Wedding industry in the United States

Every year in the United States, there are approximately 2.5 million weddings, and the wedding industry has grown to an empire of 40 billion dollars per year. The following provides a sociological overview of how the wedding industry functions, and how it has become the economic giant seen today.

Weddings in the Media

As of 2006, Bridal Television Shows in the United States attracted more than 30% of the brides planning their wedding each year and over 6,000 bridal shows have taken place each year.

The Wedding Ceremony

Until the Middle Ages, the Wedding ceremony or betrothal involved of the exchange of a ring or a piece of fruit, a kiss, and then the bride moved into the groom's home . Today however, the ceremonial aspect of marriage has become more extravagent and more detailed. The average American couple today spends about 19 to 20 thousand dollars on their wedding and for a middle class family, this can be about 51 percent of their income. This money may go towards things such as the venue, the rehearsal dinner, the officiate, the wedding planner, and invitations to the event, as well as a band, singer, or pianist for when the wedding party walks down the aisle.

The wedding ceremony itself can cost a couple about 2,600 dollars on average, depending on the site, whether it be indoors or outdoors, a church or the beach. The location may only cost the couple 500 dollars, but acessories and decorations cost extra. For the officiant, priest, minister, or rabbi a couple may spend about 300 dollars. The rehearsal dinner, which many couples have for their guests, costs them about 1,269 dollars.On flowers alone a couple may expect to spend about 2,000 dollars. This cost includes flowers used for decorations in the wedding venue, as well as for bouquets for the bride, bridesmaids, and flower girls. Even mundane elements of the wedding such as invitations can cost a pretty penny. Couples spend on average, about 848 dollars which includes costs of stationary accessories ($188) and printed, pre-made invitations or reply cards ($659). A wedding band or singer may cost at least 1,000 dollars depending on who performs, and this cost can be for either the ceremony or the reception. The Wedding Planner may cost them on average, about 25 dollars per hour or $3,000 total.

Clothing and Accessories

The number one item on a bride's to-do list is finding the perfect wedding gown. In the US, the average wedding dress costs $1,075. That is a 2% increase from 2006 statistics.