American engagement is 16 months.
  • During the engagement period, couples buy:
    • $4 billion in furniture
    • $3 billion in house wares
    • $400 million in tableware
  • June is the most popular month for weddings, then August, followed by September October and May
  • Every year an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed in the U.S.
  • The Wedding Industry is a 50 billion dollar a year industry
  • Average age for first-time brides is 25 years, for grooms it's 27.5
  • 175 guests are invited to an average wedding
  • One third of engaged couples retain a Wedding Consultant
  • An average honeymoon vacation is one week
  • The average household income of a newly married couple is $60,000/year
  • Couples are waiting longer to get married
  • Tuxedoes are typically purchased 5-6 months after the wedding gown
  • Median age for remarriage is 34 for women and 37 for men
  • Bridesmaids' gowns are general purchased 3-4 months in advance of the event
  • Average size of wedding party: 12
  • Most brides (30%) plan their weddings for 7 to 12 months
  • Most (about 75%) first-time brides will receive a diamond engagement ring (67% of repeat brides).
  • About 15% of weddings include ethnic customs
  • 35% of weddings occur in the summer; 29% in the spring; 23% in the fall; 13% in the winter.
  • 11% of winter weddings are Christmas weddings

COST STATISTICS

  • $22,000 is the average amount spent on a traditional American wedding
  • A total of $72 billion is spent on weddings annually in the U.S.
  • $19 billion is spent buying presents at wedding gift registries
  • The average amount spent on a bridal gown is $800
  • David's Bridal accounts for 20% of all bridal-gown sales, and that percentage is increasing
  • The average ring costs $2,000

TOP WEDDING DESTINATIONS:

  • Las Vegas (100,000 weddings/year)
  • Hawaii (25,000 wedding/year)
  • Bahamas (5,000 weddings/year)
  • Jamaica (5,000 weddings/year)
  • U.S. Virgin Islands (4,000 weddings/year)

OTHER WEDDING STATISTICS

  • 80% of traditional weddings are performed in churches or synagogue.
  • Four out of five brides are employed.
  • There is a 43% chance of a marriage ending in divorce.
  • 35% of Brides and Grooms have a valid passport.
  • Percentage of couples living together before marriage: 64%
  • Percentage of engaged couples who’ve known each other longer than 3 years: 69%
  • 166,000: Wedding ceremonies performed annually in Istanbul, Turkey
  • Percentage of brides who say they’ll be changing their surnames: 60%
  • 93,750: Approximate cost, in dollars, of an average Japanese wedding
  • 150,000: Wedding ceremonies conducted in Canada in 2002
  • 53% of weddings occur in the afternoon; 31% in the evening; 16% in the morning.
  • 30% of receptions are held in churches; 20% in hotels; 20% in country clubs; and 10% each in fraternal halls, private homes, and other locations.
  • 38% of weddings have a buffet; 34% have a sit-down dinner; 28% serve only cake and punch.
  • 62% of weddings have a flower girl.
  • 56% have a ring bearer.
  • Brides 18 to 39 receive 85% of all wedding cards.
  • More than 4.2 million unmarried couples live together.
  • 67% of women continue to wear the same fragrance they wore on their wedding day.

MARRIAGES BY MONTH

  • 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%

WEDDING COSTS BY CATEGORY*

  • Reception 28.3%
  • Consultant 15.0% (if hired)
  • Wedding Rings 11.5%
  • Photography/Video 6.6%
  • Bridal Gown 6.1%
  • Music 5.2%
  • Flowers 4.6%
  • Bridal attendants' apparel 4.5%
  • Rehearsal dinner 4.2%
  • Men's formal wear 3.2%
  • Invitations 2.8%
  • Attendants' gifts 2.1%
  • Mother of the bride apparel 1.7%
  • Bride's veil 1.6%
  • Clergy and ceremony fees 1.2%
  • Limousine 0.9%
  • Groom's attire 0.8%
    Source: Association of Bridal Consultants*

HONEYMOON STATISTICS

  • Among couples who choose a traditional wedding, 99 percent take a honeymoon.
  • Couples spend an average of $4,000 on their honeymoon. That's three times as much as the average U.S. adult spends on a vacation.
  • The length of an average honeymoon is seven days.
  • 45 percent of honeymoon trips are to domestic locations; 55 percent are foreign.
  • The Honeymoon Industry is a 12 billion dollar a year industry.

Most Popular Honeymoon Activities:

  • Visiting a new place for sightseeing, restaurants, entertainment and nightlife- 75%
  • Beaches and lakes - 45%
  • Casinos - 20%
  • Cruises - 15%
  • Golf/sports vacations - 10%
  • Skiing trips - 5%

Destinations that are most frequently chosen

  • Aruba 8%
  • Bahamas 20.2%
  • Bermuda 3.1%
  • British Virgin Islands 7%
  • Caribbean 34%
  • Caribbean Islands 6.3%
  • The Cayman Islands 10.5%
  • Europe 4%
  • Hawaii 33%
  • Jamaica 17.1%
  • Mexico 7%
  • Puerto Rico 3.8%
  • St. Marten 5.6%
  • US Virgin Islands 7%

Places To Stay While On The Honeymoon

  • 46.1% Hotel/Motel
  • 35.2% Resort
  • 20.1% Boat/Ship
  • 8.2% Bed and Breakfast/Inn
  • 8.9% Other

Transportation Used for Honeymoon

  • 76.2% Airplane
  • 60% Rent Car
  • 16.4% Their Own Car
  • 27% Boat/Ship
  • 2.7% Railroad

SOURCES

  • Association of Bridal Consultants
  • Condé Nast Bridal Group
  • Mediapost.com National Bridal Service
  • National Center for Health Statistics
  • Greeting Card Association
  • National Association of Wedding Ministers