How Many Paychecks It Takes To Afford a Wedding in 12 States Vance CariagaAugust 24, 2025 at 10:09 PM TheBusinessMan / Getty Images/iStockphoto Love might be free — but weddings cost a lot of money.
- - How Many Paychecks It Takes To Afford a Wedding in 12 States
Vance CariagaAugust 24, 2025 at 10:09 PM
TheBusinessMan / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Love might be free — but weddings cost a lot of money. A survey conducted by the wedding registry platform Zola found that the average wedding expense in the U.S. is about $36,000.
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To put that figure in perspective, consider the median wage for full-time workers in the United States is $1,196 a week or $62,192 a year, according to the according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means the typical wedding sucks up about 58% of the typical yearly income.
But as with most things having to do with money, the cost of a wedding varies greatly depending on where you live.
A recent study by online dress shop JJ's House compared wedding costs nationwide to identify how many days people have to work in each state to afford a wedding. One thing it found is your location could determine whether it takes more than 120 paychecks to afford a wedding of fewer than 30.
Here's a look at how many paychecks it takes to pay for a wedding in 12 states. The six states requiring the most checks are listed first, and the six requiring the least checks follow. Paycheck figures are based on getting paid once a week.
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Hawaii -
Average wedding cost: $32,280
Days to work to afford a wedding: 879
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 126
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Vermont -
Average wedding cost: $44,720
Days to work to afford a wedding: 617
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 88
Rhode Island -
Average wedding cost: $49,180
Days to work to afford a wedding: 578
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 83
New Jersey -
Average wedding cost: $54,400
Days to work to afford a wedding: 578
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 83
South Carolina -
Average wedding cost: $36,170
Days to work to afford a wedding: 484
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 69
Louisiana -
Average wedding cost: $33,240
Days to work to afford a wedding: 484
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 69
Kansas -
Average wedding cost: $20,000
Days to work to afford a wedding: 247
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 35
North Dakota -
Average wedding cost: $21,080
Days to work to afford a wedding: 235
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 34
Washington -
Average wedding cost: $26,380
Days to work to afford a wedding: 222
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 32
Utah -
Average wedding cost: $17,380
Days to work to afford a wedding: 221
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 32
Wyoming -
Average wedding cost: $16,750
Days to work to afford a wedding: 214
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 31
Alaska -
Average wedding cost: $16,150
Days to work to afford a wedding: 198
Number of weekly paychecks to pay for a wedding: 28
For the study, researchers analyzed data from The Knot and Forbes. They then calculated the average cost of a wedding in each state, and matched it with disposable income per working day. The final list ranked the states from fastest to longest path to a fully funded wedding.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Many Paychecks It Takes To Afford a Wedding in 12 States
Source: "AOL Money"
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