LOS ANGELES -- Planning a wedding is a highly personal experience, reflecting your tastes, values and vision as a couple. But one thing is universal: It'll likely cost more than you think.

In a survey by the Knot that polled nearly 10,000 U.S. couples who married in 2023, the average cost of a wedding was $35,000 — a $5,000 increase from the previous year. California was ranked as one of the top 10 most expensive states to host a wedding, with an average cost of $41,000. (New Jersey was the priciest at $55,000.) In L.A., the median wedding cost was $48,000.

It's money that many couples just don't have. A U.S. News survey that polled 1,205 people who got married in the past year found that 56% of newlyweds took on debt to pay for their weddings. It also revealed that nearly a third of the newlyweds regretted having spent so much on their weddings.

Sarah Blessinger, an L.A.-based wedding planner who specializes in events with 100 guests or less, says people often underestimate the cost of weddings. To help give her clients a clearer picture of the financial breakdown, she shows them how much her previous clients have spent. So far this year, the least expensive wedding she's planned was $38,000 — their budget was initially $25,000 — and the highest was $120,000.

"Some do get sticker shock immediately and they're like, 'Oh, I thought I could get away with spending $20,000,'" says Blessinger, owner of Kindred Weddings and Events. "I'm like, you can, but you'll have to cut things from your budget or from your vision and find ways around that — and it's totally doable."

With all of her couples, Blessinger establishes a "wedding foundation," making sure they are on the same page about a few factors: What is the actual purpose of your wedding? Why is it important to gather these people together? How do we make sure that your investment/budget reflects that and not just what you think you should be doing?

Rob Bolden, a financial adviser and founder of Bolden Wealth Management, suggests over-communicating with your partner and not allowing outside voices to influence you to deviate from your original plan. "At the end of the day, it's just going to be you and your spouse, so make sure that you two are happy," says Bolden, who got married in September.

With the cost of weddings continuing to rise across the country, we wanted to know how much Californians have spent on their weddings in recent years and whether they regret it. Some couples spent well below the state average (like a pastor and an attorney who spent $200 on a front yard wedding); while others spent more than $50,000. They each shared helpful financial advice for couples planning their own big day.

Their responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Marisa Gonzalez and Matt Flanzer

...continued

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.