A wedding ceremony and reception costs $34,802 in the U.S. as of October 2026. In 1960 it cost $1,100, or $12,533 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, a wedding costs 2.8 times as much today as in 1960.
Price at the time In October 2026 dollars
U.S. ceremony and reception, not counting the ring. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | $1,100 | $12,533 |
| 1961 | ≈$1,156 | ≈$13,034 |
| 1962 | ≈$1,214 | ≈$13,556 |
| 1963 | ≈$1,275 | ≈$14,054 |
| 1964 | ≈$1,340 | ≈$14,573 |
| 1965 | ≈$1,407 | ≈$15,066 |
| 1966 | ≈$1,478 | ≈$15,339 |
| 1967 | ≈$1,553 | ≈$15,679 |
| 1968 | ≈$1,631 | ≈$15,808 |
| 1969 | ≈$1,714 | ≈$15,747 |
| 1970 | $1,800 | $15,646 |
| 1971 | ≈$1,950 | ≈$16,235 |
| 1972 | ≈$2,112 | ≈$17,038 |
| 1973 | ≈$2,287 | ≈$17,374 |
| 1974 | ≈$2,477 | ≈$16,948 |
| 1975 | ≈$2,683 | ≈$16,821 |
| 1976 | ≈$2,906 | ≈$17,227 |
| 1977 | ≈$3,148 | ≈$17,519 |
| 1978 | ≈$3,410 | ≈$17,637 |
| 1979 | ≈$3,693 | ≈$17,156 |
| 1980 | $4,000 | $16,372 |
| 1981 | ≈$4,548 | ≈$16,874 |
| 1982 | ≈$5,171 | ≈$18,072 |
| 1983 | ≈$5,879 | ≈$19,908 |
| 1984 | ≈$6,684 | ≈$21,698 |
| 1985 | $7,600 | $23,821 |
| 1986 | ≈$8,707 | ≈$26,793 |
| 1987 | ≈$9,975 | ≈$29,615 |
| 1988 | ≈$11,428 | ≈$32,581 |
| 1989 | ≈$13,093 | ≈$35,611 |
| 1990 | $15,000 | $38,706 |
| 1991 | ≈$15,487 | ≈$38,350 |
| 1992 | ≈$15,990 | ≈$38,439 |
| 1993 | ≈$16,510 | ≈$38,534 |
| 1994 | ≈$17,046 | ≈$38,792 |
| 1995 | $17,600 | $38,949 |
| 1996 | ≈$18,056 | ≈$38,836 |
| 1997 | ≈$18,523 | ≈$38,923 |
| 1998 | ≈$19,003 | ≈$39,319 |
| 1999 | ≈$19,495 | ≈$39,466 |
| 2000 | $20,000 | $39,171 |
| 2001 | ≈$20,385 | ≈$38,820 |
| 2002 | ≈$20,777 | ≈$38,951 |
| 2003 | ≈$21,177 | ≈$38,816 |
| 2004 | ≈$21,585 | ≈$38,537 |
| 2005 | $22,000 | $37,992 |
| 2006 | ≈$22,386 | ≈$37,450 |
| 2007 | ≈$22,779 | ≈$37,060 |
| 2008 | ≈$23,179 | ≈$36,309 |
| 2009 | ≈$23,586 | ≈$37,085 |
| 2010 | $24,000 | $37,113 |
| 2011 | ≈$25,260 | ≈$37,881 |
| 2012 | ≈$26,587 | ≈$39,054 |
| 2013 | ≈$27,983 | ≈$40,505 |
| 2014 | ≈$29,453 | ≈$41,966 |
| 2015 | $31,000 | $44,114 |
| 2016 | ≈$30,221 | ≈$42,468 |
| 2017 | ≈$29,462 | ≈$40,540 |
| 2018 | ≈$28,722 | ≈$38,577 |
| 2019 | $28,000 | $36,931 |
| 2020 | $19,000 | $24,784 |
| 2021 | $28,000 | $34,660 |
| 2022 | $30,000 | $34,148 |
| 2023 | $35,000 | $38,645 |
| 2024 | $33,000 | $35,401 |
| 2025 | $34,200 | $35,727 |
| Oct 2026 (latest) | $34,802 | $34,802 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of October 2026. Scaled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the metro area, or the rural part of the state outside metros, and by local wages: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages county averages.
| San Mateo, CA | $59,768 |
| Daly City, CA | $59,768 |
| Redwood City, CA | $59,768 |
| South San Francisco, CA | $59,768 |
| San Bruno, CA | $59,768 |
| Cabot, AR | $24,925 |
| Alton, TX | $25,024 |
| Alamo, TX | $25,024 |
| San Juan (city), TX | $25,024 |
| Weslaco, TX | $25,024 |
The Knot, Real Weddings Study (yearly since 2006). Earlier years are estimates.
For cities: Scaled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the metro area, or the rural part of the state outside metros, and by local wages: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages county averages.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
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What everything cost in 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.